Trails Day Hike: Nepaug Ramble in New Hartford

This is a cross posting of my Trails Day Hike on June 7. Rain Date is June 8. Please register here: https://trailsday.org/events/nepaug-ramble/

Join us for a moderate 5.5 mile loop through the woods and rocks on Blue Blazed Tunxis Trail to Tipping Rock and on out to the Rome Spare Outlook with views of the Nepaug River Valley. The trail is a combination of wooded and rocky trail with unpaved woods road. While there are a few spots that are steep, the overall elevation gain is only 400 ft.
I have a blue KIa Niro and will park in the lot with my hatch open. We’ll try to start at 9:30am promptly so plan on being there ten minutes beforehand. No restrooms are available here, there is a Dunkin Donuts and there are several gas stations east of the river in Canton on 202/44 and there may be a port-o-potty at Brown’s Corners Recreation Area, about 4/10 mile west on 202.
Plan on 3-4 hours depending on pace of group. This is NOT a beginner’s hike; it’s too long and there aren’t good places to bail out.I don’t run in the woods, but tend to average 30-40 minutes/mile. I do take breaks and we will stop for photos and snacks.
You will need to bring at least a liter of water, snacks, insect repellent and a pack to carry them. If it’s sunny, bring sunscreen and additional water although it’s pretty well forested. There is a rain date on June 8 but if that’s also rainy bring rain gear or ponchos, towels and dry clothes; we’ll go anyway. Lightning or hurricane cancels. Hiking boots are a must for this hike. Jeans will chafe and ruin your day. Kids (10 and up) are welcome, as are dogs which must be on a leash at all times.