Relishing the boutique hospitality at Hotel Zero Degrees Danbury, you’ll find that—as with all three of our Connecticut hotels—you’re nicely positioned to enjoy a good, hearty dose of the great outdoors. If you get struck by the urge to go hiking during your stay with us, it’s an easy one to satisfy, what with multiple parks, state forests, and other public lands inviting a fresh-air ramble or two.
Here are just a few of the prime hiking destinations in close proximity to your Hotel Zero Degrees Danbury perch!
Candlewood Lake & Bear Mountain Reservation
Among Danbury’s signature outdoor playgrounds is Connecticut’s biggest lake: Candlewood, a reservoir on the Housatonic and Rocky rivers lapping across more than eight square miles. Cradled by hilly forest, it’s a beautiful body of water beloved by swimmers, boaters, and beachgoers, but there are also plenty of opportunities to snug up those hiking boots and hit the trails.
Rising above Candlewood Lake, Bear Mountain Reservation offers 140 acres of sylvan recreation with an extensive trail network weaving through woods and meadows. The Yellow Trail will take you to the heavily timbered summit of Bear Mountain itself, just a little shy of 1,000 feet, while the Orange Trail leads down to the lake’s Danbury Bay for some wonderful views.
Squantz Pond State Park
You can track down more waterfront hikes over in Squantz Pond State Park, set along the shores of the eponymous lake that’s now essentially a westerly arm of the Candlewood reservoir. The “pond”—which is close to 300 acres in extent, mind you—comes framed by handsome hillside forest, delivering (as the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection notes on the park’s website) something of the vibe of a mountain lake. It’s named after Chief Squantz, an 18th-century leader of the local Schaghticoke people.
Trails in the state park link up to additional hiking mileage in the adjacent Pootatuck State Forest, providing ample options for extended circuits and loops.
Kent Falls State Park
Less than an hour north of Danbury is one of Connecticut’s scenic treasures: Kent Falls State Park. Here a stream called Falls Brook makes a glorious descent to the Housatonic River over some 250 feet of waterfalls and cascades, with impressive marble outcrops—including scoured-out potholes—along the way. The short but steepish Kent Falls Trail provides awesome views and ambience along that extended whitewater plunge.
Take a Hike (or Three) During Your Getaway to Hotel Zero Degrees Danbury
The above locations only cover some of the great hiking at your disposal as a Hotel Zero Degrees Danbury guest: From Collis P. Huntington State Park to the outstanding Devil’s Den Nature Preserve—the biggest block of protected land in Fairfield County—there’s much more to explore!