Beautiful scenic nature with hidden gems throughout! Definitely a great place to bring the fur…read morebabies to have a swim! The park is clean and litter free Just be careful as some of the areas near the "island" are dirty and littered partially due to wash up and rising/sinking water levels. This is the only part that is concerning.

was looking for a picnic spot to eat some sandwiches and saw on there sign there was a picnic area…read morebut the gates were closed and we saw people walking with there dogs, seemed like nice spot. until we started to walk in the direction of the pinic spot and it was a very very far walk and it was very cold, we gave up on walking to the picnic spot and we ate on the road instead. would not recommend going if the gates are closed and the weather is cold.

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.

Decent upkeep and clean playground. Pool and pool area somewhat small. Some benches with covering…read moreavailable. Kiddie pool area available

Love that the small dog park and big dog park are the same size and that they are right next to…read moreeach other so the dogs can run back and forth across the fence with each other. There is plenty of parking for the dog park which is great and most people know to drive slow and carefully in the area. There is water, but with covid, it is best to bring your own water. We love that the whole area is grass but there are a few spots that get dug out by the doggos. Our pup loves it here and loves seeing all the dogs. Most people are doing a great job of social distancing as well.

Nice for walking nice view of the Connecticut River cows in the neighbors farm and cottontail…read morerabbits ‍

The Riverfront Park is a nice outdoor space in Portland on the CT River. Volunteers have worked…read morehard over the last few years to clear walking trails and make it a nice little spot to visit. There is a walking trail with beautiful views of the river, as well as picnic tables, brownstone benches and a Pavillion area, that can be rented for events. Just in the last year they added restrooms (much better than the porta potties) and a covered stage area for bands and other entertainment. In the month of August there is a summer concert series with local bands. It is a great community event. The park is located very close to the Brownstone Exploration Park, which is also another great outdoor activity to check out in Portland.

"Those summer days Them summer days…read moreThat's when I had most of my fun Hot fun in the summertime" (Sly and the Family Stone) Today was a hot summer day and we enjoyed spending a few hours exploring and walking around in Mill Woods Park. We saw a few baseball fields, tennis courts, a dog park, lots of pretty flowers, a very nice swimming area, and took a nice leisurely stroll on a flat wide newly cut grass walking path. We didn't see a lot of people out there today, but we did see a whole bunch of butterflies, birds and a bunny rabbit perched ahead of us on the path. He skedaddled when we got close. We also heard the public address announcer for a little league game across the lake, and he was a hoot as he did his best Michael Buffer imitations as each new batter came up to bat.

Mill Woods is on our family local park menu. There is a kids' play area. It doesn't have the best…read moreor newest playscape or other equipment, but it's pretty good and I think it may be the most shaded kids' play area around. That makes it a great choice for hot days and a not so great choice when there is morning dew that needs to evaporate from the slides, etc. There are two nice baseball/softball fields, a skate area, a soccer field, a basketball court, tennis courts, mostly flat walking trails through the woods, a bocce area, a pond, a gazebo, a dog park and more. I've seen all sorts of birds including a bald eagle and hawks. Mill Woods is definitely worth keeping on your park list.

"Down by the old mill stream Where I first met you"…read more(The Mills Brothers) Mills Pond Park is an embarrassment of riches, both natural and man-made. There's a trail that takes you down to a pretty pond, waterfall, and wetlands. There's a recreational bonanza of options, with an Olympic sized pool, tennis courts, two baseball fields, basketball courts, a football field, a park, a softball field, a skate park, two pavilions, a soccer field, wading pool, and playgrounds. There's even a large public art display at the park's entrance which I've reviewed separately. https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-canton-gate-canton?hrid=_woQOmg74ws2Myhd1Zb0mA&utm_campaign=www_review_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct) One thing ruined our perfect visitor experience. As we were walking around the ballfields, we saw a guy in a gray hoodie and gray pants with his black lab running around freely. They were hundreds of feet apart and he was yelling at the dog to come over. But the dog didn't because he or she was busy squatting and taking a dump on the ballfield where kids play. Did Mr. gray hoodie clean up after Fido? Nope, he just ignored that steaming pile of dog doo, leashed up his dog when it finally sprinted over, and calmly walked away along East Hill Road. The selfish, careless, inconsiderate arrogance was incredible to witness. So, if you're playing out there on the fields, watch where you step.

A large and clean neighborhood park. It has all you need to get fresh air and exercise…read more Tennis courts, basketball courts, pool, baseball/soccer field, playground, small gym equipment, skatepark, and a view of the pond. There is a pavilion with a few picnic tables; you can contact Canton recreation to reserve them for a party. The parking lot has plenty of spaces. There's no trail, just a small paved portion behind the skatepark. I saw plenty of people walking around the park and around the field. My kids really enjoyed playing in the playground. There's a double swing you can put your small child in and you can sit on the swing as well; that was a first for me. A gem and I'm lucky to live close by and be able to use this establishment.

Miller's Pond's desirability is very time dependent. Spring, summer, and fall are no go due to…read morelimited parking, disgusting trash, and rude people. If you like used diapers, beer cans, and broken glass, then go for it. Sad!

This gem is quite a bit off the beaten path. If you travel off season, which we do most of the…read moretime, you are rewarded with a serene nature experience, and relatively few fellow humans. It is dog friendly. From April to September the water is comfortable, with a pleasant sandy bottom. There seems to be a path all the way around the lake, but we've never gone that far. You are expected to carry your trash out to the parking lot, where you will find the only toilet facility in the form of a porta potty. Always a great place to lose the stress.

This park should be a hidden gem in Manchester. If it hadn't been riddled with trash I might have…read morecalled it as such. Manchester should do better with it's parks. Taxes are certainly high enough.

"Leave your cares behind come with us and find The pleasures…read moreof a journey to the center of the mind" (Ted Nugent and the Amboy Dukes) Center Springs Park is a serene and beautiful park smack in the center of Manchester. During our stroll around the park, we found a nicely maintained walking path cutting through the greenery and up to the park's free Disc Golf course. Just show up and shoot a round, as long as you bring along your own discs. The centerpiece of the park is a six-acre pond with three water fountains shooting streams of water high into the air. There were two long boardwalk bridges over the lake which gave us some nice views of fish and ducks hanging out in the lake. Throw in a playground, a gazebo/pavilion, picnic space, and some public art sculptures, and you have everything you need to spend some relaxing time in a pretty location.