Since my hubby wanted to check out the climbing face of West Rock (open to sport climbers, unlike East Rock), we went for a hike this afternoon to see how easy the approach was, how safe, etc. It's not the most scenic hike I've ever been on - poison ivy is ridiculously omnipresent, and the rewarding view at the summit is of the Merrit Parkway if you don't know to keep going just a little further (unintuitively)...but it's a nice hike nonetheless, with a bubbling brook, plenty of shady/wooded trails, and enough rabbits in residence that we saw two on our half hour trek. Plenty of picnic benches, and we saw evidence of mountain bikes. Great for those looking for something new to do, particularly if East Rock is one of your standbys.
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