I learned recently that sometimes the best way to experience a hike if you’re not able to hit the trail is to take the trek by looking through the lens of those who were there.
When I hit the trail, I normally make sure I have my camera with me, or at least my iPhone. I’ll take close-ups of blooming flowers, try to focus on raindrops on a spider’s web or take wide shots from a scenic vista. Ready for National Geographic I’m not, but I enjoy snapping along and sharing my photos with friends.
On a recent trip to Maine, I took several photos from a short walk along the Sandy Stream Pond trail in Baxter State Park with my two children and my dad. We were lucky enough to obtain the last “moose pass” available that afternoon; a moose pass is a three-hour day pass to the pond, which is normally a hot spot for moose sightings. No such luck for us.
Once those were uploaded, I added more from our day trip to the coast to Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island where we took the park drive up Cadillac Mountain – the weather and our choice of footwear that day were not conducive to a walk up the glacial granite-exposed side of the 1,530-foot mountain – and then scuttled around the rocky top with our umbrellas. My desire to give the Precipice Trail a try will have to wait until next time.
With my photos were finally shared – I’ve recently become obsessed with Instagram (yes, I know I’m a little late to the party on this one) – I started to take a virtual tour of the thousands of other trails in New England where professional and novice hikers alike have thought to share their pictures and their opinions of various trail systems.
A simple search in Google’s images finder turned up hundreds of shots for the two short hikes I experienced over the Labor Day weekend, including some breathtaking shots of the sunrise from Cadillac Mountain.
Curious about what I would find if I looked a little closer to home, I found some great images of these Connecticut trails:
- Shenipsit State Park
- Haley Farm State Park
- Chauncey Peak and Lamentation Mountain
- Mattabesset Trail
- Steep Rock Preserve
Do you have any favorite images of local hikes or day hikes in the southern New England area? Share them on Patch or post a comment below with information and links to your favorite places to view trails online.
