In order to hike these trails, a permit from the Regional Water Authority (RWA) is required.
The West River Trail follows moderate grades and offers a delightful view through the trees of the West River. As you hike, notice pieces of quartzite, a white mineral, in the stone walls and schist bedrock. Lastly, the River’s Edge Spur drops steeply to the river, providing a short, but challenging hike down to the water’s edge.
The white square Lake Trail on the east side of the lake crosses an old field that once grew hay for the water company’s draft horses. The field is now planted with white pine, larch and Norway spruce. Look for a large boulder called a glacial erratic. This boulder was pushed here by a glacier more than 15,000 years ago. The white square Lake Trail on the west side of the lake is a bird watcher’s delight with habitat that includes maturing and medium-sized maple and birch, alternating with tall pines and clearings dominated by blackberries, goldenrod, and meadowsweet.
The trees along the blue circle Tamarack Trail are actually European Larch, a close relative to the Tamarack tree, also called the American Larch. The orange triangle Hemlock Trail has majestic hemlock spires along its path. Nearly all of southern Connecticut was once cleared for farming. Farming was discontinued early here, and trees quickly returned that, protected in this ravine, have grown taller than on the surrounding land.
Read more at the South Central Regional Council of Governments (SCRCOG) website (Bethany).
A permit can be acquired through the RWA recreation website.
Review the RWA Rules and Regulations for the complete list of park rules.
The Lake Bethany gated entrance and parking area is located along Hatfield Hill Road adjacent to the overhead power lines which can be reached via the Litchfield Turnpike (Route 69).
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