I am hiking Lions Head in Salisbury, CT this weekend with my fraternity. I was just looking to see if anyone knew approximately how long it takes to climb to the top? Also if anyone has any other general info about the hike I would love to hear it. Thank you
The summit is 8,000 vertical feet below my house. That is a one-hour walk for me.
Nearby City
Salisbury
Length
1.9 mi
Elevation Gain
536 ft
Duration
1.5–2.0 hours
Top Elevation
1,736 ft
Lion's Head in Salisbury, CT might have the distinction of being the shortest hike with the greatest views in western Connecticut. Scramble up the trail on a clear day, and it'll seem like you can see the entire state. This is the perfect spot if you love overviews. Lion's Head seems to hang over the valley you hiked up from and it's a steep drop-off at the summit area so just be a little careful when you're up there. You almost have the sensation of looking straight down into the immediate surroundings. Then of course there's the long distance views. The southern part of Connecticut spreads out in front of you with the rolling Litchfield Hills south-southeast, Twin Lakes due east, Massachusetts north-northeast, and surrounding mountainsides, farmland, woodlands, and small towns filling in the pieces. Click here for a panoramic shot (these are actually 8 photos pieced together...for those with smaller computer screens, you'll be scrolling left and right to see the whole scene...sorry but this is best viewed a larger screen with deeper resolutions).
Lion's Head (1,738 feet) is a popular spot for locals but never really crowded so there won't be any problems as far as getting a good vantage point or finding a nice spot to take in the views. The hike up to Lion's Head isn't too bad although it's pretty steep at certain points (just over a half mile). The nice thing about Lion's Head is that you drive up a steep road to get to the trail head so most of the tough stuff is left behind you when you start out. You'll start out by parking in the dirt lot designated "Hiker Parking" on Bunker Hill Road. (Please respect the privacy of the residents by sticking to the designated parking lot even though you might be tempted to drive up a little further and park closer to the trail head.) It's a little different here in that you have to walk up a short bit along Bunker Hill Road and then onto a dirt utility road for a couple hundred feet before accessing the trail. But after parking, just walk straight up the road past the house on the left and bare to left along the utility road. Soon you'll come upon satellite TV dishes and a small power station/unit. Where the dirt road goes off to the right, you'll want to go left and follow the trail as it dips into the woods and goes a long a stone fence initially (don't go right onto the utility road as this is private property).