Haystack Mountain State Park Tower Trail

Haystack Mountain State Park near Norfolk, Connecticut, offers one of the most rewarding short hikes in the Litchfield Hills, culminating at a stone tower on the 1,716-foot summit — the highest point accessible by day trail in the northwestern corner of the state. The upper trailhead is reached via Route 272 north of Norfolk village; a small unpaved parking area accommodates limited vehicles, and no permit or fee is required. From the upper lot, the trail gains approximately 280 feet over one mile of rocky path through stands of northern hardwood, yellow birch, and balsam fir that become denser and more boreal as elevation increases. A lower trailhead adds approximately half a mile each way for those preferring a longer approach from the valley floor. The trail surface varies from packed dirt on the lower slopes to exposed quartzite and loose scree on the final approach below the summit. At the top, a 34-foot stone tower constructed in 1929 by the Connecticut Daughters of the American Revolution rises above the tree line, providing a full 360-degree panorama across four states: Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and Vermont. The view encompasses the Berkshire Hills to the north, the Taconic Range to the west, and rolling Litchfield Hills farmland to the south and east. Wind exposure on the summit is significant, and temperatures typically run several degrees cooler than in the valley below — an extra layer is advisable even in summer. No water sources are available on route; carrying water from the trailhead is essential. Haystack Mountain sits at the edge of the Massachusetts border, making it equally accessible for hikers based in the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts as for those traveling through northwestern Connecticut.