Valley Falls
11/11/2010 ~Solo Hike~
Valley Falls is one of those places that has a little something for everyone. The rail trail that runs through Valley Falls is part of the larger Rails to Trails System and offers a nice, flat, walk, and is popular with joggers and bicyclists as well. There is also a system of loop trails here that leave plenty for Day Hikers to explore. There is also a pond that’s popular with fisherman and is a popular place to swim on hot summer days.
Since yesterday was a cold, but very nice and sunny day, I decided to head out for a short hike. I had read that the white blazed lookout trail at Valley Falls offered up a nice view and I was dying to check it out. Since this place is literally about 5 minutes from my house, I figured why not?
I followed the Blue Blazed Shenipsit Trail up to the Rail Trail, then crossed the rail trail where I found an un-blazed trail leading upwards. As I stood there consulting my map a woman came over and mentioned to me that the trail led to a really nice view. I thanked her and decided to go that way even though it wasn’t blazed with the yellow/blue blazes I had been looking for. I decided it might be the Jeep Trail that is marked on the map. If it was I would eventually find the blue/yellow trail because it criss-crosses the blue/yellow a couple of times. Indeed, I eventually came to a blue/yellow blaze and turned off to follow it. Very soon I found myself at the white lookout trail, which I followed to the end. The views from the top were pretty nice and the hike up was pretty easy. After enjoying the white trail I decided to finish out the upper part of the blue/yellow loop before heading back to my car.
According to my GPS I ended up hiking about 3.8 miles in an hour and a half. I would definitely recommend this trail to anyone looking for an easy-to-reach view. Take some snacks & sit and enjoy the view awhile. Just don’t forget to pack out what you pack in. 😉
Happy Trails,
Molasses
GPS Map of my hike. Made with Google MyTracks:
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