Bear
Mountain in Danbury, CT.
(not to be confused with
Connecticut's tallest peak, Bear
Mountain in Salisbury, CT) was set
aside and dedicated by the Mayor
of Danbury for people of all ages
to enjoy. The reservation
property is nestled between
suburban neighborhoods, Candlewood
Lake shoreline, and the FCI
women's prison (a medium security
prison that used to house male
prisoners but was changed to
female inmates a fews years ago.
The women here are mostly white
collar criminals (tax invasion,
stock fraud) but there are some
women who have committed drug
offenses but there are no violent
criminals here so there's no
reason to be concerned about your
safety...years ago Reverand Moon
and G. Gordon Liddy were inmates.)
John F. Kennedy Trial system
offers several choices but the red
trail is the largest and probably
the most logical one to explore.
It loops around the Bear
Mountain property and goes through
open fields, narrow walkways,
quiet forest, and over small
hills. As I noted, there are
several side trails you can
explore and all of them link back
up with the red trail eventually.
Bear Mountain in Danbury is one of
those places nobody ever seems to
think of when taking a hike, but
it's a really nice place to check
out, especially if you include the
orange trail with its spectacular
lake views.
The orange trail dips down to
the shores of Candlewood Lake and
offers a great view of the lake.
If you do the red trail and
add the orange you'll be sure to
get a nice workout. The trail
leading down to the lake's edge is
a little steep and very rocky so
you need to watch your step.
Once at water's edge you'll
really appreciate the views and
soon find a nice spot to chill out
in. This area is a great
spot to catch your breath or have
a snack before heading back.
Along the shore you'll
notice side trails going to the
left and right that seem to go
offer other areas to explore.
However, I wouldn't go down
either trail more than 100 ft.
The one to the left is
private property and the one to
the right is owned by the
prison...and I don't think they'd
appreciate an uninvited guest.
The lakefront spot though
quiet and peaceful also has the
feel of a teenage hangout but this
could be attributed to the boats
that pull up here in the summer.
There's a rope swing that's
very well known and plenty of
people swim over to the shore from
their boats and swing off for a
few Tarzan impressions.
There are some broken
bottles with a few beer/sodas
strewn around at times so careful
where you step. It's a minor
eyesoar though and shouldn't
dissuade anyone from hiking down
to the lake.
All in all, Bear Mountain
Reservation is worth checking out.
If you're a solo hiker or have
kids this is a safe "getaway from
it all" place. It's easy to
get to, well maintained, and the
hiking is very straightforward
with pleasant surroundings.
If I had a complaint, it
would be that the yellow/violet
trails lead you up a hill to an
apparent overview but instead take
you into more forest terrain
without offering the hiker
anything of much interest.
It seems a little more
effort and planning by the
trailblazers could have produced a
spectacular view overlooking the
lake. A side note: sometimes
loud voices can be heard in the
distance and can be a little
disconcerting if you're hiking
alone. Just remember that
you're near the women's prison and
a loudspeaker barks out
instructions to inmates or is used
to contact prison staff. I took a
criminal justice course at
WestConn years ago and our teacher
worked at the prison. He took our
class on a tour and back then it
was male inmates. Reverend Moon
happened to be there for tax
evasion. His huge white limo sat
in the parking lot all day,
everday he was there, and this
allowed him to run his empire
through his "driver" who actually
was his executive secretary. The
limo had big cell phone antenaes
(this was before the small cell
phones we all have now) and the
driver would take calls and then
"visit" Mr. Moon and then he would
send his "driver" back to the limo
to communicate with business
associates. The reverand didn't
seem to be doing too much hard
time as I recall so this should
give you some peace of mind as to
whether you should worry about one
of the female inmates escaping
into Bear Mt. and giving you a
hard time. (Verified page info:
March 2015) (If you have questions
about the trail conditions or
thinking of bringing a large group
such as school outing then contact
Danbury, CT city park department.
Danbury,
CT parks department
Directions:
In order to get to Bear Mountain (it
seems there are many Bear Mountains
in New England) take exit 6 off I-84
and proceed north on Rt. 37 passed
all the shopping centers.
(From Exit 6 to Bear Mountain
Rd is about 2.8 miles) Go past
the commercialized district and
eventualy passed the federal prison
which begins the more rural part of
northern Danbury. About a 1/4
mile past the prison entrance is
Bear Mountain Rd...you'll see a sign
for Bear Mt. and JFK Trail.
1/2 mile up Bear Mountain Rd
is the entrance to Bear Mountain
Reservation. There is a nice
paved lot with picnic benches and
plenty of parking.
Printable
version of the Bear Mountain
page
If you have any trail updates to
share or have feedback/questions
please click
here to send email or call
203.788.7665
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