We are not regular visitors of this beach because its a bit of a drive for us but we like to enjoy…read moreit every now and then We visited the East side of the beach this time. Pretty far from the crowded side and no food shack because it was permanently closed. Bummer. Good thing I brought some food . My daughter had a school beach day programmed and I came along. Why not? Breezy day but everyone enjoyed their time.

It has been a washout Memorial Day weekend. It rained all day Sunday. Today, Monday, we wanted to…read moretake a walk on the beach in Hammonasett State park. This is a gorgeous naturally beautiful piece of land. To our shock they were already charging $22 for out of state fees. Normally the season starts July 4th. We were unaware of the change in policy. Then, as we walked along the beach, we talked to life guards- all teenagers. They said they were asked to come out & stay on the beach even on Saturday although it was raining all day. Who are the ppl in charge of the park? Who makes these unilateral decisions? We the ppl are charged to walk on the edge of the ocean that belongs to the human race, so they can pay life guards on a rainy day with no ppl on the beach. Clearly, the CT govmt is in trouble.

Amazing destination for mountain biking! I've been riding at Tyler Mill for years and the place is…read moreamazing!

while the site is nice, the aggressive, unpleasant, and generally trashy crews intended to maintain…read morethe place ruin the environment. I was hoping to find a place to take my dog where we could enjoy the day, instead we were verbally accosted by some nasty old woman. Go somewhere else, it's clear the locals absolutely do not want you there.

Having read much about the mysterious Moodus noises, my curiosity lead me here on a surprisingly…read morecool 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.

Maybe this is just me, but I don't feel the entrance is clearly marked from the road. There is an…read moreentrance 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!

Well maintained hiking trails. Beautiful and scenic whichever way you decide to hike. Make sure you…read morewear proper fitting as the terrain can get rocky and steep in some areas. If you are lucky enough to find the falls, it's worth the hike!

Another visit to this state park though this time we only walked our dog around a small section…read more There were a number of people sitting around enjoying the nice weather or having a quick lunch at one of the numerous picnic tables. We will be back

Came by with the family a few weeks ago. Parking was easy since it was a week day. The beach was…read moreclean and bathrooms as well. We had fun and sat by the sand.

Not crowded clean CLEAR WATER leashed dog friendly soft sand…read moreThere was a wedding on the premises CT license plates are free

The parking along the route isnt obvious, except for cars along a guardrail. There are 2 separate…read moreentrances from there, mostly obscured by overgrowth of bushes. The stairs lead down to what used to be an open picnic area, tables, grills, now quite a bit overgrown. The "falls" are simply a creek that flows along the picnic area, with a few small cascades, all under 5-6 feet tall. There is a trail that goes along the other side of the creek, and it then moves up & away from the creek into woods. That trail is ok, and eventually leads to a quirky rock formation where it's clear people either party and/or camp out and leave trash around. Like other comments, this place is in dire need of TLC by the state and better care by people who use it.

Lots of falls…read more Seven Falls is a small park with some interesting geology. I'm not sure why it is called seven falls because it really has only three or maybe four. Perhaps in the past more falls were visible and if you look closely at the geomorphology it is obvious that the water level was once much higher and carved out a channel through the rocks. The present falls are small, only five or so feet high and in times of drought the water level slows to a trickle. Because of all the recent rain the water was flowing pretty good when I took the pictures and in the winter the falls freeze and looks pretty impressive. No swimming is allowed but of course people still go in the water. The area around the falls has picnic tables and places for a fire. Most people think of this as a picnic or rest area but there are some hiking trails to the north of the falls. Nothing really exciting, just a few dirt paths up the side of the hill. One particularly interesting feature is a small hole in the side of the falls that was carve out by a rock spinning around during times of extreme water flow. Seven Falls isn't worth going out of you way to see, there certainly are far more impressive waterfalls in Connecticut. But for someone in Haddam that is interested in Geology or just wants a pleasant place to have a picnic it's worth a stop.

This is a decent local trail. It has some nice views. Very easy, nice for a leisurely walk. Small…read moreparking lot and there's a seperate handicap parking lot, it is a handicap accessible trail so that's nice. Lots of people on bikes and with their dogs. Definitely a trail everyone can use. Only downside is there are lots of little flies so it can be a little annoying. Definitely recommend using bug spray.

I really enjoy this trail. Depending on which section you are on is depending on the beautiful view…read moreyou have. If you take the Hanover Pond Trail, you will have a beautiful view of the pond. If you're fortunate enough to catch the sunrise here it is stunning. When you follow through this trail, you will have the pond you for a little while and then you get to see some woods and yes, you do see the back of homes and the schools, but it doesn't take away from your journey. If you take a gorge trail, you get a nice view of the river and the trees with all of the mountainside.

This is a Cute trail to take a hike on! Beautiful in every season. The Waterfalls here are so…read morepeaceful and relaxing. You can hike all the way around the dam or just walk right up to the waterfalls. Dividend Pond - Hiking & Outdoors Located in Rocky Hill, Connecticut, Dividend Pond is now a scenic nature preserve with hiking trails looping around the Upper and Lower Ponds. Trails are about 2.5 miles total, moderate difficulty, and pass historic mill ruins from the 1600s-1800s. Billings & Spencer Co. - Hartford, CT's 19th‑century industrial powerhouse! Known for drop‑forged hand tools and innovative machinery, this company helped shape American manufacturing. Many of its historic factory buildings still stand today, now repurposed for the community. Founding and Early Years (1869-1873) In 1869, Charles E. Billings and Christopher M. Spencer, both former workers at Colt's Armory, partnered to found a company initially focused on manufacturing metal goods. Toolmaking and Drop Forging Billings & Spencer specialized in drop-forged mechanics' hand tools -- things like wrenches, pliers, vises, and machinist tools -- and ultimately became one of the leading tool manufacturers in the United States.

Quiet little hiking area. Waterfalls and a loop around the park…read more There are a few bridges and mostly flat terrain, but near the mill area is steep with stairs and small inclines.