This Bog trail is part of the Simsbury Land Trust. It's located on North Saddle Ridge Road in…read moreSimsbury, CT and parking can be found on street. There are two stone pillars and a sign, it can be easily missed if you drive too fast. The trail is 1 mile out and back; one of the shortest and easiest hikes I've done in a while. At first, the walk is in between two houses, continue to walk on the flat and wide esker (glacial stone), you will notice the bog on both sides, which is down the hill. At the end of the trail, on the right side, there is a steep hill going down towards the 150 ft boardwalk made of wood. We went in November, so the leaves were plentiful and slippery. There are educational signs on the boardwalk. The bog is 40 acres and is usually found in England and Canada. The bog water is acidic so there are only certain species of plants and animals that can live there; from the sphagnum moss to Gartner snakes, to name a couple, those species are highly adaptable in that environment. Other animals just passes through for food and shelter. It was a peaceful and relaxing walk, and there were views of West Mountain. I saw some dragonflies, which is a natural habitat for them. If you're looking for a short and easy hike, I recommend it!

"Under the boardwalk, down by the sea" (The Drifters)…read more Mix equal parts of a hike in the forest, a bog, and a boardwalk, and you have one very cool trail to explore. The entrance to the trail was kind of hard to find. We knew from the Simsbury Land Trail book to be on the lookout for two stone pillars on North Saddle Ridge Drive, but even though we were looking for them, we missed them. Turns out the pillars are very small and set back from the road a bit. But we did find the entrance, and soon we found ourselves walking on a beautiful forest trail, under a canopy of tall green trees. The trail was wide, pretty flat for a while, and relatively free of obstacles except for some tree roots that you have to be careful to avoid. About 1,500 feet into the trail there's a right hand turn that leads to a very steep descent. Some well placed railroad ties acted as stairs to make the downhill trek easier to manage. Soon you will pop out of the forest and see a very cool sight- a long elevated boardwalk that will take you out into a 39-acre bog. You'll be thisclose to all sorts of vegetation on both sides and you'll also see a series of informational signs describing the plants and animals all around you. At the end of the boardwalk, there are three benches where you can relax and take in the beautiful views of the trees, the bog, and a pretty view of West Mountain. You enter this trail from a typical suburban residential street, and it just blows my mind that these gorgeous trails are all over Simsbury, pretty much hiding in plain sight.

The trail was no longer flooded today, so we were able to walk its full beautiful length…read more We saw meadows, half a dozen folks horseback riding, half a dozen kayakers, a big field of mowed down cattails, and some gorgeous views of the Farmington River. The trail is flat as a board and had almost no encumbrances such as rocks or tree roots or animal waste. It was sunny, 70 degrees outside, the birds were chirping, and the scenery on the trail all combined for a perfect experience.

Wagner Woods is another 63 acre Simsbury Land Trust gem, acquired in 2010. There was a small…read moreparking lot on Great Pond Road that could fit about 5 vehicles. When I went, it was full so I parked at George Hall's farm on Old Farms Road. This farm had a spacious gravel lot and connects directly to the Wagner Woods trails. There were multiple trails including the 0.3 mile purple Hall trail, in Wagner Woods. There are about 1.7 miles total. The trails were pretty easy and flat with occasional tree roots and rocks; there were some small boardwalks for areas that would often get wet. My family and I enjoyed the walk; it's kid-friendly, my child enjoyed it. There were wetlands, forest, vernal pool, stream, and a hayfield. The land used to be a historic farm, so there were remnants of old rock walls and foundations. I saw a sign stating that the field was used by the original owner as an aircraft landing strip. The walk was serene, with many different birds. There are approximately 60 species of birds; I've only spotted a couple, including a falcon. I've traversed the purple, blue, and red trails on this visit. The orange trail leads to Hop Brook; there's a viewing platform there. We spotted a bench too if you need a break. Overall, an enjoyable walk and I look forward to checking out the other trails next time I go.

The Wagner Woods has 1.7 miles of trail that meander through a 63 acre property…read more We parked on the Great Pond State Forest side and walked the Red Trail through the forest under a canopy of trees. We saw wetlands, a small pond, and a big hay-field with dozens of bluebird houses around the perimeter. The trail was flat and wide and very easy to navigate, just watch out for the occasional rock or two. We did get a little confused on the trail, because we saw some trails that weren't represented on our map. The map showed a Red, Yellow, Orange, Blue, and Purple Trail, but some pretty big trails weren't marked. For example, the big trail around the hay-field wasn't marked and we really couldn't tell where we were headed. We ended up doubling back to the Red Trail, where at least we had confidence that we knew where we were going. Other than a few moments of hesitation and confusion, we had a very nice time in the Wagner Woods.

Take a hike and then get some ice cream!…read more Parking for this trail is behind the Tulmeadow Farm store; there is signage regarding the trail. The trail through the farm is wide and flat; the corn and hay field is on 60 acres and 73 acres of that is woodlot. The trail connects to 0.4 miles which is located on the town's property. This is a working farm so it is advised to stay on the trail; the markers were clear. The Heublein Tower can be seen from a distance. This is an out and back trail when reaching Town Forest Road and back; a little less than 3 miles total. Overall, a fun and easy trail!

Ever had an ice cream at Tulmeadow Farm? Its one of Simsbury's landmark attractions…read more Well, if you walk through the parking lot at the back of the store, you'll see a wood kiosk welcoming you to the beginning of the Tulmeadow Farm Trail. The trail is divided into a few sections and everything is clearly marked with blue markings on poles or trees. The trail starts off as a farm road between two fields, and we saw a tractor working the land as we walked today, that was pretty cool. Eventually, the trail turns and you walk across some beautiful green hills that reminded me of a golf course, and then turns again to approach the tree line and enter the woods. The trail is fairly flat, with a few slight inclines. You'll see a few rocks here and there, but no tree roots or tree limbs on the path. We did see some presents from our canine friends on the trail (disgusting) and two unleashed dogs strolling around while their inconsiderate owners yacked on their cell phones. It's a very cool trail where you'll see views of Tulmeadow Farm and its crops, and a glimpse of the Heublein Tower. You'll also see an ominous sign asking you to be mindful of hunters in the area.

There are many beautiful views. The trails are on the rougher side. You will see birds and the…read morebrook is peaceful.

Beautiful, tranquil, peaceful. Well-maintained paths, circling Plum Brook Pond and wetlands. Great…read moreplace for a stroll and bird-watching. The Kestrel Land Trust offices are also here and they oversee the preserve. Lovely.

This 0.4-mile trail is part of the Simsbury Land Trust. Parking is located on street at King Philip…read moreRoad. It's a wet meadow with boardwalks and small bridges at certain spots. A beautiful native garden can be seen at the trail entrance; there were signs showing what type of plants these were. These plants attracts butterflies and birds. It was a very easy trail and I loved the boardwalks. The plants were pretty with the flowers popping up. I noticed a tree fell down on one of the boardwalks; must've been from the recent heavy rains we had. Overall, a cute spot to embrace nature and take an easy short walk.

Under the boardwalk, down by the sea, yeah On a blanket with…read moremy baby is where I'll be (The Drifters) This was unexpected. in the middle of this very pretty trail you will find a boardwalk, in fact LOTS of boardwalk it will keep your tootsies nice and dry as you walk through the wet grasslands. This is a short, flat, and very manageable trail, less than a half mile in length. Its off to the side of a residential neighborhood, more or less where Hartford Road, Princess Lane and King Philip Roads converge. One of the very cool things we saw was a well-marked native plant garden toward the start of the trail. It was cool to see the names of the plants and earn a little about them. Throw in a very cool boardwalk, a wood bridge, a spectacular view of Talcott Mountain, and you have a very pleasant diversion for 30-45 minutes courtesy of Mother Nature.

There are two trails in Mary Conklin Sanctuary which is owned by Canton Land Conservation Trust;…read moreRay Smith, which consists of yellow and red blazes. These are moderate, loop, 1.5-mile trails. The other trail is Tommy Ryan, which is a challenging green blaze 0.5-mile out and back trail. Parking was located on the side of a driveway which was convenient. We walked on the red blazed trail and then reached a fork; three different yellow trail. We were confused as to why the red ended abruptly and decided to take the yellow trail on the right. It turned out to be a loop and we were back at the fork. The walk was moderate with many rocks and tree stumps and some hilly inclines. The trail was clear with some spots that were narrow with vegetation. My biggest qualm were the insects. We got there at 4:30 pm and the insects were out in full force, so don't forget the bug spray.