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    Mine Hill Preserve

    4.8 (13 reviews)

    Mine Hill Preserve Photos

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    Inside looking up
    Nick C.

    Wow wow wow I think I found the most interesting hiking trails in Connecticut. It is a little hard to find and but worth the journey. Word of advise it's not mine hill quarry lol I went up that hill and like nope this isent it lol. After finding the right lot to park in we start walking and the sings should things right ahead. These old furnaces that are right there are huge and constructed amazingly. There is a lot of history here and tons of signage explaining everything so it's very interesting. After going back we decided to die the 1 and 2 mile hike. Going towards donkey bridge we get blasted by ice cold air - a hole on the side of the mountain about 4' tall is blowing ice cold wind straight from inside the mountain. It's extremely refreshing on a hot summer day climbing the mountain. A little further up the mountain and there is natural caves that are pitch black and seemingly endless. Luckily they are caged and no way to fall into them because there is no climbing outta it. So much to see here and words will never do it justice!

    The Mine Hill smelter ruines
    Tuck S.

    Mine Hill Preserve provides a great experience on a couple of levels. Hiking the main trail in a moderate uphill hike. You should wear hiking shoes as there are some ankle twisting stones that could end your day. You could wear sneakers but be careful. Trails are not suitable for small children. Download the maps before going. Or hike to the mill ruins, easy access and a great explore for children. Parking is just off Mine Hill road. No tables so if a picnic is planned you will need bring a blanket.

    Tunnel entrance
    Jaclyn M.

    Really enjoyed my hike around the Mine Hill Loop and visit to the Furnace Complex! The loop is moderately challenging due to some of the inclines, but definitely manageable given the number of cool things to stop and check out on the way like bat caves and the granite ledge they once quarried. Even if these points of interest weren't there, I would still recommend it as a lovely place for a nature walk. We finished our hike with a stop at the Furnace Complex, where you can see some archeological remains. Groups of interpretive signs explain Mine Hill's history, the iron-making process and its impact on the region, with pictures showing what it looked like back in the 19th century. Definitely some interesting tidbits if you enjoy history, otherwise still neat to just look at the old remains. To sum it up... great place to visit if you're a nature loving nerd 8-)

    Furnace for smelting iron.

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    12 days ago

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    2 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    3 years ago

    This is a great area for hiking with your dog and the rest of your family. Fall is especially nice with the changing leaves.

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    5 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    9 years ago

    Really interesting preserve. Beautiful during fall. Clearly marked trails and lots of history to see.

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    Review Highlights - Mine Hill Preserve

    . The furnaces where the iron was made into steel were very impressive looking indeed and well worth the trip to see these behemoths from the 19th Century

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    Hollow Park - An example of how the Lions  serve the community

    Hollow Park

    3.5(6 reviews)
    7.7 mi

    This is a beautiful park and playground that can be enjoyed by kids of all ages and abilities…read more There are multiple play structures that allow for kids not to get easily bored. Parking is abundant and adjacent to the playground. Benches and shaded areas align the playground with a covered pavilion within walking distance. Parents of toddlers need to watch as some of the older kids/tweens were climbing all over the smaller play structures. Not the fault of the town but not appreciated.

    This is a nice park that gets used a lot. They have baseball fields, soccer fields, volleyball…read morecourt, kids playground and a covered picnic pavilion that was donated by the Woodbury Lion's club. Lots of people use the pavilion and grounds for various types of events. I have been there on various occasions for events both large and small. Permission is needed from the Park and Rec department for any group activity so there aren't any conflicts. However, we have run into some of the sports team parents and/or coaches get upset when others want to use it. The skate park mentioned in previous posts got closed down because of equipment failure, kids treating it too harshly and the Parks and recreation department not maintaining it like they should. It also ended up causing issues for neighbors who lived next to it, so it was best to remove it. The swimming area has been shut down for years because of invasive vegetation in the water that was hard to control and deal with. The kids playground was recently redone with money raised by individuals. It was a pricey one for what they got. Not long after it was completed, they had to repair parts of it because of weight and age limits. A good playground should be sturdy. From what I see of it, I see it breaking down again. It doesn't look like it will withstand the winter elements. Despite the few negatives, it is a nice park.

    Photos
    Hollow Park - The WRTC Meet The Candidates event. We have free hot dogs and cookies!

    The WRTC Meet The Candidates event. We have free hot dogs and cookies!

    Hollow Park - Barb talking with some guests.

    Barb talking with some guests.

    Hollow Park - Plenty of things for kinds to climb on

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    Plenty of things for kinds to climb on

    Candlewood Lake - Sunset at the lake

    Candlewood Lake

    4.1(8 reviews)
    4.7 mi

    Have not been on the lake for quite a while and decided to give it a shot. Ok, so it was a really…read morenice Sunday and I know it will be busy, and my expectations were that it would be busy. Launch at Lattin's Cove was solid jammed and the number of rude idiots just simply ASTOUNDING. No courtesy for other boaters/pwc's whatsoever. Couple of morons were camped out on the dock and screwed up everyone else's put in/take out routine. No surprise to see the NJ and NY registrations on their PWCs. While coming back in, 3 idiots on PWC's came screaming past us in the no wake zone to "beat" us to the ramp, then they sat there blocking one side of the launch. One fellow asked nicely if they could move over just a bit so he could launch his pwc and he got snapped at by one of the tattoo queens... "we're leaving in a couple of minutes". Definitely will not go back here on a weekend anytime soon. Very sad because it never used to be like this.

    Hubby has been on a boating kick ever since he went fishing with some friends a while back. He…read moredecided to get his license so that we could rent boats anywhere we travel. At our age, we are able to drive a boat without a license but not many places will rent a boat to you without the license. Last year we rented a boat on Long Island, in the ocean water, and it was a fun experience. This year, we were talking about it with friends and they said they'd be down to come along so we decided to put together a group outing on a lake instead, especially since we would have the kids jumping in the water also. I really wanted to get a pontoon because we had an awesome time out on a lake in SC with my sister-in-law and family. Our first boat got canceled on us because needed repairs last minute, and after scrambling for a replacement boat, the boat we ended up renting became available for a date that worked for everyone so we jumped on it. We met up with the boat manager at a public launch site, packed up our stuff on the boat and got quick instruction about driving and different locations on the lake. We dropped off our guide and headed out to have some fun exploring. The lake is huge and there are plenty of places to drop anchor and enjoy the day We settled on a sandbar in the middle of the lake. There were quite a few boats already anchored so we didn't have quite a sandbar as we planned but the kids got in the water and we all got to swim some. Theres a restaurant you can actually sail up to called, Down The Hatch, right there on the lake. There were a few spots where you could anchor, that have calmer water and even a rope swing. The whole day was great, despite a few hiccups. This weekend there was a regatta so we were able to see a lot of sailboats which was pretty cool. There were lots of people on the lake enjoying the weather. The water is cold for the first couple minutes but warms up immediately after getting in. The water feels clean. It's constantly agitated and there were plenty of boats so the water was far from calm. I didn't have that slimy feeling I felt in SC after we got out. I brought my scuba mask to test it out and wish I could have seen the flooded city beneath the water. Very many years ago, the town flooded the former town in order to introduce hydroelectricity and when the water level drops, you can see the town's church bell sticking out of the water. We didn't have time for that but hopefully this is the beginning of an annual event with our friends. We only rented the boat for 4 hours but 6 hours would have been way better. The boat manager was very cool and we hope to do more business with him in the future.

    Photos
    Candlewood Lake - Summer boat rental!!

    Summer boat rental!!

    Candlewood Lake - Friend fam

    Friend fam

    Candlewood Lake - Put your children in water and have a great night!

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    Put your children in water and have a great night!

    Mine Hill Preserve - hiking - Updated May 2026

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