Bernard Stairs Trail
- 0.5 mi
- one way
- 75 ft
- climb
- 1,201 ft
- high point
- Point to point
- route
- Jul–Oct
- best months
Bernard Stairs Trail is a short, easy hike in Connecticut, about half a mile long and rising roughly 75 feet from its starting point. The trail is a point-to-point route, with the high point at 1,201 feet and the low at 1,108 feet, and the steepest stretch comes about a third of the way in at 11 percent grade. The nearest town is Litchfield, about 1.3 miles away. Late spring and early fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Bakersville run to highs around 69°F in May and 72°F in September, with July the warmest month at about 82°F. That station sits roughly 500 feet lower than the trail, so temperatures on the higher ground run a little cooler. The trail makes an easy addition to a day spent exploring the surrounding area. The Edith M. Chase Ecology Trail is just 0.3 miles away, and the Yellow Trail and Songbird Trail are each about half a mile off. Paddlers can reach the Bantam River about 3 miles away.
Best time to go · Jul–Oct
Best time to visit Bernard Stairs Trail
Best months: July–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
33° / 15°
12 wet
Feb
37° / 16°
10 wet
Mar
45° / 23°
12 wet
Apr
58° / 33°
13 wet
May
69° / 44°
14 wet
Jun
77° / 53°
13 wet
Jul
82° / 58°
12 wet
Aug
80° / 56°
11 wet
Sep
72° / 49°
10 wet
Oct
60° / 38°
12 wet
Nov
49° / 29°
11 wet
Dec
38° / 21°
13 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Bakersville, CT, 10.3 mi away at 686 ft. The station sits about 500 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
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Route details
- Distance
- 0.5 mi
- Climbing
- About 75 ft
- Summit
- 1,226 ft
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- About 0 hours
Other routes up Jefferson Hill
Questions about this route
How long is the Bernard Stairs Trail on Jefferson Hill?
About 0.5 mi.
How much elevation gain is on the Bernard Stairs Trail?
About 75 ft of climbing round trip.
How hard is the Bernard Stairs Trail?
It is rated easy.
How long does the Bernard Stairs Trail take?
About 0 hours round trip.
How many routes go up Jefferson Hill?
4: Red Trail, Bernard Stairs Trail, Songbird Trail and Edith M. Chase Ecology Trail.
Conditions and forecast on Jefferson Hill
Daily highs and lows, wind and the chance of precipitation at the summit and route start for the next 7 days, from the Open-Meteo model.
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
