If you're looking for something a little more adventurous, consider our Lost Park River Tour, an underground canoe trip through tunnels in the city of Hartford. Turn on your headlamps and float in eerie darkness as you learn about the history of Hartford. Call 860-693-0385 for more information.

Below is a description of the Underground Trip!

We are about to begin the trip on the South Branch of the Lost Park River! We will enter the tunnel right outside of Hartford off of Rt 84 in Northwest Connecticut. Notice the shallow nature of the river, the day after a heavy rain, we may have to cancel a trip; if we tip, we must be able to sit up out of the water. This is not a place to be swept away! The concrete wall in this picture is where this tunnel, the South Branch, is divided in two. The North Branch (not pictured) is similarly divided; the two branches meet in a small cavern located about 20 minutes into the tour. This is where we will have our first stop.

This is an inside view, looking out to the channel where we start the trip. Notice the two large columns at the entrance. These serve as crude sieves to help keep out large trees. Can you see which column was knocked off its foundation by something very large? During floods, water is about 10 feet above the guide's head.

At the cavern where the two branches meet, we will beach the canoes for a small break. From here, we can observe The Pit. During high water periods, water drops 15 feet into a chamber. The bottom of the chamber is another 150 feet deep! The Pit is part of an auxiliary tunnel that bores into solid bedrock and goes into the Connecticut River. This provides extra emergency capacity for flood control.

This picture shows the light streaming into the exit of the tunnel on the Connecticut River. On most hot, moist, summer days, a fog which resembles smoke forms at the exit of the tunnel. Once the fog was so thick, the fire department was called to put out a fire in the tunnel. False Alarm!

After checking out The Pit, drifting in the darkness, looking for fish, learning about the special valves for the storm drains, seeing the pipes for the pumping station, and making echoes that last 30 seconds, we finally catch a glimpse of day light. After hours in a dark, dim world, the promise of the World of Light beckons.

Thank you for your visit! We look forward to helping you enjoy life. Call 860-693-0385 for pricing, reservations or more information.