Topsmead State Forest in Litchfield is a hidden hiking gem. The former summer estate of Miss Edith Morton Chase is now a 500-acre state forest. Miss Chase died in 1972 and was the daughter of Waterbury brass entrepreneur Henry Sabin Chase, the first president of Chase Brass & Copper Company. Here she built a rustic cabin and later a Tudor-style home that rivals any of today’s contemporary mansions. There are trails through the forest and meadows. The two hikers I met say they are attracted to the quietness of the place. I stumbled upon a couple’s early morning romance in the bird-watching house… something to do with the birds and the bees I suppose. The stunning grounds are accented with blooming daffodils.