📍Laurel Hill - Tariffville, #connecticut #hiking #ruins #nature #abandoned #newengland #outdoors

📍Laurel Hill - Tariffville, Connecticut Nestled in the woods along the Metacomet Trail, on the Bloomfield/Simsbury line in Connecticut, lie the ruins of Bartlett’s Tower. Built in 1889, the tower once stood 70 feet tall and offered sweeping panoramic views. Its proximity to the Tariffville train station made it a popular attraction for Hartford day-trippers, including Mark Twain. It took me three visits to find the ruins, so I was thrilled when I finally came across them! With so many trails in the area, it’s easy (at least for me) to get mixed up. If you start your hike from the parking lot on Mountain Road in Tariffville, AllTrails will show you three different trails heading south. Take the easternmost trail. If you end up on the middle trail, take a left at the water tower. This path is the old carriage road and immediately begins climbing, with a couple of tight switchbacks. The chimney remains are easy to find from there. Looking at Google Maps, you’ll notice two icons marked “Laurel Hill.” The one on the east, closer to Mountain/Tariffville Road, is just a few feet from the chimney. One of my favorite aspects of this hike is how easy it is to adjust the distance. The most direct route to the chimney is about 0.3 miles from the closest trailhead (park in the small lot off Mountain Road). I highly recommend exploring more of the extensive network of trails in the area. You can also enter from the James Property, Marion K. Wilcox Park, or Penwood State Park.