As residents of the Farmington Valley we are blessed with an abundance of natural beauty, hiking trails, the Farmington River and a number of State Parks. One of the crown jewels has to be Heublein Tower located within Talcott Mountain State Park. The park consist of 557 acres, spanning the towns of Avon, Simsbury and Bloomfield. The main trail head is located off of Rt. 185 in Simsbury. The trail to the tower is approximately 1.25 mile and is part of the much longer, 51 mile, Metacomet trail, which runs through central Connecticut from Berlin, CT. to the Massachusetts border. The hike to the tower begins with a steep hill climb to the ridge of Talcott Mountain.
Once you get to the top, the trail traverses along the ridge of the mountain and is mostly flat. The views of the valley below are breathtaking. On a clear day one can see for miles and can easily identify a number of local landmarks. During the fall the trail is extremely popular and for good reason. The scenery is nothing less than spectacular!
Perched on the highest point of Talcott Mountain sits the 165 foot Heublein Tower. The tower was built in 1914 as a summer home for the success German emigrant and Hartford restaurateur and hotelier, Gilbert F. Heublein.
To read more about the history of Heublein Tower, please visit the Friends of Heublein Tower website. The Friends of Heublein Tower is a nonprofit organization established in 1985 to preserve and restore Heublein Tower and it's surrounding estate. I must say, that the Friends have done a great job! Having grown up in the Farmington Valley I have hiked this trail many times but, have never had an opportunity to tour the tower until just recently. Last month my family and I packed a picnic lunch and headed for the tower. My excitement and anticipation grew with each step along the trail.
Once we arrived and I saw the door at the base of the tower wide open, a huge smile came to my face! Heublein Tower is literally built on the side of the cliff. A stone wall built on the edge of a granite boulder creates a small front yard. Upon entering the tower we were greeted by a Friends of Heublein Tower volunteer, who welcomed us and explained that we were free to tour the tower at our leisure. The living room to the left, a small gift shop to the right and the stair well directly behind the lobby. During the 1970's the State replaced the original Otis elevator with a double fire staircase. Small rooms are located on each level off of the staircase. Once at the top of the tower, the 360 degree view is awe inspiring.
The room itself is beautiful. Each side has 5 windows that span the width of each wall and the walls are wood paneled offering a very warm and stately feeling. On a clear day, you can see for hundreds of miles in each direction. Springfield, MA to the north and Hartford, CT to the east are visible with a slight turn of the head. West Hartford Reservoir lays at your feet to the east and the Farmington Valley and beyond to the west. Truly a must see for all Farmington Valley residents!
Check the photo gallery for additional photos or better yet, pack a picnic lunch and head out for yourself! Heublein Tower is open to the public Thursday thru Sunday starting Memorial Day thru Labor Day and opened daily Labor Day thru October -31 10am - 5pm.
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