This 33 acre park in West Hartford was established in 1962. The man-made pond is called McGovern…read morePond. It is stocked with all types of fishes. There are trails throughout too. There is a parking area. I saw many people fishing the day I went. We went in the summer but the trails were overgrown so we didn't want to risk getting ticks on us. I look forward to going back soon to hike the trails. It is a lovely park with a nice pond!

If you turn onto Mountain Avenue from Farmington Avenue, be on the lookout for the entrance and…read moreparking lot for the Spice Bush Swamp Park. It'll be on your left. The park is 33 acres of peaceful tranquility. We had a very enjoyable time walking the path around the Pond and took a few of the trail's branches into smaller trails into the woods. There seems to be a big renovation project going on, as we saw some excavation, a piece of heavy equipment, new hay bales and sprinkled hay, and new rocks placed here and there. We didn't see any life in the pond -no fish or frogs or turtles, so maybe the renovation will address that eventually. But we did see a few ducks leisurely swimming around, and we did see one spectacular example of life in the air, as a huge heron flew over the water and soared toward Mountain Avenue, The Pond Trail is flat, clean, and about as low impact as you can imagine. One patch had some goose poop to be wary of, and some of the woods trails had fallen trees you'll have to navigate. Here's a cool Spice Bush Swamp Pond Park history nugget I found - the land was given to the Town of West Hartford by Arthur Doctor for just $1.00 in September 1962.

Cute little park. Very easy walking trails, well maintained. The bridge is great for scenic…read morephotos. Small pond with a beach. Restrooms fairly clean.

Stratton Brook State Park was established in 1949 and is on 145 acres. It's located in Simsbury and…read morehas a huge parking lot; there's even an accessible parking lot. When I parked my vehicle, the first thing I noticed was the lovely red covered foot bridge and pond. There was a huge structure that has a fireplace and picnic tables; it's called the Massaco Forest Pavilion, it is historic and built in 1935. There is a boardwalk near the small beach and more picnic tables. Dogs are not allowed on the beach. Restrooms are available; a porta potty and in a small building (not sure if it's open). There were easy trails throughout; I walked on a short one and it was peaceful; quite a few people walking, dog walking, and a couple of them were fishing. I have a feeling this place gets busy in the summer and on weekends. I went on a Spring weekday, so it was nice and quiet.

This 137-acre property is a wildlife management and training area for hunting dogs. The Farmington…read moreRiver runs besides it and it was a farm that was purchased by the state in the 1970s. The dirt road going into the area is a little conspicuous. The road was very narrow and had potholes that could take you to Australia; just drive really slow. There's a paved bike trail right beside it too. When I went, I parked on the first parking area to the left. I walked down the dirt road (which was muddy due to rain) and saw a huge pond to the right. The pond was clean and pristine with a little beach. There was a long walking path near a giant field that was being mowed the day I went. I saw other people walking, walking their dogs, and even a kayaker. The park was quiet and very serene. There are many recreational activities to do there; hunting, fishing, hiking, and kayaking/canoeing. The main use for this property is field trials; hunting dogs are trained for speed, style, and locating/retrieving of game. The field and water are crucial for this type of traning. When there are field trial trainings, the park will be closed. There is a schedule you can check online to see if the park is available for the public. During the fall and winter, it is advised that visitors and their dogs wear orange vests due to hunting season; however, discharging of ammunition is allowed daily. Overall, it was a lovely area to take a stroll! We had a fun time walking and relaxing by the water.

One of a kind open space to stretch your human legs and your Canines legs, too. My review comes…read moreafter steady visits through all four seasons. Every season has its pros and cons, but this wanderer has to say Fall is my favorite. Important to keep in-mind this is State Open Space for ALL forms of life and they must co-habitat while visiting. This means our canine friends must be well trained and stay within command, so all may enjoy the space. Humans, please monitor your canine and their droppings. Leaving these, no pun, BEHIND, can dampen the experience for other nature lovers. A good practice is to be aware of regular schedule of permitted game clubs and field trials. The following CTDEEP website is my regular reference before setting-out: https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Hunting/Field-Trial-Dates#NODBROOK Generally spring, summer, and fall are the busy time for the fields or sections where they are closed for safety. Fear not, there are plenty of other times to visit, hike the looping trails with canines off-leash, given well behaved, observe the beautiful natural surroundings, especially the paralleled flow of the Farmington River and view of Heublein Tower off across the valley.

We parked on Canton Rd. in Burlington, which had a big parking area; be careful with traffic, they…read morego fast on that road. There was a welcome sign; this part of the trail is located in Burlington. This FCHT trail is 56 miles long; 18 of that is the Farmington River Trail. It is open year-round to walkers, runners, bikers, snow shoers, and cross-country skiers. We walked about 3 miles one day and the views of the Farmington River was amazing. The waters were flowing fast and the white noise was relaxing. The trail is paved and flat; super easy and tranquil walk. I look forward to going farther and riding my bike. I saw people fishing and it's a popular trail. There was another parking lot further south with a porta potty available. A great trail for everyone to enjoy and get some exercise in.

A quiet and peaceful park with a one-half acre pond, small beach, and an older looking playground…read more There was a picnic table and outdoor grills nearby. The pond is fed by a stream and there is a mini waterfall under a small bridge. Once you cross the street, there is additional parking, picnic tables under a pavilion, trails, and a youth baseball field. There are picnic tables and concrete bleachers. There is another small bridge by the pavilion. Dogs are allowed but on a leash. I saw a few other hikers using the trail. Overall, this is a lovely park!

We spent an hour or so wandering around to take a break from being housebound by the 'Nova…read more It's a very pretty park with gorgeous woods, hiking trails, a half-acre pond with a beach, picnic pavilion and a baseball field. This was a very nostalgic visit for me for two reasons, namely my two sons. Twenty years or so ago, my younger son's Cub Scout Den used to have overnight camp-outs here. That was so much fun, and the highlight of the night was the dads sitting around a campfire, shooting the shit and passing around a brandy bottle after the boys had fallen asleep. That's a sweet memory. My older son was a pretty good baseball player and we followed his league and tournament games all over the state. When he played in the Babe Ruth League, we enjoyed many an evening and afternoon game in our lawn chairs at the full-sized baseball field at the end of the parking lot. So there are a lot of compelling reasons to visit the park for the recreational activity of your choice.

This more than 100 acre park with its stunning rose garden is a wonderful way to spend the day…read more Entrance is free and it is open 365 days! We visited on a Sunday afternoon in early autumn and we're happy to see some roses still in bloom! There are over 800 varieties of old and new roses a d the best time to see in full bloom is mid June to early July. The rustic gazebo is stunning and allows for a great photo opportunity. There are walking, biking trails and trees throught the park are identified. Plenty of green space to relax and enjoy the beauty and peacefulness of the park. Enter on Asylum Street to view the rose garden, pond, bridge, greenhouses and perennial garden. Stunning. Easy to walk around.

First time here on a chilly rainy autumnal day in West Hartford. Though the roses are not blooming…read moreat this time of year, all the fall colors are still vibrant and we enjoyed a lovely brisk walk in the afternoon. I look forward to coming to visit again in the spring sometime.

After renting kayaks and having so much fun, we decided to buy our own and come back! $5 to launch…read moretour own boat/paddle pad..BUT We came with family who RENTED kayak, but we were treated disrespectfully by a staff/kids working the ramp. Since this was our first time using our own boats at this location we attempted to use the self launch dock, however we were uneasy with it and were unsure as our first time (walking down stairs and a free floating dock you put your boat next to) We went to the other launch dock where there were others who rented boats waiting their turn to get out. We were waiting our turns as well as family going with us, to launch but one of the kids who was working was snobby saying "you can't be over here during busy times like this" and rolled his eyes when we explained we we uneasy at the other dock. As paying customers, I was appalled at how we were treated by some young man as we told him we didn't feel safe using the other dock as OUR FIRST TIME We were fully aware there was a free boat launch down the road however we were with family and wanted to all stay together since they had to rent theirs. Next time I will save myself the hassle and disrespect from some child staff who can't properly communicate

I want to give a well-deserved shout out to Collinsville Canoe & Kayak near Farmington, CT. All the…read moreplaces around us in northeast MA have, sadly, gone out of business, so I took a little road trip to pick up an Aspire 105. Very glad I did. You will not find a more knowledgeable and friendly bunch of people. I had to do an exchange of another item by mail and they were on it like lightning. Exceptional customer service.

When looking for a place for a quick walk and a picnic, we were excited to check out Filley Park…read more Although the park is quite small, it was really enjoyable to walk around the wooded trail before walking around the pond and gardens. The wooded loop trail is probably about half a mile and the walk through the garden is probably another ~.15-.25 miles; both are mostly flat. There are tons of benches and a few picnic tables to enjoy the scenery and do some birdwatching. We visited on a Sunday afternoon and the park wasn't too busy. We were able to find a picnic table, that was pretty clean, and enjoy a picnic lunch. All-in-all, we really enjoyed our time and we will definitely be back on a regular basis as it's conveniently located in between all of our errands.

Tremendous progress has been made in the reclamation and renovation of Filley Park…read more When I first visited and posted in 2013, the place was a mess. The Pond was full of silt, and needed to be excavated and restored. Massive populations of ducks and geese had done their things and fouled up the area. When I next visited in 2018 a lot of progress had been made. I saw all sorts of construction activity, heavy equipment, and big piles of dirt and gravel. Improvements to sidewalks, landscaping, and lighting were underway, as was the dredging and refilling of the Pond. And when I visited yesterday, I saw much more! The sidewalks and benches and seating areas are finished. The Pond looks great, The ducks and geese are mostly gone, and a few straggles were clustered way off to the side. There's still some construction equipment on site, and excavation continues, but the overall progress is quite remarkable. We walked around the Pond as far as we could and took a stroll on some of their hiking trails.