Connecticut trails · Tunxis Trail

Tunxis Trail

A 7.8-mile out-and-back in Connecticut, with 389 ft of climbing. Reaches Pine Mountain. Managed by the state.

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Length

7.8 mi

Elevation gain

389 ft

Difficulty

Hard

Max grade

24%

Steepest mile

+295 ft

Tread at ≥10% grade

1.0 mi

Shape

out-and-back

Bikes

Horses

Managed by

State

Elevation profile

The climbing is spread fairly evenly along the route. It gives back about 847 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.

3-D terrain

USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5

Reaches

Pine Mountain (summit)

Heads up

Stream ford: expect at least one unbridged crossing.

Terrain graded T2 (SAC scale).

Getting there

Tunxis Trail access — parking nearby. About 47 min drive (25 mi) from Hartford. 42.01611, -72.91902 · directions

Daylight at the trailhead

On October 14, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:34 a.m., the sun rises at 7:02 a.m. and sets at 6:12 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 6:40 p.m. (EDT) — 11 h 09 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 15.6-mile round trip takes roughly 6 h 10 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 1:12 p.m. — 5 h 00 min before sunset.

Loop options

Tunxis Trail + Nassahegon Forest Trail — 1.0 mi loop, 202 ft gain
Nassahegon Forest Trail + Tunxis Trail — 1.0 mi loop, 101 ft gain
Nassahegon Forest Trail + Tunxis Trail + Punch Brook Trail — 1.0 mi loop, 206 ft gain