Castle Craig Hike

Yesterday, we went to Castle Craig located at Hubbard Park, in Meriden CT.. Its a good park and behind it is a network of trails and roads that house some cool natural features, The view from the castle and Mirror lake is pretty sweet- we hiked the trail up and took the road down.

Here is some history and info...
Hubbard Park is a popular outdoor recreation destination. The park is crossed by a number of hiking trails, most notably the 51-mile (82 km) blue-blazed Metacomet trail (maintained by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association), which traverses East Peak and West peak the park. Trails are open to hiking, backcountry skiing; roads are open to bicycling and mountain biking. Swimming and rock climbing are prohibited. From the top of Castle Craig it is possible to see most of the Quinnipiac Valley region, Long Island Sound, and the distant higher peaks of southern New England. East Peak is often cited as the highest mountain within 25 miles (40 km) of the coastline from Cadillac Mountain in Maine to Florida, however, nearby West Peak is higher.
So that is cool, an awesome mountain with a castle to go check out right here in CT...

The Hike Up starts on the road from the parking area, you walk underneath Rt.66..

As you go up along the hill towards mirror lake make sure to take a left through the gate as that's where the trail begins..

About halfway up the trail is a pavillion, excellent spot to stop off for a snack and break for a minute- Great views from it also.
I would suggest taking a nice water break there because the next leg of the trail is steep and rocky terrain. From here it is pretty much a straight shot up a small path that brings you up and around the cliff face of the castle. And then you get to the top...

The castle is cool, with spiral stairs leading to the top.
From the top of the observation tower, 1,002 feet (305 m) elevation, it is possible to see New Haven and Long Island Sound 25 miles (40 km) to the south. To the west, the foothills of the Berkshires are visible; to the north, the summit of Mount Tom in Massachusetts.
All sorts of crazy sharp rocks make up the structure.. Below is the view off the top of the tower, very clear- awesome view.
Overall it is a great place for a decent hike, pretty strenuous in some areas on the hike and the total trip took about 2 and a half hours.
All photos courtesy of Jrobisonphoto.com