Norfolk - Dennis Hill State Park

Date Hiked:  Monday, August 27, 2012
Number in Group: 9 plus 1 dog
Estimated distance round-trip: 2.5 miles
Weather:  Cloudy, 86°F
Resources:  Dennis Hill State Park, Trail Map
Highlights of the trip: Views, stone pavilions

In the week before school officially starts, we strayed a little farther afield.  We went to Dennis Hill State Park in Norfolk.  This was a place none of us had been before.

There is a road that allows you to drive all the way to the top, but we parked in a lower area near some picnic tables and walked up along the single-lane road.  At the top of the hill is a large pavilion with a standing seam metal roof.  The view is spectacular.  At one time, there had been stairs up to an observation deck that allowed you to see even more, but the observation deck is no longer there.  According to information found by Steve Wood at CT Museum Quest, there was a fire there in the 1980's.  Perhaps the observation deck was not replaced when the new roof was put on.

Here is some information I found about the pavilion from the application put forth to add it to the National Register of Historic Places:

Commanding an impressive view of Norfolk's wooded hills, this stone bungalow was built in 1908 on the summit of Dennis Hill (elevation 1627’). The hill is completely forested except for the land immediately adjacent to the building, which is cleared. The building's original purpose was as an adjunct to "Tamarack Lodge," a large summer estate at the foot of the hill. Today, its rustic construction, its open design and its advantageous setting can still be appreciated by hikers in Dennis Hill State Park, for which the building serves as a shelter. Although there is no glass in the window openings, nor any interior furnishings, the arcadian ambience of the place remains, a kind of democratization of its original function. At the time of this report, the bungalow was inhabited only by an escaped kestrel in jesses, an appropriate reminder of the lifestyle of the building's first owners and of the fact that Norfolk continues as an exclusive summer retreat.

Looking out at the hills from the entrance.

Inside the pavilion.

View from in front of the pavilion.

This location would be a great place to view the fall foliage.  There are picnic tables inside the pavilion.

Saw these along the road.  I think they are blue cohosh.

We walked back down along the road until we came to a small parking area where the white trail heads into the woods.  The trail entrance was a little overgrown, but we gamely pushed through.  There were burrs and other prickers, but there were also stinging nettles.  It felt like we were being pricked by pins.  Once through this initial area, the trail again seemed to close in.  We decided to turn around and head back down to where the yellow trail came out by our cars.

Burdock, idea for Velcro.  Note the shield bug between the burs.

Stinging nettle.  Sorry, not a very good picture.

Interestingly, stinging nettle can be used as a treatment for other ailments including joint or muscle pain.  My husband (who had an unpleasant experience with nettles in England) thinks that the sting of the nettles simply takes your mind off of your other problems.  Relief from the effects of stinging nettle can be found in plants that may be growing near by.  One is called dock plant and the other is jewelweed.  We did see jewelweed as we walked on down the road.

Once back at our cars, we took the yellow trail into the woods.  This was wider and allowed several of us to walk abreast.  We went around the yellow loop to the right and ended up at a small pavilion that offered another fantastic view.

Metamorphic rock - schist?

Leaving the pavilion, we continued on the loop and returned to our cars.  There was one place on the loop where it looked like another trail went off to the right.  Make sure you continue following the yellow blazes.  The white trail that we had abandoned was supposed to join the yellow trail, but I never noticed where. 

There are a few things I am going to do the next time I come out here - and I will be out here again.  The pavilion would be a perfect place to have a picnic, so I am going to bring my lunch and enjoy the view.  I am going to read the information in the pavilion as mentioned at CT Museum Quest.  I am going to follow along with the information available on The Geology of Dennis Hill State Park as I hike.

This was a great little park.  Other parks nearby include Haystack Mountain and Campbell Falls.  I highly recommend both of those.  Haystack has a stone tower you can climb with fabulous views and Campbell Falls is just up the road from there.