by Ashley Arnesen
​For beautiful views and a great workout, climb Ragged Mountain.
Located only 3 miles west of New Britain, on 563 acres of land in Berlin and Southington, is a trap-rock mountain ridge (elevated landscape, features of volcanic rock) known as Ragged Mountain.
The mountain is a popular hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing attraction and, with the elevation gain only at 531 feet, it’s an easy hike for experienced hikers.
​Ragged Mountain is also part of the Metacomet Ridge, which is known for its narrow and vertical ridges, extensive cliff faces, scenic vistas, microclimate ecosystem and communities of plants that are considered rare or endangered.
The terrain varies from flat sections, to rock climbing, with some steep up and down hills. This makes it an intermediate hike due to the rocky portions, but there are also four other trails that can be taken by less experienced hikers.
​The hardest, longest, most scenic way around the mountain is to take the 6.1 mile long blue blaze loop trail. Starting off on the blue blaze red dot trail to the left from the parking area, you will ascend a hill and hike along the rock ledge and cliff areas to look over beautiful views. When climbing this part of the mountain, make sure to watch your footing due to the quick ups and downs that you will be taking and for any lose rocks. Also, keep your head up to check for trail markings, it’s very easy to stray off course, but it’s very well-marked.
​Once you reach the summit of Ragged Mountain (1.7 miles), you will be able to look out over Hart Ponds and, if lucky, you might be able to see rock climbers ascending the side of the mountain. This is a great spot to take a break, have a snack and enjoy the views.
Make sure not to leave anything behind because the Ragged Mountain Foundation members take pride in taking care of the land. According to their website, they are a “nonprofit conservation group dedicated to preserving natural resources and maintaining public access to Connecticut’s high and wild places.” This mountain is for recreational use, so please be courteous when visiting this beautiful mountain; and, also, do not tamper with the mountain climbers’ equipment that is left behind for all climbers to use.
​To continue the hike, the red trail meets up with the Metacomet Trail, marked blue, and heads north through wooded areas along the west-facing cliffs that overlook Southington and the Wassel Reservoir. Be sure to turn onto the red dot trail at 3.1 miles where you’ll reach the easiest portion of the hike to finish the loop and head back to where you started.
If anyone is up for a good adventure, check out Ragged Mountain; you won’t be disappointed.