Campbell
Falls State Park in
Norfolk, CT is the most northern
state park in Connecticut. You can
never use the word "remote" in
Connecticut since things are never
really far away no matter where
you are in the state, but the
rural drive to the park, the
peaceful woodland hike and
picturesque falls at Campbell will
make you feel as though you're a
thousand miles away from it all.
It's not a long hike nor is the
waterfall going to rival Niagara,
but it's very nice here and well
worth the effort to get there.
Snow melts and lots of rain
produce the best flow off water
cascading down the huge rock
formations so you may want to time
your hike accordingly. But any
time of year, wet or dry, is great
and the drive alone might be worth
it as you pass through classic
small town New England with
history and beauty of nature
surrounding you all the way.
Campbell Falls is a few miles
north of the town of Norfolk off
of Route 272. You have two choices
as far as hiking in to see the
falls. One option is very simple
and requires a mere 5 minute walk
down the trail to the waterfall.
For this option you would take a
left turn off of Route 272 and
onto Campbell Falls Road. A short
distance down this road is a dirt
cutout that allows for a handful
of parking slots. You'd just hop
out of the car and follow the
trail straight down and as it
bends to the right a little. In
just a few minutes you'll be upon
the falls. This option is best for
those who can't hike far... or
those who simply don't like to
hike but like nice
views/landmarks!
The second option is to turn left
onto Tobey Hill Road off of Route
272. Tobey Hill Road comes before
Campbell Falls Road (For those of
you driving south from
Massachusetts, Campbell Falls Road
would come first on your right and
then Tobey Hill Road). I'm
recommending the Tobey Hill option
for two reasons. 1) Technically,
it's the official park entrance
and parking area for Campbell. 2)
It's a longer hike than the
Campbell Falls Road entrance and
the hike is very peaceful and
serene as you first enter a
classic hardwood forest, creating
a nice canopy creating a world of
it's own. It's quiet in here and
the only sounds you should hear
are running waters and birds
chirping. (Bard owls like tall,
dark pine forest like this so look
up once in a while and perhaps
you'll spot one of these elusive
animals.) The trail eventually
starts to dip down and will take
you over to the falls. It's an
easy hike for most and the yellow
trail markers make it a peace of
cake to follow along. It shouldn't
take you more than 15 minutes each
way. It's a perfect respite from
the car after driving a long way
and I think the Campbell Falls
Road hike would just be too short
for most folks and doesn't do the
To bey park justice.
The obvious attraction here is the
waterfall. Even during times of
drought it's real nice but when
rains or snow melts are flowing,
the falls are spectacular. The
Whiting River literally rushes out
of the state of Massachusetts and
tumbles into Connecticut. A total
of 100 feet of water cascades down
but the main waterfall is probably
in the 50 foot range. This main
waterfall section is quite a site
to behold when its gushing hard.
It's powerful and majestic - you
can really feel the power of the
water when you're there on a good
day. Mist splashes every where
it's loud.
Visiting Campbell Falls is a can't
miss...everyone loves a good
waterfall! The town of Norfolk is
close by and the drive up to the
park is wonderful no matter what
direction you're coming from. And
you can easily incorporate another
hike into your day. A few miles
before (or if you're coming from
Massachusetts, a few miles after)
Campbell Falls is Haystack
Mountain. Everyone in the
area knows Haystack and many make
a yearly pilgrimage and walk up to
the old stone tower that delivers
a spectacular 360 degree view of
the surrounding mountains and
valleys. Even on the days when
they don't allow you to drive
you're car up to Haystack tower,
it's still not a difficult hike up
the mountain road and dirt trail
to the tower. If you're in good
shape Campbell Falls and Haystack
are a great combination! If you go
during foliage season, better get
up early to beat the crowds.
Directions: From
the center of Norfolk, CT take
Route 272 north and a few miles
out of town on your left will be
Tobey Hill Road. Drive down Tobey
Hill and the parking lot of
Campbell falls is on your right.
Trail head is clearly marked and
you just follow the trail straight
into the forest. Here is a link to
the official trail map Campbell
Falls trail map
Printable
version of the Campbell
Falls State Park 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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