Mettawee - Hiking

Drive across Route Seven toward Mount Tabor. Crosby Hardware will be on your right.
Ten minutes from the house, you can drive to the White Rocks National Recreation Area. There is a bridge crossing the Big Branch, a wild, crystal clear torrent in the Spring, and a wonderful, wild creek in the summer full of swimming holes. Hike up along the south side of the creek just before the bridge where a pull off exists for parking your car. The trail is not well maintained, and has some steep banks down to the river. Hikers of all ages can handle a short ½ mile hike or longer up along either side of the river.

Fifteen minutes from the house, you can drive to a spectacular picnic area in the White Rocks National Recreation Area. Cross over the bridge over the Big Branch. Continue on for approximately 1.5 miles until you come to a designated pull off area on the right. There are picnic tables, barbeque grills, and spectacular lookout points on the south end of the picnic area overlooking the valley leading to Manchester. No significant walking required.

Moderately Difficult Hikes

White Rocks National Recreation Area

Short walk from public parking area starting in Wallingford (15 min. drive)

This is a moderately difficult hike with rewards. There are two lookout points; the first overlooks a rockfall into a valley, the second has nice views of Dorset Mountain, and the valley to the south. Hiking on approximately ¾ of a mile further, you will come upon the ice beds, which is the bottom of a rockfall. In the early spring you will likely find it mostly snow covered. The icemelt from the rockfall area keeps the stream running out from the bottom cold all summer. Don’t forget, you have to hike back the way you came. This can be a difficult hike for young children.

Big Branch - River hike (fifteen minute drive from the house)

Drive across route seven toward Mount Tabor. Crosby Hardware will be in your right. There is a bridge crossing the Big Branch. Continue on for approximately 1.5 miles past the bridge until you come to a designated pull off area and paved parking area on the right. This is a picnic area. There is a steep walk down to the Big Branch from that point; the sign states .1 of a mile, but it is more like .3 and feels like 1.5 miles, especially on the walk back to the parking lot. The river is in a gorge, which falls into a series of pools which make the hike more than worth the effort.