Hiking to Castle Craig at Hubbard Park in Meriden, CT

Hubbard Park in Meriden offers hikers the opportunity to hike to one of the highest peaks in the east within 25 miles of the Atlantic. Castle Craig, and the spectacular views of the central Connecticut valley await. The castle can be accessed via several trails starting in Hubbard Park. It is also part of the blue blazed Metacomet Trail. For those that make the climb, they will be rewarded with views that span from Massachusetts to the north to Long Island to the south. It is quite spectacular, and well worth the effort.

The path to Castle Craig includes a more direct trail hike, as well as paved trail. The paved trail (closed to vehicles) must wind around the local reservoir, so it is quite a bit longer. We elected to take the trail up and the road down. If time is a concern I would recommend taking the trail both up and back, although the paved road is a much gentler trip. The trail maps at the start of the trail within Hubbard Park leave a little to be desired. They do not show all the possible trails. However, if you goal is to reach Castle Craig, as long as you continue to go up, it's a good bet you will eventually hit it. Overall I estimate the trip was about 5 miles, but I have now official measurement.

The trail is moderate hiking. There are some steep areas with some loose stone. Although do-able by a reasonably fit adult, the trail proved difficult for the some of the younger children in our group (ages 3 and 5), and necessitated some carrying by the stronger adults. The 9 and 15 year old did not have an issue. Although a bit difficult, upon reaching Castle Craig at the top all agreed the effort was worth it. Hey, the difficulty makes one appreciate the view from the summit even more.

There was some whining on the long paved trail down, but considering all the kids spent about an hour running around the park playground at the conclusion of the hike, I suspect the limited whining that did occur was not due to tiredness.

Hiking Hubbard Park to Castle Craig was a good family experience. Just be aware that it may be more suitable to the older kids. If you are prepared for some carrying, by all means bring the littlest ones. I recommend this location for an enjoyable day hike.