Story:
Despite growing up in Cheshire and attending high school only a few miles away from the trailhead, I had never been to Roaring Brook Falls until now... about a decade after moving away. It's no wonder, either... the entrance to this park is found at an inconspicuous cul-de-sac nestled amongst small, suburban backroads with a bare minimum of thru-traffic. Unless you're specifically looking for the Roaring Brook trails, you would probably never know they were there.
My goal on this outing was to bring to back some nice photography of Roaring Brook, especially Roaring Brook Falls. With that in mind, I decided that I would hike upstream to the falls in the bottom of the river gorge. Thus, the first leg of this hike blazes right up Roaring Brook itself all the way to Roaring Brook Falls.
After reaching the falls, I climbed my way out of the river gorge (easier said than done) and followed the trails back to my car. You could just as easily choose not to hike up the river itself, though, instead taking the trails out to the falls and then following the same trail on the return trip.
Either way, this hike is sure to have you working up a sweat. Hiking upstream in the river gorge requires scrambling over rocks and demands constant attention to where you're placing your next step, while taking the trails out to the falls pits you against constant inclines that quickly have the calves burning and the heart pumping (at least if you're somewhat out of shape like me).
Roaring Brook Falls is basically the centerpiece of this hike... a series of cascades that dumps Roaring Brook some 80 feet into a narrow gorge. These falls are a little-known gem in Connecticut. Some sources claim that Roaring Brook Falls is best viewed within a day of rain (or whenever the water table is high). I was there during a dry spell and although the falls certainly still flow when the water level is low, they would probably be much more impressive with greater volumes of water.
All in all, I truly enjoyed Roaring Brook. The trails themselves aren't very rugged, but taking the river gorge to the falls more than compensated, making for a short, challenging, and exciting hike. Roaring Brook is a nice, secluded trail system offering a beautiful view of Roaring Brook Falls and a welcome getaway from civilization.
Despite growing up in Cheshire and attending high school only a few miles away from the trailhead, I had never been to Roaring Brook Falls until now... about a decade after moving away. It's no wonder, either... the entrance to this park is found at an inconspicuous cul-de-sac nestled amongst small, suburban backroads with a bare minimum of thru-traffic. Unless you're specifically looking for the Roaring Brook trails, you would probably never know they were there.
My goal on this outing was to bring to back some nice photography of Roaring Brook, especially Roaring Brook Falls. With that in mind, I decided that I would hike upstream to the falls in the bottom of the river gorge. Thus, the first leg of this hike blazes right up Roaring Brook itself all the way to Roaring Brook Falls.
After reaching the falls, I climbed my way out of the river gorge (easier said than done) and followed the trails back to my car. You could just as easily choose not to hike up the river itself, though, instead taking the trails out to the falls and then following the same trail on the return trip.
Either way, this hike is sure to have you working up a sweat. Hiking upstream in the river gorge requires scrambling over rocks and demands constant attention to where you're placing your next step, while taking the trails out to the falls pits you against constant inclines that quickly have the calves burning and the heart pumping (at least if you're somewhat out of shape like me).
Roaring Brook Falls is basically the centerpiece of this hike... a series of cascades that dumps Roaring Brook some 80 feet into a narrow gorge. These falls are a little-known gem in Connecticut. Some sources claim that Roaring Brook Falls is best viewed within a day of rain (or whenever the water table is high). I was there during a dry spell and although the falls certainly still flow when the water level is low, they would probably be much more impressive with greater volumes of water.
All in all, I truly enjoyed Roaring Brook. The trails themselves aren't very rugged, but taking the river gorge to the falls more than compensated, making for a short, challenging, and exciting hike. Roaring Brook is a nice, secluded trail system offering a beautiful view of Roaring Brook Falls and a welcome getaway from civilization.
Tips:
If you plan on hiking to Roaring Brook Falls within the river gorge itself, as I did...
...please be extra careful when choosing each step! I've been fishing on rivers for years now and have come to respect just how dangerous it can be to carelessly hike on river rocks. Wet rocks can be just as slippery as wet ice, so always pay close attention to where you are about to place your foot and try to stay on dry portions of the riverbed at all times. If you are easily distracted and have difficulty remaining focused, you're probably better off not taking the risk... it only takes one mistake on jagged river rocks to seriously ruin your day.
Once you've reached Roaring Brook Falls and are ready to pick back up with the trails, it can be difficult to tell which side of the gorge to climb. If you're looking straight-ahead at Roaring Brook Falls (upstream), the trail is to your left.
If you are interested in capturing some great photographs of Roaring Brook Falls
...the best thing to do is view them from the bottom of the gorge. That's why I neglected to take the trails out to the Falls, instead traveling upstream in the river gorge itself.
You may wonder," Can't I just follow the trails out to the falls, then climb down into the gorge?" Well, yes... you can do that, and I have done it before myself. However, the gorge is surprisingly deep. Trying to climb straight down into the river from the trails at the upper ridge of the gorge is actually remarkably challenging... and dangerous.
ABOVE ALL, BE VERY CAREFUL IF YOU PLAN TO ATTEMPT HIKING UPSTREAM OR CLIMBING THE GORGE WALLS!
If you instinctively don't feel comfortable taking some chances... don't. It's better to be safe than sorry. If you aren't an experienced hiker... stick to the trails. If you tend to be somewhat clumsy... do not, under any circumstances, try to climb up or down the gorge. Stay safe... and live to enjoy more trails another day.
If you plan on hiking to Roaring Brook Falls within the river gorge itself, as I did...
...please be extra careful when choosing each step! I've been fishing on rivers for years now and have come to respect just how dangerous it can be to carelessly hike on river rocks. Wet rocks can be just as slippery as wet ice, so always pay close attention to where you are about to place your foot and try to stay on dry portions of the riverbed at all times. If you are easily distracted and have difficulty remaining focused, you're probably better off not taking the risk... it only takes one mistake on jagged river rocks to seriously ruin your day.
Once you've reached Roaring Brook Falls and are ready to pick back up with the trails, it can be difficult to tell which side of the gorge to climb. If you're looking straight-ahead at Roaring Brook Falls (upstream), the trail is to your left.
If you are interested in capturing some great photographs of Roaring Brook Falls
...the best thing to do is view them from the bottom of the gorge. That's why I neglected to take the trails out to the Falls, instead traveling upstream in the river gorge itself.
You may wonder," Can't I just follow the trails out to the falls, then climb down into the gorge?" Well, yes... you can do that, and I have done it before myself. However, the gorge is surprisingly deep. Trying to climb straight down into the river from the trails at the upper ridge of the gorge is actually remarkably challenging... and dangerous.
ABOVE ALL, BE VERY CAREFUL IF YOU PLAN TO ATTEMPT HIKING UPSTREAM OR CLIMBING THE GORGE WALLS!
If you instinctively don't feel comfortable taking some chances... don't. It's better to be safe than sorry. If you aren't an experienced hiker... stick to the trails. If you tend to be somewhat clumsy... do not, under any circumstances, try to climb up or down the gorge. Stay safe... and live to enjoy more trails another day.
Tags:
Roaring Brook, Roaring Brook Falls, Cheshire, Connecticut, trail, waterfall, Cascades
Roaring Brook, Roaring Brook Falls, Cheshire, Connecticut, trail, waterfall, Cascades
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