We've hiked here a couple of times since my first review, and I have to say, this is a really great…read morepark. There are nice overlook views along the trails, and the state did a really good job of repairing the trails after the storm damage in 2018. My only real complaint is that, like almost all CT campgrounds, they don't allow dogs, so I can't enjoy camping in the park, but from a day use perspective this is a great park.

Just came back from a 3 day camping trip in Kettle Town State Park, and we loved it…read more We pitched our tents on site No.61 a nice shaded area right across the bathroom facilities. The showers are clean and the water is just right. Every day the camp site workers come by to keep everything nice and neat. Definitely a place to return to in the future, we paid $77 for 4 days, 6 people, 2 tents & 2 vehicles.... you can't beat that for a great outdoors experience with the family.

Beautiful Park but it really needs garbage cans there's fishing lines and hooks everywhere around…read morethe pond and at first I blamed people. Now, after gathering all this line and hooks to throw away, I've come to realize there's no garbage cans if there are no garbage cans people will just throw them on the ground this is unsafe for kids, animals, and other people. PLEASE PUT GARBAGE CANS IN

Excellent spot for a hike! The waterfall and covered bridge are beautiful, as are the hiking trail…read more Red trail was a bit harder than we expected, especially with a 3 year old. AllTrails marked it as easy, but I'd say it's more of a medium. A boarded section washed out from a recent flood, so it took some maneuvering to get through. Also a few big trees down. But overall it was a really fun and relaxing hike.

Big Gulph Recreation Area is owned by the Regional Water Authority. Only those with permits can…read moreaccess its areas. Yearly permits are relatively inexpensive (~$25) and include maps and descriptions of all trails, parking passes and codes, and a quarterly newsletter. The Big Gulph Recreation Area is located behind Northford Park. Basically, you have to park in the park's parking lot, and keep walking back, all the way behind the baseball field and last soccer field. I've always started my route to the right. As you follow the main route, you see the reservoir to your left and (surprise!) people's homes you never knew existed. You'll even spy some yellow signs warning you that bears have been sighted here! Eventually, you will come upon the stream fishing area, and are able to walk around some official looking water facility buildings. At some point, you will reach a divergence in the path. There will be a dead end trail to your left, a narrow higher rocky trail to somewhere around the middle of your POV, and to the right a leisurely gravel path. The leisurely gravel path is actually a looped trail that connects to the narrow high rocky trail! If you start down the gravel path, prepared to be slightly bored for a few miles. It is relatively flat and shady with a few open fields or nature trail spot points. Eventually though, the trail turns around a couple of large piles of gravel up a pretty steep (and rocky) incline. When you reach the top, there are some great scenic views. For the remainder of the downhill path, you will genuinely feel like you are in the middle of the woods, even using makeshift plank bridges to cross areas that flood in the springtime. Most people I have encountered on this trail took advantage of the stream fishing. I don't think I'd go alone though--I'm not sure what I'd do if I ever saw a bear! (Although illegal quad activity still takes place in these woods from neighboring communities, and I'm sure with all the noise, the bears are content to stay away!) *Update* Fall 2011 The "bears have been sighted here" signs were taken away. The 4.5 mile trail I talked about has a lot of downed trees. It's definitely a challenge getting around all of them, but the trail is much more beautiful in the fall. This time I even spotted a deer!

This a beautiful, scenic park on a mountainous top outside of downtown New Haven and it offers…read moreopportunities for hiking, biking, picnicking, leisurely strolls, etc. It's a big area and on the day of my visit, the paved road going inside the park was closed, so we had to walk a decent amount to get to spots like Soldiers and Sailors Monument and scenic overlook vista points. The hike to the monument and scenic vista point on the paved road trail (one-way) can take up to 30 minutes if not longer. There is a (sort of short-cut) trail that goes through the woods that has rocky steps and is a rigorous hiking route. It was a nice weather day and a perfect way to work-off the delicious New Haven pizzas we ate beforehand. We enjoyed our visit here while checking out the beautiful scenic views and the monument. I am not giving it full five stars because the park lacked proper direction signage for the trail(s) and as far as I could tell, I did not find any bathrooms or port-o-potty services.

I'm from out of state and I personally didn't like my experience here very much. The views of New…read moreHaven from the top were amazing, but I cut my visit short, because there were a few people at the top who looked scary to me and who were doing wheelies on motorcycles and some kind of motorized carts. Not to mention the mufflers were very loud. As a person who gets overwhelmed easily and gets sensory overload and walks alone a lot, it's scary for me and anything could have happened to me if I were the only one there. So after I took a few quick pictures, I walked quickly to keep up with the only small group of people who looked safe to me. I personally think there should be a little police booth at the top and more security in general. I think everyone deserves to be able to feel safe!

This trail is about 4miles give or take there and back. There are benches along the way and two…read morebridges going over the water and one tunnel under the highway. It does flood under that bridge if raining a lot. There is a sign that says flood zone turn around don't drown or something like that. I can walk the whole thing in about 45 minutes. And there are a few little tails off it into the woods but they don't really loop and you have to turn around and come right back. You cal also park at either end.

"Oh, Suzie Q Baby, I love you, Suzie Q"…read more(Creedence Clearwater Revival) The indigenous people's word "Quinnipiac" roughly translates into English as "long-water people". The Q River is 38 miles long, and you'll get a gorgeous view of it from the bridge on the Quinnipiac Linear Trail. We had a lovely hike on the trail today, as did dozens of friendly walkers who smiled and waved to us as we walked from the main parking lot to the bridge and back. It was a very easy low impact walk of about two miles round trip. The trail is flat, paved, and very wide -at least fifteen feet wide. There were a few side trails marked by fresh mulch or wood shavings if you want to go off the beaten path. We saw plenty of interesting things on our walk - basketball courts, a wood walkway over some wetlands, several informational kiosks, a Lending library with a box of Narcan Nasal Spray prominently on display up front, a labyrinth, and scenic views of the Merrit Parkway which at times seemed about 50 feet from the trail. One other interesting but infuriating thing we saw was a collection of red, black, and blue knotted bags of dog doody that was neatly stacked around a Pet Waste station just under a sign that read "Please Keep This Area Clean".

We needed a break on our drive from MA to NJ and this was just about the mid-point for us and just…read moreoff the highway. It is a pretty state park for a short visit if you're in the area. Lots of college students throughout the park from nearby Quinnipiac University. There are plenty of open space, picnic tables and trails for everyone to enjoy. Lots of different trail options but the tower trail is the most popular. Not much shade on the tower trail and a fairly decent elevation change in a short distance. Make sure to check the weather and bring water. Beautiful views from the highest point in the park and you can go inside the tower.

This was such a nice and beautiful hike! We went here end of October when foliage season was coming…read moreto an end quickly. We got to see amazing views and lots of foliage. The hike was not bad and it was super busy. Huge parking lot and lots of people that day. The views at the tower were awesome and it's definitely a nice spot for pictures. A local gem.

Bodie's Place Playground is an inclusive, boundless playground that opened at Eisenhower Park in…read moreMilford, Connecticut in May 2011. The 16,000-square-foot playground was made possible by a $400,000 fundraising campaign. The playground is named for John "Bodie" Vaccino", a local Milford boy who was born with cerebral palsy. When he was younger, his parents took him to a boundless playground called Hannah's Dream in New Haven. Bodie was able to play with his sister, Emma, as if he had no limitations. His parents then set a project in motion to bring a similar playground to their hometown of Milford. They didn't want a playground just for children with disabilities, but rather a community play mecca for kids of all abilities. The playground was designed by John Hollerbach, owner of Creative Recreation, who has worked on other projects associated with the nonprofit Boundless Playgrounds. An adjoining splash pad opened in July 2018. My family and I recently visited Bodie's Place Playground while we were on our summer break from school. My wife and I are always looking for good playgrounds for our sons, and we heard lots of great things about Bodie's Place. The playground actually features 2 large playscapes: one intended for younger children (ages 2-5) and another intended for older children (ages 5-12). We thought that both playscapes were equally impressive. After our sons played on them for a while, they changed into their swimsuits and headed on over to the equally impressive splashed. Both of our sons had a blast! I must also note that there are plenty of amenities at the park, including bathrooms, pavilions, picnic tables and benches available at the park. We highly recommend Bodie's Place Playground to families with small children and look forward to returning!

This park is very clean and well maintained. The play ground is huge. In summer there's a large…read morewater park splash pad area. There's tennis courts & a handball court. There's disability swings & multiple bathrooms. Water fountains & a walking path through the woods.

This is such a beautiful lake with hiking trails. It is part of the Regional Water Authority (RWA)…read moreRecreation Area, so a special permit is required to park and hike around the reservoir. There are 10 miles of trails around the reservoir. The lake is on the boundary of Madison and Killingworth. The hikes are considered easy to moderate. It's very peaceful and quiet. Highly recommend you visit!