Candlewood Mountain

New Milford, CT

Source: Laubach and Smith, #11

Directions:

North of New Milford on Route 7, turn left onto Route 37; drive just over 0.1 of a mile to the junction with Candlewood Mountain Road and park on the shoulder to the left of the intersection of the two roads.

Geology:

Here the Housatonic cuts directly across the granitic mass of the highlands rather than taking the relatively soft marble valley course of least resistance.

History:

The name Candlewood comes from the presence of pitch pines on the mountain that burn wildly in a fire because of the species’ high resin content.

Habitats:

pine-oak woodlands; hemlock groves

Trails:

This is an out-and-back ridge walk along hard granite. The trail, the blue-blazed Housatonic Range Trail, heads south and slightly southeast hooking up with Pine Knob before it reaches Candlewood Mountain.

On the return walk you can take a side loop detour to Kelly Slide to a good view of the Housatonic River Valley. After seeing the view return to the main trail and head back to the parking area.

PLANT LIST:

Trees:

Acer pensylvanicum (striped maple)

Acer rubrum (red maple)

Amelanchier arborea (shadbush)

Betula alleghaniensis (yellow birch)

Betula lenta (black birch)

Juniperus virginiana (red cedar)

Pinus rigida (pitch pine)

Pinus strobus (white pine)

Quercus alba (white oak)

Quercus prinus (chestnut oak)

Quercus rubra (red oak)

Quercus velutina (black oak)

Sassafras albidum (sassafras)

Tsuga canadensis (eastern hemlock)

Shrubs:

Gaultheria procumbens (wintergreen)

Gaylussacia baccata (black huckleberry)

Kalmia latifolia (mountain laurel)

Quercus ilicifolia (bear oak)

Vaccinium sp. (lowbush blueberry)

Vines:

Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper)

Herbs:

Cypripedium acaule (pink lady’s slipper)

Maianthemum canadense (Canada mayflower)

Ferns:

Polypodium sp. (rock cap fern)

Others:

reindeer lichen

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