A beautifully kept park along the ware river! There's porta-potty's all around the park! Dogs are…read morewelcome just keep them leashed and pick up after them!!! No excuse don't ruin it for others! The road is paved. The playground is absolutely amazing!!! Brand new and safe!!! There's handicap swings as well!!! Having a medically complex child we LOVE this!!! Great place to walk with the kids and the dogs!! Highly recommend to check it out

Wow, what a beautiful park with plenty to do for families, children, walkers, runners, hikers,…read morefishermen/women; there are tennis courts, baseball diamonds, jungle gyms, a boat launch as well as numerous picnic areas with tables and seating. Wonderful wooded trails along the Ware River as well as paved roads that run through entire park. Multiple parking areas and Port-a-Pottys are strategically located throughout the entire area. This place rocks!!!

Ended up at this park by accident and we can't wait to go back and explore a bit more…read more At first this park seems like an open field and parking lot but if you walk over the bridge and pond, it opens up to the rest of the grounds and the Connecticut tobacco museum. They have a few farm animals like horses, cows, donkeys, rabbits, chickens, and more. The barn includes information about all of the animals and the nature center has more information about Connecticut's nature scene. There's also a trail that seems to lead pretty far out. We'll check it out next time.

Wonderful hidden gem especially for families with small children. They have trails a barn with…read moreanimals and the playground which our children loved.

Lots of options for different hikers, with similar but slightly-different views throughout the…read morerange. Bare Mountain and Hitchcock Mountain are personal favorites and can be made into a 3.5ish-mile loop with the Robert Frost Trail. I did have one weird experience here with a guy who was acting fishy. As a solo female hiker, I find that the further into the backcountry you go, the safer you are, as all the other people out there are committed hikers, too. Since all of these trails are fairly accessible, you can meet just about anybody out there. I'd recommend a personal alarm or hiking with a buddy (which, as a woman, is unfortunately just good practice, anyway).

My friend and I started our 6 mile hike here by climbing up Bare mountain and then making our way…read moreover the 7 sister peaks. We left a car at the other end (bottom of Mt. Holyoke) so that we didn't have to make our way back the same way. This was a great hike because instead of just one peak and view, we got a bunch (not really 7 views). The path is well marked and maintained throughout. We followed the white trail the whole way. It's nice to be able to enjoy the outdoors and not feel like you're going to get lost along the way. Definitely a great long but easy hike.

There's 4 access total, this one on S. Maple is the closest to the water. However, parking lot is…read moresmall & in the summer, I run into several vans parked there were working on AC. Looks like HVAC companies taking over the parking lot for work, one dude working out of his van was shirtless with full bear belly on display. I felt uncomfortable & left quickly. There's no park bench or anything like that along the river. The West entrance is the worst, smallest lot only fits 3 cars, long walking path to the river that's super narrow, some times only a foot wide & feels creepy, I'd avoid. The east entrance is very roomy, easily park 10 cars there with walking path 12 feet wide. However, it's very far to the river, at least half a mile walk. The 4th entrance is on Bayleys, I couldn't even find the parking lot, lol, nothing there.

A nice little secluded riverside scenic park. There are three trails, two of which are pretty…read moreovergrown once you get into the summer season. One follows along the river, one crosses the river into the woods, and the third goes up a small hill. They're all three quiet and surrounded by greenery and a pleasant, although not particularly long, walk. There's also parking for a few cars at the end of the road leading up to the trails.

At the suggestion of a docent at the Notch visitor center, we drove up to the Mt. Holyoke Summit…read moreHouse (as we were too pooped and time-pressed to make the 4.5 mile hike on the Metacom trail and ascent). Although the drive up can be a little tight and curvy with hairpin curves and steep drop offs, once at the summit, it was gorgeous. Spectacular views of the Connecticut River and wonderful nooks and crannies and glades among the boulders and trees for tranquil picnics and just plain gazing. The Summit House itself was still closed for the season, but its veranda was open for viewing the scenery and had some useful maps pointing out geographical highlights (also convenient: its restrooms were open, so nice to be able to refresh oneself). There's also a somber memorial dedicated to a WW2 flight crew that lost their lives on the mountain top. Simply beautiful! I would suggest going midweek to avoid the crowds if possible as the roadway is quite narrow and parking could be limited.

Great walking trails, that are well maintained and clean. Good locational posts along the way. I…read morelived the meadows and the variety of plants and trees. The wildflowers are beautiful and still in bloom even though autumn is in a couple of weeks.

Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary is education based, with scientific backing. With lectures like…read moreforestry 5 years after the tornado... 85 people showed! They host so many great events and even have school trips to learn about nature. With an outstanding staff of naturalists, great museum / facility, and a gorgeous property of trails, Norcross is tops!

I found this Walk and Bikeway while staying nearby for business. I always like trails and nature…read morewalks and I saw this was not too far from the hotel I was staying at. It follows the Connecticut river both north and south. I went North both times and encountered some peaceful scenes of the river and bridges going across it. I also found a Belted Kingfisher which we find sometimes in Florida during the cooler months in the NE. It was nice to see and appreciate the vast territory the Belted Kingfisher has. It does follow a highway and a railroad. That being said it was pretty quiet for the time I was there. There is opportunities for fishing, boating, or simply relaxing along the river. I didn't like the amount of trash along the river, and along the path. I did my part to pick some of it up while I was in town.

Beautiful and quaint place to stop for a picnic and nature walks. Come when it's fall and you are…read moresure to get a beautiful view here of the changing leaves.

It had been over a decade since I'd visited this laurel sanctuary, and I've kept meaning to get…read moreback. It wasn't til we moved much closer that I finally returned with my husband this weekend (late July 2022), and it's now in our top five local places to walk/relax. The mountain laurel is Connecticut's state flower, and they usually bloom from late spring to early summer, so the blooms were long gone but that was hardly the point. We were here to check out the walking and eat a little packed snack. The turn into the sanctuary going east on route 190 is easy to see (sign faces you at the entrance, pictured below) but comes up fast. The road's name is Snow Hill Rd., but I didn't see any signage at this entrance. We drove down until we passed 4 picnic tables on the left, on grassy areas you could pull a car or two onto. There's a turnaround/possible parking area just after the last table. I'd suggest not going further, as the road turns to a bumpy, hilly, unimproved road that eventually leads to a turn we didn't take (which is where we saw a handmade sign marking "Snow Hill Rd." Back at the turnaround, we returned to the level road and stopped at one of the picnic tables. After a little bug spray, we set off. I'm mobility-challenged, but can walk for short stretches on a level surface with mild increases/decreases. The long, tree-lined gravel road was exactly what I was looking for. From the picnic table to the entrance was just over half a mile. Again, a slight sloping up and down, nothing taxing. I'd think one could use a motorized wheelchair or any wheelchair with good tires. Back at the picnic table, we enjoyed the watermelon we'd packed, basking in the afternoon sun and remarking how peaceful the place was. This was a gorgeous CT summer Saturday and while we were there (2-4pm) we saw a total of four people just walking the road themselves or with their leashed dogs. If you're looking for a little peace & quiet nestled in the woods (along with a lovely walk), this is your place. A true hidden gem of a spot. A few things to note: 1. There are no outhouses/toilets here 2. There's no garbage bins, so carry in/carry out 3. You're sharing a road with others cars and walkers, so keep it slow and safe 4. If you want to see blooming laurels, try late spring and early summer Have a beautiful day!