Explore the Pilfershire Abandoned Town Trail in Simsbury

An abandoned, lost town in today’s modern America? It is not too cool to be true! Come explore Simsbury’s lost town and village – Pilfershire.

In this post we’ll take a look at the trails that take us through Pilfershire and what’s left behind from Simsbury’s first European settlers from the late 1600’s.

On my second visit here I realized that even if it wasn’t a trail through an ‘abandoned town’ I would still seek out this hike. The most recent time we visited with the dogs was on a Saturday morning in the summer and saw just one other person. It’s a peaceful trail in a beautiful part of the state!

There is an overgrown wagon trail, rutted and weathered from over two hundred years of disuse, spanning the modern towns of Simsbury, Canton, and Granby, that once served as the main thoroughfare for a small yet bustling colonial town known as Pilfershire.

The settlement of Pilfershire once included a school, a dye house, a cider mill, a distillery, a buckle house, and a rubber shop.

Growing up in Connecticut, I had never heard of this town but then again I didn’t grow up anywhere around Simsbury. And when someone told me about it, I knew I had to visit and see for myself – what remains from an abandoned town?

All that remain now are old rock walls, crumbling foundations, cellar holes, and deep stone wells. Each piece of history giving into the gentle ravages of time and the perpetual pull of gravity. 

Pilfershire Abandoned Town Trail

The Pilfershire Trail is a 3.4-mile (round trip) hike through the woods with a moderate amount of elevation (about 600 ft).

In addition to the stone walls and foundations left behind, there are also two waterfalls along the trail; one right at the start and one 0.2 miles in.

You can walk as long as you want on this trail as you’ll find foundations and abandoned town remnants a short ways into the hike.

It’s extremely peaceful here, as well as fascinating.

🚙 Pilfershire Parking:

To access this beautiful little piece of New England lore, you’ll park off of Firetown Road in the western part of the quaint little town of Simsbury. Click here to navigate to the trailhead.

🥾 Pilfershire Trail Details

From the small parking area you’ll walk on Firetown Road for a brief 0.1 miles before turning left and heading into the woods.

But before you walk along the road, as soon as you cross the street from the parking be sure to listen for the roar of cascading water. Head directly into the woods and follow your ears to check out Northgate Falls, a stunning multi-tiered waterfall just off the road.

After checking out Northgate Falls walk back to the road and take a left and walk for just a minute or two until you see a wide driveway on your left with trail signs up ahead.

Walk down this driveway and then see the trail sign on the right which is where the Pilfershire Trail begins! You will be on a white-blazed trail the whole time. ⚪️

If one set of easily accessible yet seemingly remote waterfalls isn’t enough, you’ll only have to trek another 0.2 miles until reaching the Westledge Cascades.

This waterfall will be on your left but you won’t see it from the trail. Again, you’ll hear the falls and then see a well-worn path heading into the woods on your left.

This set of tumultuous water is made of rocky ledges and tumbles and can make for a wonderful spot to break out a camera and tripod. 

Heading back out on to the main trail keep your eye out for about 0.7 miles in where there will be remnants of a foundation on your right.

And at about 1.1 miles in, stone walls will start to line your path and the trail will hook around to the left. Walking along, you’ll be on a wide path between stone walls that once stood as pasture barriers that were erected out of nothing but fieldstone and colonial grit.

You’ll also notice a more open forest, with expansive visibility of the wilderness all around you.

Rock walls to the right and left guide a visitor into what once was the town proper. Cellar holes and old colonial foundations, noticeably in better shape than what you’d expect from their two hundred plus year tenure greet you on either side of the trail as you make your way into town. 

The foundations and ancient wells aren’t just immediately off the main trail, they’re scattered well into the woods and can be spotted first as what seem like monstrous craters in the earth.

On these secluded grounds you can feel that there used to be much more going on here than the gentle breezes, bird songs, and skittering critters of the present. 

About 1.6 miles in you’ll notice a home through the woods as you approach the end of the trail at Westledge Road.

At this point, you can turn around and make your way back through this wondrous little piece of local ancestry to your waiting vehicle.

💗 I hope you enjoyed this trail guide and the history of Pilfershire Abandoned Town Trail!

The waterfalls along the trail and peaceful feeling this trail has are both enough to make me want to return. And then add on the history component and you have a super special and unique hiking experience in CT.

I hope you get to visit and witness remnants of a bygone era and feel the connections to the past.

When visiting please leave no trace as these historical gems are few and far between and it’s up to us to preserve them for future explorers.

Have fun and happy trails! 💗🥾👏