Hike #17: Tariffville Gorge (Metacomet & Cowles Park) - East Granby, CT

Date Hiked:  Saturday, March 26, 2016
Estimated distance round-trip: 3.31 miles
Weather: 40°F, cloudy
Resources: CFPA Interactive Trail Map, Along the New England Trail, FVHH May 2012, FVHH Oct 2012
Highlights of the trip: Blazing a trail (not), river views
Progress toward 2016 hiking goals:  17/52 hikes; 57.22/250 miles; 8/25 miles on Tunxis Trail


My siblings, who were down from New Hampshire for Easter, joined me on my hike this weekend. 

I decided to take them over to Tariffville Gorge.  I have done this hike several times before, starting in Cowles Park in East Granby and climbing up to the Metacomet and the lookout over the gorge.  From the lookout, I have always had to bushwhack my way down to Tunxis Avenue to take the orange trail back to Cowles Park completing the loop.  It just seems to me that there must be a trail that connects the Metacomet to Tunxis Avenue. 

We chose to approach the trail from a different direction.  We parked at the Metcaomet Trail sign on 189 in Tariffville and headed east.  Where the Metacomet started to head away from the river, we left the blue-blazed trail and started following these rather serpentine bike trails.  Eventually, we headed down toward the river looking for the trail I thought must be there.

I was wrong.  There is no trail along the river.

But, we didn't let that stop us.  We continued on, hugging the crumbling, trap rock sides of the gorge until we reached the white trail, which leads to Tunxis Avenue.  If anyone in the houses across the river was watching, I am sure they were thinking we were a bunch of idiots.  I like to think of us as adventurers.  It really wasn't that bad, but I wouldn't recommend doing it.

A shelter in the area of the bike trails.

My sister, sister-in-law, and brother at the start of scramble along the river.

The white trail starts at the gap in the trees in the distance almost directly above the rock in the river in the foreground.

Looking back at the way we came.

We took the white trail to Tunxis Avenue and spent a little time walking along the river.  The water was really rushing today.

Old bridge abutment at the end of Tunxis Ave.  Bridge was washed away in flood of 1955.

We walked down Tunxis Avenue until we picked up the Orange Trail into Cowles Park.  From there, we crossed the power lines and climbed up to the lookout on the Metacomet.  In the distance, at the bend in the river, we could see a group of kayakers.  I think they may have been in a class because they formed into a circle and seemed to stay in one area for awhile.
 

We followed the Metacomet Trail down toward our car.  Along the way we saw someone on a dirt bike.  They weren't on the blue-blazed trail, but based upon tire tracks we found, they had been on it in a few places.  We also passed a couple of mountain bikers.  The trails out here are pretty extensive and look like they could be a lot of fun.

All around, a good hike.  I am now pretty sure there is no good way to complete the loop to Tunxis Avenue, but would recommend just bushwhacking down from the lookout, going south.  See the map from Along the New England Trail.