Splendid mix of very well maintained trails and gated gravel access roads within the Session Woods…read morePreserve. All watched over by the CT DEEP. Today Monday 6/8/2026 was my first visit with my pup and daughter's pup. We covered approximately 3.5 miles hopping from trail to trail. The weather was phenomenal and the forest very pleasant. The DEEP facility hosts training and learning seminars in addition to their regular duties. Hats off to this splendid preserve. Open from sunrise to sunset.

Sessions Woods is a nature preserve on 700 acres of land with trails and an education exhibit. They…read moreoffer educational programs and demonstrations; there are hiking trails throughout that you can hike yourself. Trails are open from sunrise to sunset; the exhibit is open 8:30-4 Monday-Friday. There were four trails to choose from; Beaver Pond, Forest Meadow, Tree ID, and Crosscut Trail. The parking lot was large. On this visit, I completed the Forest Meadow Trail. The trail was a 0.6-mile loop trail. There were informational signs throughout; they were kind of faded and old. The trail was easy and peaceful; I noticed quite a few boulders. There was only one other person we walked by on the trail. I was being vigilant about bears and ticks. There were quite a few benches which was a nice since my toddler enjoyed resting on them. I saw that the other trail had boardwalks; I look forward to coming back to check that out.

The parking lot and entrance for Nepaug State Forest is 3.1 miles from the point where route 202…read moreand route 44 merges in Canton. This forest is not to be confused with the Nepaug Dam & Reservoir Trail. The parking lot was spacious but can be easily missed because the sign is small; I saw one handicap spot near the trail entrance. There are multiple trails in this forest. Other activities besides hiking include biking, camping, fishing, cross-country skiing, letterboxing, and hunting. The Tunxis Trail is a blue blazed hiking trail. The blue trail was wide and flat with a slight incline. I enjoyed the easy hike through the forest. It was serene and peaceful; there were a few vehicles in the parking lot but I didn't see anyone on the trail. Based on the AllTrails app, it is a 1.7-mile loop trail and rated at moderate. I saw some people walking in with their dogs when I was leaving. It appears to be a popular spot for dog walking and mountain biking. Overall, a quiet trail if you're looking for some solitude and fresh air.

Love this park. Lots of trail options with challenging hills. Excellent workout, it's our go to if…read morewe want to skip the gym and get out in nature.

Excellent CT State Park with a number of trails with varying degrees of difficulty. The White Bar…read moreTrail is the longest, around a 55 minute hike, perhaps the most difficult but only in certain spots. There is one area on that trail with a 104ft 35° verticle ascent which will get your heart pumping, the rest of the White Bar is fairly easy. Because the Park is predominantly a hardwood forest the best time to hike would be in the Fall foliage season. This place is a gem, don't miss it..!!!

River Highlands State Park is made for people like me. People who say they like to hike, but who…read moredon't want to work super hard. People who expect a hike to provide some kind of natural payoff, but who don't want to work super hard for it. From the time you park, it takes about 15 minutes (with a dog who likes to sniff everything) to transverse the forest and reach a part of the trail with a Connecticut River view. The way there winds up and down, over and around - but never too suddenly. When you reach the CT River, the trail splits and you can go north along the River or south. The trail at that point is fairly high relative to the River. Hence, the name of the State Park is (1) "River" because the trail is adjacent to the CT River, (2) "Highlands" because you are on high land. Explosion! Mind blown emoji! In my experience, River Highlands is never too crowded. The parking lot is small, but I've never seen it full. I've encountered families, couples, dog walkers, mountain bikers and sight-seeing birds. You know - the usual. May be best to avoid this park when professional golfers are in town. Four Stars.

This park is on 162 acres; it's a farm, trail, and education center…read more The coolest part are the barnyard animals and large garden. They are open all year round so it's a nice spot to take the kids or yourself to. There are three miles of trails too; don't forget your duck boots, we went after rain and it was muddy but fun nonetheless. There's even a half mile of that trail that is handicap accessible. There is a discovery room that has reptiles, amphibians, and a parrot! There were plenty of parking when we went. A great spot to explore for sure!

Four cool things we saw at Westmoor Park:…read more Llamas Chickens People snowshoeing A curious black and white cat that followed us around! Even though most of the facility was closed, it sure scratched our cabin fever itch and provided a very nice place to get outside, walk around, and breathe some fresh air. Although the Indoor facilities aren't open at this time, you can explore the park grounds and trails as we did today. We want to come back when things are opened up because this looks like an awesome place with tons of fun things to do. It was pretty cool seeing people snowshoeing today, we never saw that before.

This conservation and recreation area in Harwinton, has plenty to offer. There's a library, town…read morehall, senior center, baseball field, basketball courts, tennis courts, sand volleyball court, picnic pavilion, fishing pond, hiking trails, lacrosse field, a concession stand, and a playground. The parking lot was large. Everything looked nicely maintained there. The library is small but has everything you would need in a library. On this visit, we played at the playground. The playground had a few swings, a couple of slides, playscape, a climbing playscape, and a ball pit. There were a couple of benches. Overall, a great spot to hang out! Everything is in close proximity and it's a great spot to get some fresh air and exercise.

great little west Hartford park. This is a great place to start you child's journey in the out…read moredoors. The pond is stocked with trout as well

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!

The CT DEEP website says Penwood donor Curtis Veeder surveyed the Penwood trails at night,…read more"establishing a true meridian line from the exact position of a star." Penwood trails are Mr. and Mrs. Veeder's handiwork. Like the stars, the park is out of this world. If you can't travel to Banff National Park--and COVID-19 era, you can't--you can at least visit Lake Louise here, named for Mrs. Veeder. If you come here early enough, the sunrise along the ridge lines is incredible. Talcott Mountain State Park has Hueblein Tower, so of the Hanging Hills, it's the rockstar, but the hiking trails at Penwood are the place to come for inspiration. Awesome climbs and intriguing trap rock formations means bring your boots, but enjoy the rewards. Twitter during this social distancing era kept announcing full parking lots through autumn, so with fall colors comes less quiet.

This 787-acre park was established in 1944 and connects with Talcott Mountain State Park, which is…read moreacross the street. Curtis H. Veedor donated the land to the state and asked for it to be preserved the way it was. Most of the trails were blazed by him. The parking lot was large. There are multiple trails including the Metacomet Trail and picnic areas. I took the first trail I saw behind the gate, which was the blue blazed trail. The trail was on an incline and paved; there was a bunch of potholes so it looked like it was never kept up with since it was originally paved. However, aside from the pot holes and rocks, it was a peaceful and easy hike. I saw a couple of people on it with their dogs. Overall, a decent hike with some good views!

Tory Den & Miles of Ledges are two very unique features of the Tunxis Trail. Not a business, a…read morerestaurant or a park of any kind. Yelp, I'm not sure how this page was created... but since it was I'll provide some details for anyone interested. The Tunxis Trail is Blue-Blazed and the Miles of Ledges section is Yellow/Blue-Blazed. The trail/trails are located on Bristol Water Department Property and the Martha Brower Wildlife Sanctuary. Trails are well marked. These trails are popular with trail runners and is moderately difficult. Yelp, this really isn't a business. But I think the Bristol Water Department deserves a page for allowing people to enjoy nature and protecting it! Star rating is 3 just because. I figure this page will disappear soon anyway. Hey yelp, you guys are pretty cool.