Miller's Pond State Park, CT

[The_Mountainside_Menace]

I Didn't see anyone post up about this location, but I got to sneak away from the in-laws, the wife, and the kids for a few hours and checked out Miller's Pond State Park in Connecticut on Sunday. I was completely blown away from this place and the endless rock features. The system is pretty small and the big loop is only 9 miles. To be honest, 9 felt like a beatdown with my current level of fitness. There were some sections that definitely took me out of my comfort level. There are tons of big rollers and janky, gnarly rock gardens. For me, a lot of the big rock garden features were totally rideable but 5 or so of them tended to huck to flat from 2-3 feet without any sort of ramp. I tended to get all the way through the technical parts and down the other side only to chicken out and sketchily dismount and hop down to the the flat on my feet. I think my collarbones thank me for those decisions. The system reminded me of riding a gnarlier version of Mahlon's Black Magic trail for 6 miles. There are 3 miles of climby flowy trail towards the end of the loop that offer some respite from rocks. If you are in the area and want to challenge yourself, I definitely recommend checking this park out and doing the red blazes clockwise. The scenery is pretty nice with a winding trail around the ridge by an old mine and a pond in the middle of it all.

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[Norm]

This is on my radar, and I have seen videos of how gnarly this can be. @JimN sent me a YouTube about this once but the last time I asked him about it, he totally forgot.

TF has been updated since I first found this place. The trail names used to be more along the lines of:

* Certain death
* Warmup loop

I am paraphrasing. I am now more interested in trying this place.

 

[gmb3]

Really close to Powder Ridge too if you wanna get some list service in and make a long day or weekend of it. Definitely on my radar as my sister lives up that way too.

 

[JimN]

This is on my radar, and I have seen videos of how gnarly this can be. @JimN sent me a YouTube about this once but the last time I asked him about it, he totally forgot.

I don't remember forgetting about it. Is this the place I found as a possible spot to hit on the way home from KT?

I was completely blown away from this place and the endless rock features.

How does it compare to that section of the Mid State Trail that we rode? Will @Wrong Way Dan be giggling the whole time?

 

[Norm]

I don't remember forgetting about it. Is this the place I found as a possible spot to hit on the way home from KT?

You're assuming my memory is any better than yours. Maybe we should take a road trip with a paper map and compass and see what happens.

 

[The_Mountainside_Menace]

How does it compare to that section of the Mid State Trail that we rode? Will @Wrong Way Dan be giggling the whole time?

Well this was an actual trail network that is bikeable, but there are definitely Fugawi flashbacks on the ridges at Miller's Pond. I still have no clue how @Wrong Way Dan didn't die on the mid state trail.

I got passed by trail runners (looked more like parkour)... I've never had that happen before haha. Definitely need to go back to learn some of the lines.

 

[JimN]

Well this was an actual trail network that is bikeable

Sounds like you got our hopes up for nothing

I'd probably still check it out at some point though.