Bodie's Place Playground is an inclusive, boundless playground that opened at Eisenhower Park in…read moreMilford, Connecticut in May 2011. The 16,000-square-foot playground was made possible by a $400,000 fundraising campaign. The playground is named for John "Bodie" Vaccino", a local Milford boy who was born with cerebral palsy. When he was younger, his parents took him to a boundless playground called Hannah's Dream in New Haven. Bodie was able to play with his sister, Emma, as if he had no limitations. His parents then set a project in motion to bring a similar playground to their hometown of Milford. They didn't want a playground just for children with disabilities, but rather a community play mecca for kids of all abilities. The playground was designed by John Hollerbach, owner of Creative Recreation, who has worked on other projects associated with the nonprofit Boundless Playgrounds. An adjoining splash pad opened in July 2018. My family and I recently visited Bodie's Place Playground while we were on our summer break from school. My wife and I are always looking for good playgrounds for our sons, and we heard lots of great things about Bodie's Place. The playground actually features 2 large playscapes: one intended for younger children (ages 2-5) and another intended for older children (ages 5-12). We thought that both playscapes were equally impressive. After our sons played on them for a while, they changed into their swimsuits and headed on over to the equally impressive splashed. Both of our sons had a blast! I must also note that there are plenty of amenities at the park, including bathrooms, pavilions, picnic tables and benches available at the park. We highly recommend Bodie's Place Playground to families with small children and look forward to returning!

This park is very clean and well maintained. The play ground is huge. In summer there's a large…read morewater park splash pad area. There's tennis courts & a handball court. There's disability swings & multiple bathrooms. Water fountains & a walking path through the woods.

This a beautiful, scenic park on a mountainous top outside of downtown New Haven and it offers…read moreopportunities for hiking, biking, picnicking, leisurely strolls, etc. It's a big area and on the day of my visit, the paved road going inside the park was closed, so we had to walk a decent amount to get to spots like Soldiers and Sailors Monument and scenic overlook vista points. The hike to the monument and scenic vista point on the paved road trail (one-way) can take up to 30 minutes if not longer. There is a (sort of short-cut) trail that goes through the woods that has rocky steps and is a rigorous hiking route. It was a nice weather day and a perfect way to work-off the delicious New Haven pizzas we ate beforehand. We enjoyed our visit here while checking out the beautiful scenic views and the monument. I am not giving it full five stars because the park lacked proper direction signage for the trail(s) and as far as I could tell, I did not find any bathrooms or port-o-potty services.

I'm from out of state and I personally didn't like my experience here very much. The views of New…read moreHaven from the top were amazing, but I cut my visit short, because there were a few people at the top who looked scary to me and who were doing wheelies on motorcycles and some kind of motorized carts. Not to mention the mufflers were very loud. As a person who gets overwhelmed easily and gets sensory overload and walks alone a lot, it's scary for me and anything could have happened to me if I were the only one there. So after I took a few quick pictures, I walked quickly to keep up with the only small group of people who looked safe to me. I personally think there should be a little police booth at the top and more security in general. I think everyone deserves to be able to feel safe!

I came to Mill River Park in Stamford for the Hope in Motion(repping Stamford Hospital Bennett…read moreCancer Center) 30th anniversary cancer walk.This park is absolutely beautiful w/ so many sights to see throughout the grounds. I couldn't stop taking photos/vids b/c there was a photo op everywhere I turned. Even though I've been here numerous times b4, this was the 1st time I really slowed down & took in how beautiful everything is. It ended up being a really meaningful & peaceful experience. The walk itself was special,& the park made it feel even more uplifting & memorable!

Come here annually for the Hope in Motion cancer walk. When you walk in, you see a beautifully…read morefixed up riverbank, lots of native plants, and winding paths that are perfect for walking, biking, or just relaxing. The park has an inspiring story too; it used to be a dirty, concrete river channel but was turned into a lively green space. It even won awards like the American Planning Association's "Great Places in America." It has a modern carousel pavilion that's great for families, along with a sparkling fountain and an ice skating rink. There's lots of benches scattered along the path by trees. You can hear the water flowing over rocks or enjoy community events such as outdoor movies, fitness classes, or summer concerts. Whether you're seeking calm by the river or the energy of a weekend event, the park offers a little escape right in the heart of Stamford.

My Uncle John and my Aunt Doris were avid birdwatchers. They are also members of the National…read moreAudubon Society. I was a member for many years and loved to volunteer for local community service projects. I also love to visit sanctuary and park locations to spend time out in nature. This is an absolutely beautiful park in my former home state of Connecticut. It is memorable to visit with family and friends. This time of year the fall colors are beautiful to photograph. If you are in the area make this a stop to escape from the world!

Awesome, awesome, awesome. Great birding, hiking, beauty and topography are really something to be…read moreexperienced. Fair warning, beware bears. Just be prepared and bring your bear defense accoutrements. No one has ever been attacked or even charged but just being fair to the Audubon and you the hiker/birder. Note: no dogs allowed.

As far as parks go, this is rather small yet well-planned out, nice trails, many spots to sit and…read morerelax, read, or enjoy a snack, easy access w limited parking. A nice spot to enjoy with kids or just a leisurely walk through the woods.

There's a few different sections of the Naugatuck State Forest. We went to the Quillinan Reservoir…read moreBlock, which is in Ansonia. There are a few ways to access this park, we decided to go from the Ansonia Nature Center. The transition over to State Forest is pretty subtle, mainly with some markings on the trees. This park is also adjacent to some watershed land, that is also marked really well. This park has some nice hiking trails, with a lot of different loop options. We ended up doing a 10k (6 miles) hike, on the white and purple loop trails. The trails are nicely blazed, and there's a really good variety of trees. We went through some hardwoods and some pine forest, and there were lots of plants and some water views of the reservoir at various points along the hike. It's not too strenuous elevation wise, which was nice for a moderate hike. Mountain biking is allowed in the park, and we saw several people out for a ride, so it seems a pretty popular location for biking, and the trails seem not overly eroded. My only complaint is this park is adjacent to a gun club, so for a good chunk of the hike (mostly the white trail) was done to the sound of near constant gunfire. It's not the most tranquil thing, especially if you're sensitive to that sound.

This is a beautiful walk around the reservoir. The day was overcast with a threat of rain, but the…read moretemperature today made up for the darkened skies. Colorful leaves are starting to pop out everywhere, and I suppose this place will be in it's prime in a week or so. If you're in the neighborhood, you have to stop by and enjoy the scenery.

We needed a break on our drive from MA to NJ and this was just about the mid-point for us and just…read moreoff the highway. It is a pretty state park for a short visit if you're in the area. Lots of college students throughout the park from nearby Quinnipiac University. There are plenty of open space, picnic tables and trails for everyone to enjoy. Lots of different trail options but the tower trail is the most popular. Not much shade on the tower trail and a fairly decent elevation change in a short distance. Make sure to check the weather and bring water. Beautiful views from the highest point in the park and you can go inside the tower.

This was such a nice and beautiful hike! We went here end of October when foliage season was coming…read moreto an end quickly. We got to see amazing views and lots of foliage. The hike was not bad and it was super busy. Huge parking lot and lots of people that day. The views at the tower were awesome and it's definitely a nice spot for pictures. A local gem.

This is a peaceful place to go to enjoy the beach and take in the magic of Housatonic River meets…read moreLong Island Sound. This is a place for those who want to respect nature,learn about native species but keep your distance from the wildlife that needs space to survive.

The Connecticut Audubon Society was a surprise, hidden gem on my latest trip. We got there right as…read moreit was opening, and avid bird watchers were already there. It's quite serene to be able to look out at the marshes on one side and the beach on the other. The paths are well groomed. Be sure to go inside if you can. There are some other animals to see in tanks as well as a library of kids books. There's also a great view of the marsh with a few telescopes, as well. There was someone working here at the time we visited, and she also brought out some coloring pages. Definitely worth checking out if you're near by and want a change of pace.