A very quiet, heavily forested hike in the quiet corner. It's a beautiful place for a fall hike. 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! read more

James L. Goodwin State Forest - Fall colors on a trail - Parks Near Me - Hampton, Connecticut

See all

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

James L. Goodwin State Forest - This place is full of hidden treasures. - Parks Near Me - Hampton, Connecticut

See all

Wow, this is really an incredible park! There's a pretty lake here, Pine Acres Lake, and a large network of hiking, mountain bike, and horseback riding trails, including the Air Line Trail and the CT Blue Blazed Natchaug Trail. The lake is shallow but very picturesque, with a boat launch for canoeing. at the time of my visit, there were tons of flowering water lilies, turning the lake into something out of a Monet painting. We hiked the blue/white trail over to the Natchaug Trail, and made a very pleasant loop hike. The trails are mostly flat, but well blazed and easy to navigate. There's a Conservation education center (which we didn't go into) and a really nice picnic shelter with a nice view of the lake. Overall, this is really a gorgeous park that was almost entirely empty when we visited - I'm surprised it was so quiet! read more

See all