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!

Another great hike at GWSP at 6.79 miles! I'm adding some…read moremore pictures including how the trails are marked. Just follow the color! If you find my glasses and case, let me know.

great wooded hike starting in Pulaski State park on the snow-shoe trail then completed the orange…read moretrail which take you out on an eastern route put of the park where you will spend most of the walk between Pulaski and George Washington camp ground. some great features of the remains of a home and an associated man-made pond. in time the orange trail does turn west and ends on the dam at the western edge of Pulaski. The trails are hilly and so.e trees are down, but none interfered with the walk. I would category this as a easy hike. we will be back in the fall yo be sure!

Miles of hiking trails, paved and graveled mountain roads, and scenic overlooks whichever way you…read moreascend, this is a perfect spot for a quiet weekend getaway, Even on a Sunday morning around peak Autumn foliage you can find many scenic spots no else already found. This can be a quick drive kind of spot or a great morning hike as trails to beaver ponds, glacial erratics, and picnic tables are all within a short distance of the forest roads. The fire tower was out of commission for years but has happily been restored, and interpretive signs at the top show each visible peak including, Mt. Tom and Mt. Monadnock among them, on clear enough days. The only facilities are a port-o-let at the bottom of Soapstone Road, so plan accordingly if you don't want to make the ten minute trip back down to Ellington.

Great views, easy hike through the woods, or up the paved access road, or drive up if you prefer!…read more Awesome local option for some nice views. Tips: Bring lunch if the weather is nice, there are picnic tables everywhere. DON'T MISS THE TOWER. It was repaired (major overhaul) recently and reopened to the public. Can't see it from the end of the access road, but it's an incredibly short walk from there. Go up toward and around the chain fence.

If I could leave no stars I would, DO NOT GO TO THIS LAKE!!!…read more First time going with my family, we drove in fine, $8 parking fee, and it was empty when we arrived. Our family brought a mix of wood chips and charcoal from Walmart and the park ranger ran up to us and splashed a full bucket of water all over the grill. Yelled at us that using wood is not allowed, no one at the entrance or beforehand had disclosed that to us. It was truly embarrassing and the park ranger was so rude, didn't even bother to explain to us or offer us a different alternative to cook our food with. We were so embarrassed and my baby nephews were really looking forward to the hot dogs that were now soaked with mud. They don't allow floaties, toys, or anything near the water.

It's a beautiful lake. I feel there should NOT be little dogs allowed. Their owners let them run…read moreall over the place. There are many people smoking their weed pens. There needs to be some authority there. The best times to bring our Granddaughter here is early and late in the summer months. July and August are not months to bring her. Hence my rating.

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!

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.

This is my favorite hike. The reasons being its close by and its a fairly easy quick hike when…read moreyou're short on time. The hike at Buffumville has a north side and a south side. This review is of the north side. It is approximately 3.25 miles and takes just over an hour without stopping. The parking is located at the boat ramp across the street if the park is closed for the season or you want to hike for free. If the park is open you will have to walk the trail clockwise because they won't let you walk in the park without paying. If the park is closed you can walk either counter clockwise or clockwise around the lake. This north side hike doesn't have a lot of hills to climb up or down. It is a typical marked trail that you must pay attention to rocks and roots and such. It's a beautiful trail with views of the lake most of the time, a bunch of foot bridges, brooks, stone walls etc. Most of it is well shaded except for a small section at the gas lines. If it's spring I'd definitely recommend waterproof hiking sneakers and if it's winter ice cleats help a lot.

I love taking my kayak here! The water is clean, calm and cool. There's a great island to paddle…read moreout to and circle. You can even rent it to camp on. The only reason it looses two stars is the parking. They have maybe 7 spaces for people with boats, and the rest is for hikers. I bring a van with no trailer because my kayak fits inside. I parked by the boat landing and when I came back I had a parking ticket for parking in the boat area. I was boating. I'm not carrying my kayak to the hikers lot for no reason. I'm not comfortable enough leaving my kayak alone at the Boatlanding to drive to the hikers lot by the entrance because the hiker lot is always full too anyways. So there's no where to park. The nature part is great! The part that the government handles like parking lot size and ticketing are the "meh" parts. I continue to paddle here because it's safe and hikers can see and hear you if you run into a problem on the water.

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

Crandall Park has a lot going on for a little park in a small (at least population wise) town…read more Tennis courts, playscapes/swings, baseball fields, soccer fields, volleyball, pavilions, hiking/biking trails, including a fairly short handicap-accessible (and stroller friendly) paved path through the woods, ponds/fishing, rentable rec hall/cabin, a beach with a pond/swimming area and float, restrooms, plenty of paved parking. I wouldn't suggest driving too far to visit, but it's a good place overall for a quick bit of afternoon activity for anyone fairly local. The trails are admittedly confusing at times if you go into the back areas due to too many hikers and clearly mountain bikers creating their own alternate routes, but the park is small enough that you should be fine even if you get lost. Bring some water and a cell phone just in case, and ideally print out or take a picture of the trail map if you start in a location where there's a sign. The trails are also notably non-rewarding other than in terms of getting out in the woods get getting exercise. The park also feels generally safe, and the paths and trails are wide enough (particularly the main ones near all the amenities, that you can easily pass people, walk multiple people side-by-side, etc.

Clean,fun park off of I-84 in Tolland Ct. most notably this park contains a trail for ADA,…read moreproximately 6/10 of a mile all paved for those that are unable to ambulate!