Orange Vista Trail

Devils Hopyard State Park is a beautiful 860-acre area located in southeastern Connecticut. It is a popular hiking destination for visitors throughout the year, and it offers a variety of trail options for all levels of experience. The Orange Vista Trail is an approximately 2-mile trail loop of moderate difficulty that gives visitors a great introduction to the park and a fantastic valley vista lookout to the south. There are many intersecting paths and routes to enjoy your time here, so it’s best to carry the map created by the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DeeP).

There is a parking area at the main entrance off of Hopyard Road with convenient access to the Orange Vista Trailhead. From the picnic area by the water, cross the covered bridge and begin following the markers to the south. Within the first quarter-mile, the Orange Vista Trail will split. Take the path to the left. (You will return on the trail to the right.) Continue for the next three-quarters of a mile uphill through decimated pine groves. The entire state is feeling the effects of the hemlock woolly adelgid, an insect that feeds on the sap from spruce trees and infests them to the point of killing them within a few years. The path will eventually turn to the southwest and reach an intersection with a large bent-over tree. Here, there will be signs directing you downhill to the lookout point a short ways away.

Many hikers choose to begin this trail from the parking area on Foxtown Road and combine it with the White Trail for a longer option.  From here, walk east over the bridge that crosses the Eightmile River and overlooks Chapman Falls. Head down one of the several trails that leads down the slope, into the woods, and to the stream outflow of the falls. At the bottom, you will see white trail markers that lead to the east. Within a quarter-mile, you will reach a stream crossing and proceed up a hill with mountain laurel thickets on either side. Soon after, the forest will open below tall northern hardwoods and pines. Continue on this path until reaching the Orange Vista Trail intersection. Take the left trail to the south to reach the lookout point.

Upon your return, you’ll descend down to the Eightmile River. There are some beautiful spots to rest along the rushing water surrounded by the thick forest. You’ll also see a sign for a path diversion up to the Devil’s Oven, a steep climb up to a small hole in the rock face. Make your way back down to the water and traverse a few boulders until returning to the covered bridge.

Before completing your hike, be sure to spend some time at the base of Chapman Falls. There are several rocks near the edge of the water, where you can feel the mist falling from this 60-foot waterfall. In the 1800s this served as the powerhouse for Beebe’s Mills, named after the original owner.

This former State Park and Forest Commission obtained the land in 1919, and there are still questions about the origin of its name, which may to refer to a former owner who grew hops or to the mysterious dips and crevice formations in the rocks around the falls. There are over 1,000 acres of land to enjoy at Devils Hopyard with opportunities for fishing, picnicking, and bicycling. Camping is typically allowed. You only need to spend a short time here to realize why this is one of Connecticut’s most favored parks.