Granby: Nature, Trails and History

Granby offers two distinct themes for planning a trip: nature, with forests, waterfalls and trails, and local history, with historic buildings and museums. If you’re considering Granby as a destination for a hotel stay, you can decide how to prioritize these themes based on what you’d like to do during your trip. Wine tastings and picnic areas add another way to shape your stay.

Forests and Trails

Granby has two state forests with waterfalls, as well as miles of hiking and walking trails. Enders State Forest is located mostly in Granby; to the west, it shares forests, wetlands and waterfalls with Barkhamsted. In Enders State Forest, please stay on the marked main trail, which is surfaced with stone dust and marked in purple.

The Emery/Hart Trail runs through the Emery and Hart Preserves to the summit of Crag Mountain. The Holcomb Tree Trail offers something different: labeled trees and educational signs are located along the trail. The two trails therefore offer different features to consider: the summit as the destination on the Emery/Hart Trail, and trees and informational signs along the Holcomb Tree Trail.

Tunxis State Forest has a boat launch at Howells Pond; access to the cross-country skiing area is on Balance Rock Road. These are two separate points of interest for planning a visit to the same forest: water at the pond and cross-country skiing from the road.

Historic Sites and Museums

Along Salmon Brook Street, Granby’s central historic district includes around 35 houses or other buildings with stories passed down through the years. This approximate number gives an idea of the scope of local history here: it concerns several individual buildings along the street, not a single historic house.

The Salmon Brook Historical Society provides information about special events, exhibits, directions, group visits and school class visits. Tours of four museum buildings are offered at the complex. Group and school class visits are also among the topics the society provides information about; the tours, in turn, cover the four museum buildings.

The Abijah Rowe House was built in 1732 and is the oldest surviving building in the original settlement of Salmon Brook. Cooley School offers a different perspective: it is the only surviving one-room schoolhouse in Granby that has not been converted into a residence or business. Together, these examples represent different facets of local history: the early settlement and the preservation of a one-room schoolhouse.

Wine Tastings and Picnics

Lost Acres Vineyard offers wine tastings and picnic areas. The vineyard adds an activity of its own to the nature and history themes: you can include a tasting or a picnic in your trip plans alongside hiking trails and museum visits.

Discover more destinations: Bristol, Rocky Hill, East Windsor, Wethersfield, Simsbury, Avon, Enfield, Windsor

For the broader travel overview: Hartford.