Connecticut offers an abundance of choices in hiking. There are quiet trails padded with pine needles, bumpy trails full of criss-crossing tree roots, and steep trails that prompt me to inch down on my fanny to keep from hurtling down.
Other trails are rocky and steep enough to require scrambling, which adds to the fun.
And then there are the soothing sounds of babbling brooks with mossy, emerald-green rocks.
Sometimes there are huge boulders, and if you’re lucky you can explore "caves." 
Some trails reward you with a spectacular view.
Surprisingly, all these photos were taken on the same hike! Mattatuck State Forest has it all. Those in our group commented often about the variety of terrain we experienced.
We began at the north parking lot at Black Rock State Park, crossed the street and started on the blue/yellow-blazed Branch Brook Trail. The trail was well-marked and easy to find.
Soon we came to this pretty scene.
We turned south onto the blue Mattatuck Trail and then started our ascent. This is where the real fun began. It was drizzling, so the rocks were wet. On a dry day this would be much easier. This rock, even though it looks flat in the photo, was probably at a 45 degree angle. I don’t really know - I wasn’t thinking about angles. All I was thinking was, “How am I going to get up that thing?” There was nothing to grasp. It was smooth, wet and slick.
I started on my hands and knees and promptly slid down. I tried army crawling and slid back down. Eventually I prayed my way up. When I reached the top, I turned around to take a picture. That’s when I realized that my cell phone had fallen out of my pocket and was half way down the rock.
Ugh. At first I just sat there staring at it. Then I realized if went on my stomach and stretched as far as I could, I wouldn’t have to go down too far. I grabbed my phone and backed up feet first, lying on my stomach. Luckily, no one was videoing that little debacle!
Eventually we made it to the Leatherman’s Cave and had fun exploring the area.
Then it was onward and upward to Crane’s Lookout.
 |
| We'd love to return and see this panorama in the summer and fall |
 |
| The rainy conditions added to our adventure |
 |
| Peeks of spring! |
Many more rocky, slippery, ups and downs were ahead. Then we crossed the street and entered Black Rock State Park, where the peacefulness washed over us as we entered the trail cushioned by pine needles.
The state park was very pretty, if we weren’t so tired we would have explored more. 
This was such a fun hike. I look forward to returning on a sunny, dry day!
Address: 2065 Thomaston Rd, Watertown, CT 06795
Map for Black Rock State Park: http://www.ct.gov/deep/lib/deep/stateparks/maps/blackrockgis.pdf
Map for Mattatuck State Forest: http://www.ct.gov/deep/lib/deep/stateparks/maps/mattatucksf.pdf
Length: approximately 4.5 miles
Difficulty Level: Moderate with some harder spots.
Calories: 1175
