Mount Riga State Park
Smokey the Bear sign
Journey with me as we climb one of the highest points in Connecticut on it’s most popular hiking trail, Bear Mountain. At it’s summit we’re greeted by a huge stone pyramid that we climb to get a remarkable view of the valley and lakes below. During our hike up the mountain we encounter many scenic vistas, rugged terrain, streams and travel through ancient forest.
Location: Near Salisbury, CT
Length: 6 miles
Trailhead GPS coordinates: 42.029814 -73.428842
Season (video): Late Fall
Weather Conditions (video): Overcast
Trail (video): Under mountain and Paradise Lane trails
Difficulty: easy to moderate
Views: Eastern Valley, Lakes and Streams,
State Park: Mount Riga State Park
Access: Car Parking is on route 41 (under mountain road), 3.5 miles north of routes 41/44 junction. A blue oval sign marks the parking area along the road.
Recommended Supplies: 5 x 750ml (20 OZ) bottles of water (or sports drink), a small snack, map, compass & first aid kit.
Safety Direction (if lost): East take you back to Route 41/undermountain road
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- Parking lot road sign
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- Trailhead from parking lot
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- Uphill backpacking
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- Steam crossing
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- Rega Junction sign for AT trail
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- Rocky hiking trail
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- Rocky hiking path
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- Stone pyramid at summit
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- Plaque on stone pyramid at summit
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- Summit view of valley
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- Rocky decent from summit
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- Sages Ravine AT trail sign
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- Spooky woods during fall
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- camping sign
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- Designated camping area sign
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- Frozen pond
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- evergreen trail in fall
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- Smokey the Bear sign
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- Bear Mountain Salisbury, CT hiking map
Bear Mountain Salisbury, CT hiking map
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[...] adventure. During our ascent of Mt. Frissell, we’ll cross the highest point in CT. The Bear Mountain hike in CT has a plaque that states it’s the highest point but it was latter discovered that [...]
[...] adventure. During our ascent of Mt. Frissell, we’ll cross the highest point in CT. The Bear Mountain hike in CT has a plaque that states it’s the highest point but it was latter discovered that [...]
how many miles is this trail?
Hi Sarah. Great question. It’s approx 6 miles total. I’ll add it to the main page.
i use trekking poles because its less weight to carry than tent poles(i set up my tent with trek poles) when im using them and theyre touching the ground they dont add much weight. also on steeper inclines (mt. katahdyn, mt. washington) its easier to have more contact with the ground. its different for everyone but i feel like i dont work my legs as hard with them.
Hey Noah, thanks for the Pole comment/explanation. good to know! Personally, I think I’d end up tripping over them but that’s just the way I am
Since making this video, I must admit, when in a tricky area once or twice I thought to myself that a pole could’ve been handy in that situation.