Great Mountain Forest Iron Trail

I hiked the Iron trail in the Great Mountain Forest in Falls Village today.  I was pleasantly surprised by this trail and really enjoyed myself.  The trailhead is on Canaan Mountain Rd. and is a 3 mile out and back. 

The trail starts out in a mixed forest with mostly Hemlock, and descends into a valley, crossing a stream on 2 wooden bridges.  Then it climbs steadily up through mixed hardwoods arriving at the ridge with mostly Oak.  There are some delicate areas with moss and lichens, and people are asked to stay on the trail so as not to trample the sensitive species.  Once on the top there are cairns to follow and the views start coming from all sides. 

There are a number of open areas that have great views to the Northeast and others to the Southwest.  I was even able to make out a few of the peaks of the Catskills far in the distance.  The view down into the Housatonic Valley was great. I was able to make out Mount Everett and Mount Race to the North.  It was breezy today but the sun was out and the temps were in the 50’s.  There is a herd path when the blazed trail ends that continues onto state forest land and leads to another lookout with more nice views.  All in all a very enjoyable trail.  There are some interesting cairns and rock works along the way as well.

There are more trails I would like to explore in Great Mountain Forest as well as some state forest trails in the area.  It was nice getting some views today and finding a new area to explore. 

If you would like to find out more about Great Mountain Forest here is the link.