My husband and I recently started kayaking. As beginners, we aren't comfortable yet kayaking in…read morerivers, so we decided to search for a nice lake to begin our kayaking adventures in. A few friends highly recommended Mansfield Hollow Lake (boat launch), so we made the drive to Mansfield. We were not disappointed! The parking area, in front of the lake, is large, and easy to find a space to park, even on summer weekends. It's easy to get in and launch a kayak or paddleboard from the shallow shore area. The lake itself is clean and beautiful! I love the fact that swimming in the lake is not allowed (because this lake supplies drinking water) and that motorboats must maintain a speed of 5 mph or less. We haven't yet kayaked in any other lakes, but I'm sure that Mansfield Hollow Lake (boat launch) will remain a favorite of ours. Such a beautiful place!

Beautiful and scenic, nice and clean tranquil. So many lakes in the area it is well worth the trip.read more

NEVER AGAIN!! The GOOD:…read moreLocation Atmosphere Taste of food offered The Bad: Food quantity for the price!! After my partner's friend told him about this place and how it was wonderful, all you can eat (he went to a meat offered menu) we chose to try the shellfish and champagne on August 15th. Again the venue is wonderful the setup was beautiful there was oysters on the half shell and those seem to be very plentiful but we didn't over eat on those we wanted to save for the main meals which was supposed to be halibut Lobster, &scallops. when we got there the menu card added herbed crusted chicken for some reason. Everything was family style, truthfully, the chicken platter had the most plentiful amount of food on it!! Of which I took one piece of chicken breast and whatever vegetables sauteed with it I think they were just mushrooms, my partner took none of the chicken cuz he didn't want to fill up on chicken. The white meat was dry the sauteed vegetables were delicious and when eating with the chicken it was palatable. Then my partner and I got ONE SMALL scallop each, the family style "platter" that came out had FIVE scallops on them so he and I both took one as did the couple across from us and then the last one was taken by another couple next to us which is fine because we share family "platters", those five scallops were not meant just for my partner and I, they were meant for the vicinity of where we were sitting which was 10 of us. I think the long table held about 40 on one side 40 on the other. The lobster, same thing, luckily I got one piece which was a white meat and I split that in half to my partner and it wasn't a lot it was literally, for me, two bites and he got some claws which I never tasted and they were so tiny!! the halibut again small pieces on the family style "platter" I took one he took one and then later he took another one that was still sitting on the platter, I think maybe 6/7 pieces were on that platter. Honestly I've tasted better halibut it was on the dry side unfortunately. So for the money,$150 EACH, we expected family style portions even if they weren't going to be filled after the first time at least give us a family style portion and when the guy across the table from us asked about getting more Lobster the wait staff said "I'll have to see", of course none ever came. When my partner asked if more scallops were coming the wait staff said "I don't think so"... so all in all it was very disappointing for the amount of money we paid per person, we will never do that again or recommend it. His friend either gas lit us or his night of a meat dinner family style "platters" were very significant!!

Beautiful venue and great food and drink! I have visited Little Dipper Farm for several of the…read moreField & Feast events from the incomparable team at Stone Row KB out of Willimantic. The space pays homage to the previous business Golden Lamb while adding new flair! From an afternoon tea in the Fall to a Summer celebration; the farm features the idyllic countryside of Eastern CT and rustic chic interior perfect for a special event. The signature locally-sourced small plates and cocktails from Stone Row crew have been excellent, and make the meal more of an evolving experience. Thanks for a lovely time!

Great place for a great hike and sweat. Also a nice cold stream to cool down. Will be my go to…read moreplace when I am nearby. Loved it

really nice camping spot. Different from what I was used too with the reservation I had which was a…read morefield campsite on the wolf den. However it was filled with families and couples alike. Nice hiking trails clean bathrooms/showers multiple sightings of deer, found a couple turtles . Cheap fire wood and convenient that it's only 15 minutes from essential business like food,superstores, etc. there was food and gas closer by too. Also the park ranger who I didn't catch his name but I wish I did (he wore a white hat), was super helpful and gave me his personal fishing spot nearby which was really cool and uncommon from another fisherman. I won't name his spot cause I have manners. But all around looking forward to my return in a few weeks.

A very quiet, heavily forested hike in the quiet corner. It's a beautiful place for a fall hike…read more The only downside is that there's no real elevation gain. Great for trail running though! Take note of the reservoir bog and bird lookout. Shout across the open space and you might be able to hear your echo!

Since I was a child, this has been one of my favorite places to collect my thoughts and enjoy the…read morebeauty of Mother Nature.

All gave some, some…read moregave all Pompey Hollow Park is a pleasant little park tucked away in a lonely part of Ct. It is a nice place for a casual stroll but is probably best know for it's summer music series.. Some really good music can be heard coming from this park in the warm months. The park also has some very nice tennis courts, bathrooms, a drinking fountain and a nice gazebo right in the middle. Not a whole lot of room for hiking but a pleasant place for a bit of strolling or dog walking. Once of the coolest things about the park is the touching memorial for the armed forces veterans that came from the area. A park that manages to fit and do a lot of very cool things in a relatively small area.

From the owner: Pompey Hollow Park is located just off Rte #44 in the center of Ashford and is nestled between our…read moreSenior Housing Complex and our Senior Center. It has a tennis court, a playscape, and a short walking trail which over looks the Mount Hope River. It's most known for our Tuesday evening summer concert series and our annual September Family Day Celebration.

I'll admit, I didn't spend a ton of time here, coming to quickly get a photo for the CT DEEP Sky's…read moreThe Limit program. Still, we did a bit of driving around the forest, and from the little wander we did around the Nathaniel Lyon Monument, we think this is a park we're going to have to visit again. There's a lot of hiking here, and there streams to fish in, and some backpacking/camping options. It's a bit of a diamond in the rough, but a place worth checking out.

Stumbled upon this place while looking for a quick walk somewhere new. This place fit the bill…read morenicely. Fairly decent sized dirt parking lot, short, well maintained trail, small turnaround area for launching canoes, kayaks, etc. into the river for some upstream or downstream paddling on the Willimantic River and Eagleville Pond (to the south). I hope to find my way back here with paddles in hand at some point. Hiking: I use the word hiking very loosely. It's more of a casual stroll, but it was pretty nicely maintained and meanders around a bit through wooded areas, grassy areas and marshy areas, with a short duration along the shoreline of the river. To find the trail, park in the dirt lot, then walk all the way to the back right corner of they grassy field. Grassy areas were low while I was there due to it being the winter, but I'd certainly be cautious for ticks if that grass gets longer in the summer. Looks like good potential for mosquitos as well due to the marshy areas, so show up prepared. Paddling: The river looked very calm and with good potential for wildlife sighting. You could paddle upstream or float down into Eagleville Pond. There's another park at the end of Eagleville Pond where you can end your trip if you have the means to do so. (Note: the pond ends with a pretty wide, marked dam. Go to the far left while facing downstream to get out at the other park). Adjacent park / Lynch Landing: The trail connects to the Lynch Landing trail, and in fact this review is admittedly glossing over that fact and considering it to be all one trail system. Know that you could also park in the VERY small Lynch Landing parking lot on Depot Road if you preferred. (...or possibly a the "EO Smith Depot Campus" building next to the Lynch Landing parking area, but I can't advise on whether or not that's allowed at this time.) Note: Yes, you can go across the bridge on your way out and instead of back out on Plains Road, but know that it's narrow and unpaved for a good distance. There's a great looking property shortly past the bridge. I could definitely see myself living there...

Huge fan of this bike/walking path. I typically park at the YMCA and do outdoor cardio here as a…read morewarmup. However, there are several places to park along this path that meanders betwixt Kennedy Drive and the Quinebaug River. There are so many positives! Along this path is a dog park, a bike fix-it station, a seasonal farmers market, fishing spots, kayak drop locations, and places to bebop over and eat. It is rarely crowded, and well kept. If that weren't enough they have picnic areas, quasi clean portapotties, story time stations changed seasonally, and some kid play areas. They thought of it all! Come take a stroll and take a nature bath!

Basically, the trail/pavement is pretty small with not much there to do, and then there was the…read morefire department/ambulance with their loud sirens, along with Auto's traffic, I guess the only thing good I could say about it is it's outside so if you want to just get outside, it's a good place to go, get off your phone people lol

James, our guide on our rafting trip, was amazing. He is an amazing guide who taught everyone in…read morethe raft how to navigate in the water as a group within the first few minutes. James loves what he does and has many years of experience. He speaks multiple languages fluently and is knowledgeable in everything! James made our rafting trip truly memorable. Not one second of the journey was boring with him as guide!

Bought a new Pyranha Scorch small kayak! Order went well with delivery within a few weeks. Jim…read moreanswered all questions and was very knowledgeable about kayaking was buying! Transaction went smoothly! This was a 2nd kayak after 45 years with same brand!

Trail is not tended to, had to walk through so much grass and plants. Awful walk. Pretty water.read more