Having read much about the mysterious Moodus noises, my curiosity lead me here on a surprisingly cool morning, with hiking boots on my feet, and a day pack on my back. There was entrance fee, and plenty of parking; so, it seemed I was off to a good start. I chose to hike the upper vista "trail" in the beginning, making my way back via the lower vista trail. You'll notice that "trail" is in parenthesis, for the reason that this is not a trail at all; it's a dirt road. That in itself would prevent any hiking area from receiving a a five, or even a four, star rating from me. In any event, it was a moderately steep ascent; but, not so much that I felt the need to stop for a rest. There was an adequate forrest canopy, providing plenty of shade. The forrest had the appearance of being dense on each side; but alas, the constant sound of traffic let me know better. Another star gone Upon reaching the summit, I noticed a number of picnic tables and benches. Although this area seemed well maintained, the view of the Connecticut river below was partially obscured by rather tall fauna. Continuing on, I immediately found myself descending on the lower vista trail, which, at this juncture, is as advertised, indeed being a narrow, winding trail. To my dismay, I noted several improvised footpaths, clearly made in attempt to avoid zig zag patterned descent. The descent itself was all to short; and, I again found myself on the lower fork of that same dirt road. All in all, it felt as if it took longer to drive there then it took to hike the main loop, leaving me to ponder whether or not I should have brought my fishing poll, instead. To extend the hike, chose to branch off the main trail, on to the yellw, then blue, to make a wider loop. At one point, I glanced a rooftop through the trees wondering if that was part of once abandoned town of Johnsonville, that I been told was visible from the trail. Maybe it was; maybe, it wasn't. All in all, this was a pleasant, but unremarkable, hike. If your kids are in reasonably good shape, this is a great place to bring them. Your dog is welcomed as well; in fact, I jokingly commented one fellow hiker that felt out place, not having brought a dog of my own. But wait! You say. The mysterious noise! Did you hear it? Well, at one point I did hear what sounded like the roar of a Civil War reenactment cannon. Unfortunately, that sounds a lot like the sound of a dumpster lid slamming against a garbage truck as it's lifted from the ground; and given the constant sound of traffic, I'd say either is plausible. read more

Machimoodus State Park - Don't step on the orange fungi - Parks Near Me - Moodus, Connecticut

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Maybe this is just me, but I don't feel the entrance is clearly marked from the road. There is an entrance and an exit sign, but I was looking for a state park sign and plum drove right past it the first go-round. But I made it... Parking lot is a good size, and there was a porta potty on the far side. Now, when you're in the parking lot, there is a trail to the left ambling downward, and a trail going up that leads to a paved parking lot with a few creepy boarded up houses, paved parking lot, and (at the time) a bunch of cherry pickers. It used to be a SOMETHING because there are overgrown basketball courts to be seen. This is not part of the park, although a friendly native let us know how to pick up a trail back into the park. Moral of our story - when you're in the parking lot, pick the trail ambling down, not up. Once you're in the actual park and not a mile out of your way, it's lovely. The trails are well maintained, lots of signage about how far you are from what lookout and the parking lot. There are also cute little fairy doors and elements, surely a magical place! I didn't see any picnic benches, but if you bring a blanket the lower overlook is very picnic worthy! read more

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Machimoodus State Park is another lovely little hidden gem of a park in the CT system. There's a nice large gravel parking lot, and a lot of picnic tables near one of the fishing ponds, that's right at the entrance. We happened to be there the same time as a large group of people were doing a doggy meetup, but they went into the neighboring hiking area, so we mostly had the park to ourselves. The trails aren't blazed, but they're nice and wide, and the intersections are well signed. There are a few nice overlooks of the Salmon River, and a couple of little hills. Altogether a really nice little place. read more

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Very clean and relaxing surroundings. We didn't catch anything, but man did we have fun trying. We will be back with the mountain bikes! read more

Machimoodus State Park - Parks Near Me - Moodus, Connecticut

This State Park, formerly a farm, is a local gem in East Haddam. Easy to find and plenty of parking with a large gravel parking area. No matter what time of day you will find people out enjoying this Park. There are trails to scenic vistas, there are trails through the woods. There are trails down to the river, there are trails up steep grades. There is a long flat gravel roadbed great for a leisurely stroll after dinner, or a steep single track through the hills to get your blood pumping. There are picnic tables, a small pond for fishing, even a recently uncovered rock garden. We utilize this Park on a nearly weekly basis. Come out with your puppy and a picnic and get some fresh air. Come see some of Connecticut's countrysides and marvel at our stone walls. Bring a horse or a mountain bike. You'll have a great time. read more

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This is a lovely park to hike in. There are a ton of trails, from wide dirt roads to small foot paths. You will go through a wide variety of terrain, there are woods, fields, ponds and a river. All of the grassy areas were very well mown. There is also ample parking. I am taking off one star because there are a couple run-down structures still standing, and although they have posted warnings not to go in they are an eyesore as well as a temptation for kids. read more

Machimoodus St. Park is awesome...its got picnic tables spaced far apart behind bushs and ponds. Lots of birds , easy but lots of trails. Its got views too. You should check this place out its really a gem. Parking is good too, close by. Didn't see any trail maps but only a disoriented person would get lost here. There is a legend map near where you park. The people I saw there had dogs who were enjoying the ponds. You can swim here and it seems to be a little hideaway place to me. Bring a sunbrella and food to grill , charcoal is all you need, grills are available. have not hiked the trails yet but intend to, they seem suitable for the less energetic crowd. Then again they would make excellent running trails from what I could tell. read more