Heublein Tower - Simsbury, Connecticut

Natividad R.

La caminata hasta la torre tarda como 35 minutos aprovechando tomar fotos y videos. Durante el trayecto aprecias unas vistas espectaculares.

Benjamin J.

Awesome hike for the whole family. Challenging beginning but flat and enjoyable trail overall. Great places to rest and explore around the grounds.

Timothy M.

Four stars due to the road to the parking lot not being plowed. They plowed the road up to the gate, but stopped. Trails are snowy and icy as expected this time of year. Walking sticks and crampons help immensely.

John R.

This hike is not for the inexperienced hiker. Wear good shoes and bring water & snacks.

Entering from the Simsbury Rd entrance, there is a steep and steady, continuous incline, for ~465 feet up. The trail is covered in shale / trap rock.

There are several alternate routes. You can hike up from the WeHa Reservoir off Albany Ave, or follow the Metcomet trail adjacent to the power lines off Simsbury Rd, or turn onto the blue blazed trail on your way up from the parking lot off Simsbury road, or, there are a couple other ways off the Talcott Mountain Collective side.

Those vary in length and difficulty, following a mixture double track, single track, & rugged trails. I think it’s two miles out and back from Simsbury are parking. Or we did six miles up the power lines to Metacomet to the tower, and to the parking lot below.

There are a number of places to sit and enjoy the scenery, to poke around, and it is fun to climb the tower for a 360° panoramic view.

There are restrooms at the tower and base.

Andrea M.

We did not go inside the tower as it was not open, however the hike from the trail head was beautiful and well worth the view at the top!

Kim V.

Heublein Tower is located in Talcott Mountain State Park. There were plenty of parking spaces and a few trails that lead up to the "castle". The main Tower Trail is 1.25-miles one-way; most of it were up hill and on rocky gravel. There were a couple of lookouts before reaching the tower; beautiful views but becareful, it's very steep. There were a couple of benches and waste receptacles along the way.

The tower up close was magnificent and the land is full of history. There was the old garage that's used as an information center with benches and a video. A huge picnic pavilion and BBQ pit. The Tower was built to look like a German castle. There are 6-stories; bedrooms, living rooms, restrooms, and the ballroom which is now called the observation deck are in it. There were signs showing what certain areas were. This building was Gilbert Heublein's summer home, then The Hartford Times, then the State of CT. Many parties and famous people have traversed these steps; Dwight D. Eisenhower and Prescott Bush to name a couple.

The observation deck is where the showstopper is; 360-degree views of Connecticut, it's a priceless and breathtaking view.

Thank you to Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and Friends of Heublein for up keeping and keeping this local and historical gem alive. I highly recommend the moderate hike up, if you're able to. Bring bug spray, water, sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, and your best hiking boots!

Magnus W.

Such a great hike. Hiking at sunset was amazing

Madison C.

There are some incredible views here. Particularly around the start of autumn, it's particularly pretty with all the colors fron the foliage. One clear days you can see whole cities in the distance. It's a fairly challenging walking trail to get there, but it's well worth it. If you intend to enter the tower, it would be wise to check in advance if it's open. I think it's still "only the weekend" for now, but even without getting the birds eye view, there still plenty to be seen in the surrounding area!