Scantic River State Park

Scantic River State Park

Connecticut State Park

784 acres in East Windsor, Enfield, and Somers, CT

Parking:

• Hazardville (“Scantic River West”)
  • North of the river – Small lot near 464 Hazard Ave, Enfield, CT
  • South of the river – Small lot near 2010 S Dust House Rd, Enfield, CT
• Scitico (“Scantic River East”)
  • North of the river – Small lot near 640 Hazard Ave, Enfield, CT
  • South of the river – Shoulder parking near 13-101 Bailey Rd, Enfield, CT
• East Windsor (“Scantic River South”)
  • Parking at the end of 101 Melrose Rd, Windsorville, CT

Trail Maps ⬇     Trails: 7.4 miles combined    Rating: ★★★★☆

• DEEP – Hazardville (“Scantic River West”)
  PHH – Hazardville with Historical Sites
  • North of the river 0.75 miles
  • South of the river 0.75 miles
• DEEP – Scitico (“Scantic River East”)
  PHH – Scitico with Historical Sites
  • North of the river 1.8 miles
  • South of the river 1.5 miles
• DEEP – East Windsor (“Scantic River South”) – 2.6 miles

This is the only state park to be split into three separate areas under the same name. This can make it incredibly confusing to find, explore, and share the information clearly

The “East” and “West” sections both south of the river contain many remarkably well-preserved ruins of the 170 year old Hazardville Powder Company which offers a great way to get up close and personal with Connecticut’s industrial history.  The best section in this regard is the Scitico – Scantic River East south of the river off Bailey Rd.

Hiking

Hazardville (“Scantic River West”)

• North of the river – I first visited this section in April 2022. There’s only about a mile of trails here that descend from either corner of the parking area down to the river.  The banks are a small bluff looking down to the river and across the river is Stocker Farm and their herd of cattle.  Trails are well traveled without much to note and easy to follow though certain sections can be tight with overgrowth in summer.  If you keep heading west (to the ‘warehouse’ marked on the map above) you’ll come out just below Powder Hollow Brewery if you like to have a drink mid-hike or start after one 🙂
• South of the river – I visited this section in late 2019.  The DEEP considers these trails unblazed and unmaintained so expect somewhat poor conditions. However this is one of the most popular sections for its water access and parking is regularly closed in the summer with a police officer turning people away.
  • The one exception to the unmaintained is the main trail along the river, which is well traveled and highlights the cascades of the river near the Upper Falls dam.  The main ruin next to river is the former Rolling Mill which ran on steam power and was one of the three buildings to explode in a chain reaction in 1914.  The trail trail begins to fade past the mill and eventually dead ends next to a fence at the edge of private property.
    There were several options leading away from the river off the main trail.  I followed a couple, but they either became blocked by fallen trees or faded away to nothing.  They are supposed to create loops back to the parking area, but I had zero success connecting any of them on my visit.

Scitico (“Scantic River East”)

• North of the river – First explored in spring 2021, trails here are generally easy walking with a couple steep sections.  There are options up and downstream with an easy central loop with a view of the Powder Hollow mill ruins across the river.
  • The main trail here is blazed yellow and follows a wide access road that goes gently downhill to the river for 0.32 miles.
  • An orange blazed offshoot that is much narrower offers a loop trail that follows the bank of the river for 0.59 miles
• South of the river – This section off Bailey Road is easily my favorite.  It features the best preserved ruins of the Hazardville Powder Company including an impressive dam, trail following a half-mile sluice raceway, rusting gate controls, pressing mills, and more.  Definitely check out the PHH map I saved for explanations of what you’re looking at.
  • The trail here is blazed with yellow diamonds and immediately greets you with the 30 ft dam and race gates.  Following the trail to the left takes you along the winding bends of and impressive trench for the old sluiceway which diverted the river and was used to power the mills.  The trail turns at the raceway controls and follows a small trench lined with the remains of the glazing and graining mills.  The trail then goes up and over the north side of the dam to complete the loop.
  • Unfortunately this section is one of the least visited so tends to be more overgrown and less maintained but is still easily worth the effort to explore.  Beavers have been incredibly active along this stretch of the river over the winter of 2023.
  • A 1.3 mile trail also leads upstream offering many views along the river including an abandoned meander channel of the river.  It had standing water during my spring visit, but I’d be curious if it dries up during low water/droughts. The trail continues all the way to Maple Street on town-owned property they call the Somersville Mill Trail

East Windsor (“Scantic River South”)

• This section has the largest network of trails at over 2.6 miles and starts from the large lot at the end of Melrose Road.
• There is a ‘Braille Trail’ here on an old truss bridge over the river with 11 signs explaining the area in english and braille notation.  The trail over the river continues over to the western section of Melrose Road.
• The river loop here, is the main hiking option and follows the curves of the river downstream connecting all the way south (ironically) to North Road, before looping back along the ridge trail option.  It passes at least nine numbered bridges each with their own character including ‘Liberty Bridge’ named for a local dog who loved to hike the park.

History:

Established as a state park starting in the 1989 with the second and third parcels in the 1990s.

Both of the Enfield parks contain the ruins of the Hazard Powder Company, a factory complex that manufactured black powder from 1836 until 1913. Over the course of its 77 year history, it comprised approximately 200 buildings filling an area half a mile wide and two miles long, winding through the hollow carved out by the Scantic River. During the Civil War the company’s mills provided over 40% of the Union’s gun powder. The Hazard Powder Company was also immeasurably important in furthering western expansion by supplying blasting powder to railroads and mining companies. Work at the factory could be dangerous, and over 67 people lost their lives working there.

Links:

Big thank you to Powder Hollow Hiker for their site (which ran from 2016-19) detailing the park
CTMQ – Scantic River State Park Intro (2016-2019)
Peter Marteka – The Manmade And Natural Mix In Scantic River State Park (2015)
Peter Marteka – Enfield’s Powder Hollow Holds Ruins Of Gunpowder Factory (2014)
Peter Marteka – Along Enfield’s Hidden Scantic River Linear Trail (2013)
Peter Marteka – Treasures from the Past Along Scantic River (2011)

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Last updated April 28th, 2022