A woman hiking with her dog on a path through the woods (Instagram@mommawanderer)

Kettletown State Park

Southbury, CT

Head to Kettletown State Park to hike its over six miles of trails traversing a range of terrain, scenic overlooks of picturesque Lake Zoar on the Housatonic River, a shaded picnic area, and a lakeside campground. Located on the eastern shore of Lake Zoar, the fifth largest freshwater body in the state, the 605-acre park is popular four seasons a year.

The area was originally inhabited by the Pootatucks, an advanced, industrious Algonquin Tribe. Although the Pootatucks were expert fishermen and hunters, their main occupation was farming. They raised fine crops of beans, squash, tobacco, and apples. True innovators, they developed an impressive drum communications system which could carry a message over 200 miles in just two hours.

Local legend has it that early colonists traded one brass kettle to hunt and fish here — hence the park’s name. Eventually, the settlers acquired complete rights to the area and, by 1758, any remaining Pootatucks had migrated northwest. In 1919, their original village was submerged when the Housatonic River was dammed to produce hydroelectric power, creating Lake Zoar. All that remains now in the Kettletown area of this once prosperous tribe is an occasional arrowhead. 

Views from the Park
Location

1400 Georges Hill Road
Southbury, CT 06488

Details

Open Daily
(8:00 a.m. – Sunset)

Contact

May – Sept. (203) 264-5678

Sept. – May (203) 938-2285

A waterfall flows from the woods (Flickr@Gerrett-Uhde)
Activities

Overview

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KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Boating

Camping

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Kettletown State Park Campground

Reserve a campsite: 

Youth Group Camping 

  • Youth group camping is available to qualifying youth organizations. 

 

Fishing

Geology

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The William Miller (blue-blazed) Trail, to your right from the road heading to the Youth Group Camp Area, provides a good introduction to a variety of rocks. At the T in the trail, turn right. About 500 feet down the trail you will encounter a large, lumpy brown boulder at the edge of the trail. This glacial erratic came from the northwest, from the Pomperaug Valley. Erratics are boulders left behind by the glaciers when they melted. 

Hiking

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Connecticut Forest and Park Association Trail Descriptions 

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Fees

FREE – In-State Registered Vehicles
$15 – Out-of-State Vehicles (Weekends/Holidays)
$10 – Out-of-State Vehicles (Weekdays)
$112 – Out-of-State Vehicles (Season Pass)
Campsite fees charged separately.

Accessibility

Parking

Picnic Tables

Restrooms

Pets

Picnic Areas & Hiking Trails
Yes, on leash

Beach & Campground
Not permitted