Riding Reba: A Corgi-Mix's Adventures in CT

One of Reba’s favorite spots to visit in Connecticut is Devil’s Hopyard State Park, located in East Haddam. While the origin of the name is unclear, there’s nothing devilish about the park!

While it’s not necessarily the biggest state park, there is plenty to do. Visitors to the park can engage in a variety of activities, such as hiking, picnicking, stream fishing, and bicycling. There’s even a camping area!

This is one of the first parks I took Reba to after her adoption, and, as you can see by her expression, she quickly came to love it. When we adopted her, she was afraid of water, but at one of the steam’s calmer areas, she became brave and dipped her paws in. Now we have to wear waterproof shoes, because she loves to go wading in the stream! This is her absolute favorite section of the park. There’s a small parking area off the side of the road and a picnic table. This area tends not to be overpopulated, even in the summer. Still, you’ll often find stream fisherman casting their lines, or people hopping into the stream to cool off, like Reba does!

Further up the street you’ll find two other parking areas. The first one is where the picnicking area is. This is also where you can walk across a covered bridge and the entrance to a few of the trails. In total, there are around seven or so main trails that you can take, varying in difficulty. The orange trail has a fairly steep incline and Reba and I couldn’t go up it. Reba has heart and severe lung damage due to heart worms she had prior to being rescued, so, per her cardiologist, she’s not supposed to overexert herself. Don’t tell her that though! She was really determined to try it!

The park is home to Chapman Falls, a more than 60-foot-tall waterfall that, rather than flowing straight down, falls over a series of rocky steps. Visitors can either walk up one of the trails to get there, or park at third parking lot option, which is right across the street from the top of the falls. Just a warning, this area gets pretty packed in the summer, as people will actually sit on the rocky steps of the waterfall to cool off. There are a couple of entryways that allow visitors access to the waterfall.

On this particular visit, even though it was only around fifty degrees out and the water was freezing, there were some crazy and brave souls jumping into the water near the bottom of the waterfall. That wouldn’t be me! Or Reba, apparently, because she had no desire to dip her paws in the stream today.

Dogs must be leashed and are allowed on the hiking trails and in the picnic areas. There are no parking fees, which makes it a good spot for even out-of-state visitors to check out. Reba can’t recommend this park enough and encourages you to take your furry family members for a visit!