Off The Trails: A Hiker's Guide to the Outdoors

Ragged Mountain is one of the most popular hiking destinations in Connecticut. Located in Berlin, CT, Ragged Mountain has over 8 miles of rugged trails that offer stunning views of Southington and Central Connecticut. Topping out at an elevation of 761ft, this location is a must for any average hiker looking to explore all Connecticut has to offer.

Trails are marked with Blue, White, Orange and Red Blazes and vary in distance. Most trails will take hikers along the rock face adjacent to Lower Hart Pond. The Metacomet and New England Trails are the primary trails that traverse the 2.5 X 1.75 mile region. Depending on the trail, hikers could experience a gradual ascent to the top or a steep rock scramble to the top. The most challenging trail is the blue/red blazes, but this trail will also take hikers directly to the overlooks.

Most of the rock that makes up Ragged Mountain is a volcanic basalt. Forming nearly 200 million years ago during the Triassic Period as North America and Europe separated. The separation caused volcanic lava to rise up and solidify. Earthquakes and other geologic processes formed the rock faces we see today. The mineral rich soil and rock provide a rich micro-climate for a lot of species only found in this region of Connecticut.

Parking: There is no parking lot at Ragged Mountain, hikers must park along any of the surrounding roads. The most common parking area is along West Ln adjacent to the blue/read trail head. However, if no parking is available around West Ln, hikers and park along Carey St. or Andrews St. Parking off Carey St. offers a steeper ascent to one of the overlooks.

AllTrails: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/connecticut/ragged-mountain-blue-and-red-blazed-loop (Most common loop)