We're planning on hiking at Southford Falls in Oxford, CT soon. I've not been there before, so I did some initial research - I asked a friend who lives nearby if it's a good idea to visit with a group of kids ages 7+ yrs.
This was her response: "Sure, there are some spots that are challenging- make sure
they have good shoes as it could be slippery. There is a lookout tower, as
well. I usually do the whole loop and it takes about 1/2 an hour. Some steep
climbs, and good exercise. The kids should have more energy than the adults any
way."
I also found this other blog with a few posts (seems like a nice blog, but not updated recently):
http://hikethegiant.blogspot.com/2011/11/good-things-small-packages-southford.html
and a Facebook page (with not much detail, but has a few pics)
https://www.facebook.com/southfordfalls.statepark
I'll update this post after my actual hike with pictures and more details. Stay tuned!
Update: March 22nd. So we made it to the park as planned, and it was a perfect outing.
Here's the link of the official map of the park:
Map - The total length of the trail is less than 1.5 miles. It was ideal with the company we had, which included a 6+ yr old and older kids. Some quick tidbits of info - There is no parking fee at the park. There is a unisex toilet in the parking area.
We had a perfect weather day, with the temperature in the upper mid to upper 50's when we got to the park. With the sun shining for most part of our trek, and there being no wind, it was a perfect day to be in there. There was the last layer of snow left and it was crunchy, so we could walk over it quite safely, and it added to the fun of the adventure for the kids.
I have a fairly decent camera for an amateur photographer. Here are some pics:
The trail is marked with red paint on trees along the way:
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| Southford Falls, Trail markers |
The parks starts with the Papermill Pond as soon as you enter.
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| Papermill Pond, Southford falls, CT |
At the edge of the pond the falls begin. So, u
nlike most parks, where one has to trek a bit to get to the falls, here they are right at the entrance. With eager kids in tow, that's a blessing!
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| Southford Falls, CT |
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| Southford Falls, CT |
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| Covered Bridge, Southford Falls, CT |
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| Eight mile brook, Southford Falls, CT |
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| Eight mile brook, Southford Falls, CT |
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| Natural obstacle course, Southford Falls, CT |
See the "twisty-wisty tree" (as named by the kids) at the park.
Interestingly we saw a dead deer in the park. Now, not sure how the deer died, however, it might be a good idea to leave the park at sunset, when the park is officially closed!
At about halfway through the trail, a small detour takes you to the watchtower. Considering there were no leaves on the trees around yet, we could see the landscape at a distance, through the tall trees. Once the leaves are back, I'm not sure one would be able to see much.
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| Watchtower at Southford Falls, CT |
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| Graffiti on the Watchtower |
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| Graffiti on trees, Southford Falls, CT |
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| Back to the pond, Southford Falls, CT |
Enjoy your trek at Southford!
A precautionary note:
Black bear sightings are reported to be increasing in CT. See these links below on how to report bear sightings and do's an don'ts for your information.
