Hike to Heublein Tower and King Philip's Caves

This is THE SPOT for any locals looking for a nice short hike. The trail to Heublein Tower is easygoing for the most part (only about 1.25 miles, 30-40 minutes to the top) and offers many gorgeous lookout points to view the surrounding area, not to mention the observatory at the top of the tower itself (accessible during operating hours). The tower itself has a rich history which you can read about here.

There is a short alternate trail next to the helipad in the parking lot (conveniently placed to rescue/collect all the people that get stuck on and/or splattered onto the side of the mountain) which leads to two small "caves", really just generously sized openings in the cliff face. So here's the historical part. In 1676, disputes over land and a consistent pattern of negative interactions between the colonists and the local indigenous tribes eventually erupted into King Philip's War, and in March of that year the settlement of Simsbury was pillaged and then burned to the ground. Says one historian: "The ruin was complete. Nothing but desolation remained. During all the Indian wars before and since this event, no destruction of all English settlement in New England has taken place, in which the ruin was more extensive or more general than this conflagration."

According to legend, the leader of those warriors responsible and chief of the Wampanoag people, Metacomet (also known by his English name King Philip), sat in the larger of the two caves on Talcott Mountain to view the spectacle. To this day the area is still called the Metacomet Ridge.

Without further ado, here are the pictures I got!

Candleflame lichen (Candelaria sp.)

Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana). Though bitter raw, the fruit of this shrub can be used to make syrups, wines, or jellies. The bark of the chokechery root has been used by various Indigenous tribes to ward off or treat colds, fever, and stomach maladies.

Graffiti leading up to King Philip's Caves.

Red columbine (Aquilegia canadensis). This flower is part of the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. Various parts of the plant have been used by Native tribes as herbal remedies for many ailments including poison ivy rash and even heart problems.




Pics from inside the cave.

The larger of the two caves. I couldn't get in it, so...


Rosette lichen (Physcia sp.) with visible apothecia (fruiting bodies where the spores are produced). Always one of if not my favorite find on my hikes. I love seeing these guys. Lichen are a really interesting kind of composite organism, in which algae or cyanobacteria form a symbiotic hybrid colony with fungi. The fungi benefit from the carbohydrates produced by the algae/cyanobacteria via photosynthesis, while the fungi provide protection from the elements and serve as a moisture- and nutrient-rich anchor to the photosynthetic organisms. Though some of the individual organisms that make up various species of lichen can survive on their own outside of the composite pairing, their symbiotic association allows for a much broader ecological range than they would otherwise have on their own.



Some pics from the lookout point en route to Heublein Tower. This area is pretty much directly above the caves.

A bad picture of a common blue violet (Viola sororia). The Cherokee have used this plant to treat colds and headaches. It also has importance as a host plant to various species of fritillary butterflies.

Genus Stereum.
Turkey-tail (Trametes versicolor)

Azure bluet (Houstonia caerulia).

A giant piece of wood stained by green elfcup (Chlorociboria aeruginascens) mycelium. The blue stain caused by this species is due to a pigment called xylindein. "Green oak", as it is so called in the woodworking world, has been used in decorative wood pieces going all the way back to 15th-century Italy.


Moss and common powderhorn (Cladonia coniocraea).

The "big wall" I used to climb up as a kid and eat sandwiches at the top. One time I made my dad carry home one of the big fallen rocks to put in my garden.



Some shots of the Heublein Tower.

A wood burl on a fallen log.

Tinder polypore (Fomes excavatus).