Uncanoonuc Mountain

Category: Abandoned Ski Areas

User Rating

**April 2009**
Trails: Various hiking trails that criss-crossed the Uncanoonuc Mountains were used as ski trails as well starting in the 1930's, when skiing really began taking off in New England. Several of these trails wound back to the incline railroad base and I'm sure are still used as hiking trails to this day.
Lifts: An incline electric railroad installed in 1905 began carrying skiers up the mountain in the 1930's (and skiers would ski down the mountain's already cut hiking trails, as mentioned earlier). Although not a traditional ski lift, the utilization of the railroad makes this one of the first lift served ski areas in the country. Although most elements of the railroad have been removed, Various pieces of the rail bed are still scattered alongside the former rail line, which is now also a hiking trail. Telephone poles that fed power to the summit and the train still run up along the trail as well.
Facilities: Numerous abandoned structures and twisted metal exist along the mountainside, as this mountain was once a very popular tourist destination in the early 20th century.
Accessibility: As mentioned, many hiking trails exist in the Uncanoonuc Mountains, and the old rail line has been converted into a "rail trail". Strangely enough, at the summit are several private residential houses, which seemed VERY out of place amongst the nature and cell phone/TV towers that have sprung up at the summit. Did NOT expect to reach the summit only to find a bunch of people working in their backyards!

**April 2008**
Trails: Nothing really left to see/discern at all from the base.
Lifts: Supposedly, various remnants from the funicular railroad exist along the former incline railroad's line (which I believe is now a hiking trail).
Facilities: None from where I was, although a few of the old funicular cars have been incorporated into homes/camps near the base of the mountain. That was pretty cool.
Accessibility: As mentioned, hiking trails do exist along the old rail line.