Barkhamsted - Indian Council Caves

Date Hiked:  Thursday, June 28, 2012
Number in Group:  9
Estimated distance round-trip: 2 miles
Weather:  Sunny and warm, 92°F
Resources:  Connecticut Walk Book: West put out by CT Forest & Park Association
Highlights of the trip: Ginormous boulders to climb on

On Thursday, we took a hike to the Indian Council Caves in Barkhamsted.  There were several places we could have parked along Route 179, but we decided to park on Legeyt Road about a mile north of where Routes 179 and 219 intersect.  This makes for a relatively short and easy hike.

Crossing to the west side of 179, we went past a yellow gate and onto the trail. I believe this part of the trail used to be an extension of Legeyt Road and skirts the edge of Tunxis State Forest.  While it still looked like a roadbed, there was only a single-person track through the grass and weeds. 

Majestic looking tree.

Before too long, the trail became very rocky.  It resembled a dry stream bed.

Along the way, we came to two ponds.  The first one was right by the trail and easy to access.  We didn't see a lot, but we could hear the bull frogs.  The second one could be glimpsed through the trees and there appeared to be a beaver lodge.

First pond.

Any idea what this is?

There were also a number of cellar holes.  I think we came across at least three.  This one appeared to have stairs.  The flat rock in the foreground of the picture also had what appeared to be a circular opening.  Not sure what that was.

We had already gone past a trail on the right that was blazed blue.  This was the Tunxis Trail heading north toward the Massachusetts border.  A little further on, we came to another blue blazed trail on the right.  The Tunxis Trail turns in here for the Indian Council Caves.  (I think if you continued along the old road, you might connect with the Tunxis Trail south of the caves).

The kids had gone on ahead of us and were already on top of the boulders by the time the adults got there.

Near the top.

There is really no view to speak of other than the tops of lots of trees.  Still, it's fun to sit way up on top of the boulders.

The rocks form a protective circle.

Jewel weed.

The route we took made this a short, but enjoyable hike.  If you don't have a lot of time, or are with young kids who may not be able to hike from some of the other trail heads, I would recommend taking this route.  Details on the other parking areas are listed in the Connecticut Walk Book: West which you can find in most libraries.