Wadsworth Falls State Park

Mountain laurel is in bloom, and we wanted to go to Wadsworth Falls to see what was rumored to be one of the largest laurels in the state. One of our members grew up in the area and vouched for the fact that it used to be much larger. Expectations aside, it is still beautiful.

The hike begins with a narrow slight ascent and then opens up to the orange-blazed Main Trail. For this trip we chose to stay on the Main Trail (which passes by the giant laurel). About a quarter-mile past the famed laurel, there is an option to take a side trail to the right and pass Little Falls, which is a steeper trail. Both trails require a brief walk along Cherry Street in order to get to Wadsworth Falls. (For those who don't wish to hike, parking near the falls is available on Cherry Street.)

The falls are stunning, with plenty of ledges to sit and enjoy the roar. A perfect place for our devotional.

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

Breaking in new hiking boots requires a major adjustment and sometimes involves blisters and pain. In the beginning, they can offer as much inconvenience as they do great support and protection.

Sometimes the blessings God gives us require changes in our lives. From a change in careers to different living situations, God may want us to move in a new direction of serving Him. Changes don’t come easily to most of us.

Paul’s life is a great example of this. After God called him, he was blinded for three days, then God restored his sight. Paul went from persecuting Christians to being a Christian. He moved from a life of living the law to one of living in grace.

Paul went through many hardships because of his faith, he was stoned, shipwrecked three times and beaten with rods three times. On 5 separate occasions he received 39 lashes.

In Corinthians we see that Paul saw these troubles as light and momentary. Much like a new pair of boots, a new direction with Jesus or a new blessing He gives might be an inconvenience or might even be incredibly difficult for a while. But we would rather break in new boots than wear worn-out shoes. When God brings blessings our way, we’ll be better suited for the journey if we remember that change is sometimes uncomfortable, but always works together for our good (Romans 8:28). Adapted from "With God on the Hiking Trail" by Nathan Chapman

After enjoying the falls, we returned to the Main Trial and then turned right onto the blue-blazed Little Falls Trail. I was momentarily confused by the sign marking the trail, but we saw the blue blaze and knew we were headed in the right direction

The blue-blazed trail leads to White Birch Trail, thus the sign at the entrance to the trail.

We turned left onto the red-blazed Cedar Loop Trail, which dead-ends at the purple-blazed Bridge Trail.

Sign at the intersection of Cedar Loop and Bridge Trails. We turned left and headed to our cars at this junction.

This is a lovely park with clean restroom facilities, picnic area, and a nice beach with swimming allowed. Weekend and holiday fees are $9 for residents and $15 for nonresidents. There is no charge for weekday access.

The Middletown Trail Guide provides a detailed description of each trail: http://www.middletownplanning.com/documents/mdtntrailguide.pdf

Our route is found at https://runkeeper.com/user/SusanGayle/activity/804962760?activityList=false&

Address: 727 Wadsworth Street, Middletown CT

Trail map: http://www.ct.gov/deep/lib/deep/stateparks/maps/wadsworth.pdf

Length: 3.82 mi

Duration: 1 hour, 45 minutes 

Difficulty Level: Easy with a slight incline