At first glance, a neighborhood park with a few cottages, a field, and a large dirt parking lot…read more The cottages were for the Girl Scouts based on the sign I saw on them. I was here for the playground so I walked across the field to the back and found it. I didn't realize there were parking in the back lot and closer to the playground. The fenced in playground was big and had plenty of swings and space for my toddler to run around. The weather was perfect (55 degrees in February) so there were a few other people there. There was snow on the ground in certain parts, so it was very muddy/slippery in some spots. A few of the playscapes were taped off with caution tape; I'm assuming they were broken. This park is on 200 acres of land and has many events. There is a 50 acre lake area. The spring fed lake is called West Hill Lake; people can swim, fish, and boat in it. In the summer, you will need to buy a beach pass. They also have tennis courts, sand volleyball courts, and basketball courts. Nearby and across the street, you can find the Franklin P. Kearney Conservative Trail. Overall, a great spot to get some fresh air and exercise. Hopefully they will fix the broken playscapes and it will be less muddy when it gets warmer soon.

Just not great. Has a lot that could be improved. Not well kept, run of the mill regular park.read more

Very pretty area, it's in the back of what I think are municipal buildings. The water seems calm…read morebut I'm sure it has its days of chaos. There is also an entrance further down next to a garden center but it is closed - the road is roped off.

This boat launch is fairly new; constructed in November/December 2023. Parking is on gravel behind…read morethe Canton Public Works Department. The launch is connected to he Collinsville Walking Trail. This is a great addition to the area; it makes it easier to unload kayaks, canoes, and paddle boards. The ramp has a railing. There is a trash can and recycling bin up near the trail. What I noticed were empty water bottles by the launch; come on people, clean up after yourselves. The Farmington River is beautiful and having this boat launch will make it even more enjoyable.

We love this spot to rent kayaks on the Farmington river. They rent by the hour so get there early…read moreas they are slammed in the summer months. Easy check in and send off. Floating on the river is so relaxing and a great workout for the arms They also have bike rentals and kayak sales

I did not rent anything, so keep that in mind. It was rather impressive though, you could never…read moretell driving by how much stuff there is to buy and rent. There store has three sectionsnfor different sales, and very professional. Parking lot is a good size, and you can enter the river (I believe) by the store or further down the street at the boat launch. The side by the garden center is closed. The other side by the town buildings is open, and fairly picturesque to see everyone go by on the river.

If you like kayaking, canoeing, SUP, fishing, or have a power boat, etc., and love flat, calm…read morewater, Rainbow Reservoir may just be the place you're looking for. There is a small hill leading down to a nice boat ramp. The parking lot is paved with marked spaces for vehicles pulling trailers, and non-trailer vehicles. There was one porta potty and I found it to be clean. I was there on a weekday when kids were back in school, and found it to be quiet with very little activity, but I was told it can get very busy in the summer on weekends.

July 2016. I am downgrading the spot to 3 from 4. I have been seeing parasites on the fishes…read morecaught here. Most recent trip m, 4?sun fish & one bass, everyone of them got parasites. Either yellow like grain of rice type or tiny black spots in meat. Do not eat fishes caught at rainbow reservoir! If you like fishing, I am sharing my fishing spot especially because I need to write good & useful Yelp reviews :) My spot is to the left of the rainbow reservoir boat launch. The boat is infrequent but the jet ski is a bit annoying to fishermen. However, the spot is productive if you can cast far enough, there is a steep drop off that goes down about 15-20 feet, all kinds of fish there. I've taken my kids there many times, caught sun fish, bass, carp, catfish etc. all at the same spot. Don't eat the bass!!! High Mercury content. Ok to eat sunfish & carp, but carefully check the fish for parasite as I've seen them last year, they look like little grain of rice but yellow in color, yikes! Other than that, it's really fun spot to take the kids & you can BBQ right there as well!

The trail isn't marked well but even in a light snow cover we were able to figure it out. Watch out…read morefor a few icy patches on the trail that we had to work around if you'll be on the trail in the winter. The falls were gorgeous ... parts along the cascade edges were frozen but running full force! And we met a young porcupine near the trailhead just after the parking area! It was a bit shy ...

This was the second falls visited by our gang of three adventurers last Wednesday. Both Bash Bish…read moreFalls and Campbell Falls were uniquely picturesque. While the trek to BBF was 3/4 mi from the NY parking lot, the jaunt to Campbell Falls was much closer from our dirt parking area. Both falls were similar heights. I inclined to say that BBF was a little higher. Intrepid Paul ventured into the deep pool at the bottom. He looked refreshed. Mountain goat Jamie climbed up the steep terrain to the right of the Falls, and appeared to be standing right in the middle of it at the top. In reality, there is also an opening in the paved road at the top that allows one to get close. Be careful if you do this !!!!!. All-in-all, worth the trip.

Walking trail around the lake is just under a mile. 4 laps around is about 8,000 steps! Love it…read more Look for the famous Lake Owl and the quiet heron Pickleball courts are sexy and new as of 9/30/23! I see people fishing and everyone you'll bump into there is the friendliest person you'll meet all day! Totally dog friendly! With refuse bins along the lake to drop ur doggie baggies into.

Beautiful late August day, with a crisp chill in the breeze, but as the sun gained more space then…read morethe clouds we were back to summer. I've paddle Big Pond in the past and thought this central Mass lake, just North of Otis Reservoir, deserves to be shared with other Active Life Water Yelpers. Then public launch is small and at first glance you think, "Where's the Lake?" Located in a quiet end of a naturally scenic waterway leading from the lake to its overflow point. Frankly, this is my favorite portion of the Yak adventure. The bog stream is about a half mile from the lake; deep enough for motorized craft to enter the lake (my less favorite component). The stream is lined with Lilly Pads and Aquatic Grasses with a wooded shore. Home to fish, turtle, bugs zipping along the surfaces, and beaver along with the occasional Heron waiting for a delicacy. Very peaceful. Then the waterway opens up to the wide lake. Cottages of all ages and upkeep, and not overly crowded on this day. The lake has a heavier iron content and is a bit murky, just the same, very pleasant to swim and enjoy water craft. Yes, powerboats do zip to and fro, however, they tend to be courteous in passing at a safe distance. In the center of the lake an island large enough to host roughly 15 to 25 quaint cottages who have figured out how to transport humans and their contents from the shore. Potable water and sewage disposal baffles this curious Tom Sawyer. Just the same, it's worth a spin around or paddle around, just beware or other shallow glacial rubble poking out above or just below the surface.

I forget where this park is, but it's on the quieter side of Torrington near Litchfields entrance…read moreto Route 8. It's very quiet even though the grounds have a dog park with oodles of balls. The actual rainbow bridge is maybe a quarter mile from the park entrance in the woods. In addition to the bridge, there are other monuments and memorials with a picnic bench and chairs. The vibe is very serious even with all the color. The bridge is not over a body of water. It would be a nice place to mourn and see how much love there was for people's dogs and cats.

"She's gone, she's gone I'm just left here all alone…read more she's gone and I'm lonely" me and my dog" (Andre Williams) I did some quick research and found that 71% of U.S. households--that's about 94 million homes--own at least one pet. And when their short lifespans take them away from us, that loss has become a phrase -they "crossed the rainbow bridge". There is a real rainbow bridge and pet memorial behind the John Toro Sports Complex located at Davis Passway in Torrington. There is outstanding signage to guide you there. The first thing you'll see as you approach is an archway where you'll be greeted by sitting statues of a dog and a cat to welcome you. As you walk along the path, you'll see placards with names of dogs and cats that have "crossed the bridge" with loving words from their owners. As you walk deeper into the memorial, it gets very emotional. I saw a lifelike statue of a smiling Yellow Lab happily sitting while leashed to a bright red fire hydrant, there's a Pawprint Memorial Garden with cast pawprints honoring family pets. And then there is the bridge itself, yes, a real-life Rainbow Bridge painted in the striped colors of the rainbow. The sides of the bridge are covered with photos of dogs and cats with their leashes and collars left by their owners. The bridge was the brainstorm of a local Eagle Scout who thought of and oversaw the project, gathering funds from local pet owners and sponsors. The bridge and Pawprint Garden are a tranquil and very lovely place to remember our four-legged friends that enriched our lives with their companionship and unconditional love. It helped us remember Clyde and Maggie, and the distinctive little ways they enriched our lives and made us smile every day.