Connecticut is loaded with great hiking trails. For an outdoor excursion that the whole family will enjoy, Campbell Falls State Park has an easy trail ending at a breathtaking waterfall. Take an hour or pack a picnic and make an afternoon of it. This kid-friendly waterfall hike is one you’ll want to explore again and again.
Campbell Falls State Park is located just north of Norfolk off of Route 272. It is the northernmost state park in Connecticut.
AllTrails/Ben L.
While the falls themselves lie in Massachusetts, the park is under the protection of both states. Special laws passed in 1924 authorized the care and maintenance of the park to be shared between Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection
The trail to the falls winds through the forest. The hardwood canopy provides plenty of shade. It is just a short 3/4 mile journey to the big pay-off.
AllTrails/Amy Rehberg
Don’t rush too quickly. Enjoy the quiet forested setting where you’ll feel like you’re thousands of miles away from it all.
AllTrails/Amy Rehberg
Campbell Falls has a 50-foot drop of rushing water that splashes into a small pool below. While the falls may not compare to Niagara, they are beautiful in their own right.
Flickr/billandkent
The cascade is at its fullest after a heavy rain or during the early spring snow melt. However even during the dry season, the falls are gorgeous in their sparser flow.
AllTrails/Daniel Sablotny
Each section of the waterfall is more stunning than the next. From the tippy-top…
AllTrails/Sarah L. Hamby
To the swirling pool at the bottom. The rewarding views are well worth the 15 minute hike to the falls.
AllTrails/Sarah L. Hamby
Campbell Falls State Park is open to the public year round from 8 a.m. - sunset.
AllTrails/Amy Rehberg Find the park at 117 Old Spaulding Rd., Norfolk, CT 06058. For more information visit the Connecticut DEEP website.
This short kid-friendly waterfall hike is a great way to get the whole family outdoors. If you are short on time, you can visit this waterfall where there is no hiking needed.
AllTrails/Ben L.
Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection
AllTrails/Amy Rehberg
Flickr/billandkent
AllTrails/Daniel Sablotny
AllTrails/Sarah L. Hamby
Find the park at 117 Old Spaulding Rd., Norfolk, CT 06058. For more information visit the Connecticut DEEP website.
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