CTHikergal Travels

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Zealand Trail to Ethan Pond Trail to Thoreau Falls

thoreau falls

It was a beautiful day to ramble off to see some falls.  We trekked out to Thoreau Falls via Zealand Trail to Ethan Pond Trail to Thoreau Falls Trail to the falls.

The first 2.5 miles on the Zealand Trail is a comfortable stroll hopping over rocks, avoiding roots, viewing the  occasional peaks to the mountains and enjoying the easiness of the trail.

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As we neared the junction, we could hear the roaring of Zealand Falls.

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At 2.5 miles we began trekking on the Ethan Pond Trail.

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This trail truly enchanted us.  We loved the narrow corridor that was the path.

P1030261 P1030263A little over a mile on the Ethan Pond Trail the view opened up and I couldn’t stop grinning. The views, the beauty, the wilderness, the boulders, were simply beautiful.

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We then took a little side venture on the Zeacliff trail, just to get different views.

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We headed back to the Ethan Pond Trail and continued on, marveling at the immense boulders.

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After this amazing open space we returned to the forest. We followed corridors that were simple and refreshing.

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We then turned off onto the Thoreau Falls Trail to spend time at the falls.

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Just a few hundred yards down we came to the falls.  We spent about 40 minutes, lunching and exploring.  These falls were raging due to the recent rains.  I even laid down for a while, listening to the thundering of the falls.

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We returned the way we came, just capturing a few images on the way back.

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We were out there for 5 hours, 4 hours and 20 minutes of it, active hiking time for a total of 9.4 miles.  We loved the Ethan Pond Trail  for (anytime I get a piece of the A.T., I get giddy), its remoteness, beauty and solitude.  The Thoreau Falls were beautiful and I have a feeling we will return.

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Responses

  1. Mark Truman Avatar
    Mark Truman

    Nice! Did this one on a rainy autumn day many years ago and it was one of my favorites. Hard to beat a day in Zealand Valley. May be time for another visit. Thanks for sharing the views!

    Reply
    1. hikergal Avatar
      hikergal

      Thanks Mark for reading my blog. It was a beautiful day for hiking and the views were just stunning. We ran into 7 people on Ethan Pond Trail, which surprised me. The true highlight of the day though, was giving a ride to a AT thru hiker from the Zealand lot to Highland Center. She was getting off trail for a bit to visit with friends, that just made the day more perfect. Please post photos when you return to Zealand Valley.

      Reply
  2. Brendan Avatar
    Brendan

    Thanks for a great trip report! We hiked in on the Zealand Trail in June with the destination being Zeacliff. There was low cloud cover so we made it to the hut where we had lunch and turned back. About 30 minutes later the sky cleared and I could only imagine the views from Zeacliff. We will have to do this again.

    I have always wanted to head in to Thoreau Falls along the route you took. The photos are great and I understand that the bridge over the North Fork will be taken down. I must plan this trip before it is too late. Thanks for giving me the push to get this trip to near the top of my list!

    Reply
    1. hikergal Avatar
      hikergal

      Thanks for the comments Brendan. Zeacliff is great, we had amazing views when we did it a year ago June. We really enjoyed the trail to Thoreau Falls, but didn’t encounter a bridge, the way we took. I believe that bridge is found when you come in from the other way. Keep hiking.

      Reply

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