No Child Left Inside

A photograph of Dennis Hill.
A photograph of Dennis Hill State Park

Dennis Hill State Park

Route 272

Norfolk

860-482-1817 (c/o Burr Pond State Park)

Park Hours:

8:00 a.m. – Sunset

Directions:

From the North - Great Barrington or Pittsfield, MA: travel south on Route 7 into Canaan and take a left heading east on Route 44, then take a right onto Route 272 south. The park will be on the left.

From the South - Greater Danbury area: travel north on Route 7 into Canaan and take a right heading east on Route 44, then take a right onto Route 272 south. The park will be on the left.

From the East - Hartford area: travel west on I-84, take Exit 39. Continue west on Route 4 onto Route 179 going north. From Route 179 get on Route 44. Take a left onto Route 272 south. The park will be on the left.

More Information:

Dennis Hill State Park

Dennis Hill State Park

With vistas from a summit pavilion located at 1,627 feet above sea level, visitors to this walk-in park can take in dramatic views that are particularly spectacular during fall foliage season. The pavilion is the site of the former summer home of Dr. Frederick Shepard Dennis, a New York surgeon who is sometimes credited as America's father of aseptic (sterile) surgery. His stone bungalow was designed to resemble the famous wool markets of Wales, and was gifted to the state of Connecticut for preservation as a park upon his passing in 1934. The home was gutted and converted into a pavilion from which visitors can experience sweeping vistas that encompass Haystack Mountain located at the other end of town; Mount Greylock in Massachusetts; the Green Mountains in Vermont; and even portions of New Hampshire on a clear day. A paved road that is relatively easy to transcend leads to the building at the top of the hill. Additional trails wind through the woods of the park, where adventurers can find some of the oldest rocks in the state. Note that limited parking is available at the entrance, and the interior road is only open to vehicles on the weekends in October. However, that should not deter anyone from experiencing the beauty of this 240-acre estate in the Litchfield hills.

Activities

  • Hiking
  • Overlook
  • Picnicking