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

Backledge Falls is an 80-acre park with hiking trails, a pond, and yes...a waterfall. You'll find…read moreit on Route 93 (Hebron Ave) just on the Glastonbury side of the Glastonbury-Hebron line. There's a small parking lot at the trailhead. The trail is rather thin and has an extraordinary number of rocks and tree roots, so you really have to keep your head down and watch where you're going. Streams crisscross the park, so that explains why we found three small wooden bridges to help us navigate the wetlands. Two of those bridges had no railing, and one (a Boy Scout project) had a nice Trex railing, but just on one side. It was 81 degrees yesterday, but the high tree cover kept direct sunshine off of us for pretty much our whole time out there. There are some pretty steep inclines that had me huffing and puffing and thank the lord we had our hiking poles for balance and leverage. We walked most of the Blue and White trail, which is marked, but the paint is fading and in need of a refresh. We met around half a dozen groups of hikers, and each group was nicer and friendlier than the one before.

It was a beautiful late November day and perfect for a hike. Blackledge Falls is right in town…read morethough I've only been one other time after a snowfall. The hike is fairly easy with a small incline but a lot of small rocks on the "blue-white". As it was November, leaves covered the trail and made some spots slippery. The falls themselves were disappointing ... more like a dribble than a falls but it was still a nice walk in the woods. Perhaps springtime after the thaw is the better time to come if seeing a waterfall is your goal.

Beautiful park to walk or hike in. They have an amazing history trail that uses braille. Historic…read morelands! Also has a beautiful waterfalls running through it.

Had fun taking the brisk day to walk with my daughter down the walking path at Valley Falls. I…read morealways get neat pictures and great exercise.

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!

I love hiking trails and my brother in law recommended a stop at this trail. My wife has some…read moremobility issues and the trails we walked were hard packed and not much of an incline for her so it was perfect. Beautiful fall foliage as well. The tunnel was cool to see how it was built into the rocks . Nice parking area as well with a porta potty if needed.

Great rail trail, for hiking and bicycling. Plenty to see...brooks, hills, tunnels, bridges, plant…read morelife, and a little wildlife.

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...

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.

A beautiful place to stop and admire, or have a picnic. Not a big place, but easy to get to, as it…read moreis right off the road.

This is one of my absolute favorite places to hike! The trail around the main pond is very easy and…read morea very short hike. There are also a few places that have picnic table sites for you to grill at! I always notice people fishing, and I see people in the water with their inflatables. There are a few other trails to hike, which I highly recommend! The birding here is also fantastic. This place is magical!! Bring the pups! .... One last thought, just be aware that service is very patchy here!

Bigelow hollow is a pleasant place to picnic and spend the day. It has become crowded, so try it…read moreduring the week. It is local to me. I have not yet kayaked there. When i do i will come back to report.

So if you've ever seen the Wes Anderson movie "Moonrise Kingdom" - and you've hiked this trail to…read moreLong Pond - you'll recognize the scenery around the pond from the top of a massive glacial boulder. Regardless of its Hollywood connections (and my hats off to the camera crew and actors for getting up there!), this is quite the hiking area, though not for the faint-hearted. It does involve a bit of clambering up and down boulders, so be sure to bring a stout set of hiking boots or shoes ... and I'd recommend long pants to deal with the rocks and branches as you're more than likely to be finding yourself scooching down them on your butt at some points. (Yours truly wore only cross-trainers and boy did I regret it: I could not get any traction to summit that huge glacial formation and had to settle vicariously for the distant oohs and ahhs of wonderment from my wife and daughter). We started at the North Road trailhead for the main Narragansett Trail which is marked by yellow blazes but be aware (or beware?) that the turn-off to this spectacular view of the pond - while marked by a big red arrow on a rock - is an unmarked trail, so be sure to take mental pictures of the turns and forks so you don't get lost on the way back. But it sure is worth making this deviation! The main trial can be quite the hike and the opposite direction will take you into Connecticut if you so wish. There is supposed to be another unmarked trail opposite the one going to Long Pond which will take you to Ell Pond, but we weren't able to find the entrance to that trail from the main one - we're guessing probably because it's less traveled and maintained. In addition to Long pond, we were impressed by the large amount of rhododendrons in the forest - we promised ourselves to visit in the spring when they'd be blossoming as that must be a sight to see. This Narragansett Trail area is definitely worth repeat visits! Please note that there are no privys or running water at the trailhead - and parking areas are sparse.

The Long Pond-Ell Pond Nature Area is a spectacular location to stretch your legs and take in some…read morefantastic views of rural Rhode Island. As an avid hiker in the White Mountains of New Hampshire... it was wonderful to find beauty in one's own backyard. It was a crisp Saturday afternoon that I found myself driving down a dirt road in Hopkinton to the Long Pond trailhead. The drive down North Road (aka Old Rockville Road) itself was even enjoyable. The narrow dirt road meandered through branches, heavy with yellowed leaves until the obvious intersection of a couple of cars with several pull offs. There is room for 2 cars at this trailhead, with a pull off for another 2 just before the small parking area. The trail is well-marked with yellow blazes on the trees. Be mindful of who is participating in this hike... it isn't quite simply a leisurely walk in the woods. There are many rock scrambles, some elevation gain, and quite a bit of maneuvering to go to and fro. As you head down the trail from the parking area I mentioned, you reach a crossroads of sorts. If you turn left you hike a short ways until you reach a very large rock formation. At the top is wonderful outlook onto Long Pond. It is a great place to lunch. If you turn right you head toward views of Ell Pond (I didn't go this way on my trip). If you head "straight" which is actually kind of towards the right as well you descend into a forested valley and towards other adventures in the area. The hike to this crossroads is quite manageable and a quick trip. The beauty of this area is that you can make your hike as long or as short as you'd like. It is not a loop so you can decide to turn back at any point and be quite aware of how far and long it will take you. Great in any season I am sure... Fall was perfect. Wish I had gone when there was a bit more foliage to look at but stunning none-the-less. Quiet, serene, a joy to visit. I will most certainly visit this area again and traverse more of its trails. Be sure to wear your blaze orange during hunting season, September to February generally. I'm not sure how much hunting is allowed in this area but I'd rather be safe than sorry!