My husband and I recently started kayaking. As beginners, we aren't comfortable yet kayaking in…read morerivers, so we decided to search for a nice lake to begin our kayaking adventures in. A few friends highly recommended Mansfield Hollow Lake (boat launch), so we made the drive to Mansfield. We were not disappointed! The parking area, in front of the lake, is large, and easy to find a space to park, even on summer weekends. It's easy to get in and launch a kayak or paddleboard from the shallow shore area. The lake itself is clean and beautiful! I love the fact that swimming in the lake is not allowed (because this lake supplies drinking water) and that motorboats must maintain a speed of 5 mph or less. We haven't yet kayaked in any other lakes, but I'm sure that Mansfield Hollow Lake (boat launch) will remain a favorite of ours. Such a beautiful place!

Beautiful and scenic, nice and clean tranquil. So many lakes in the area it is well worth the trip.read more

This is one of my absolute favorite places to hike! The trail around the main pond is very easy and…read morea very short hike. There are also a few places that have picnic table sites for you to grill at! I always notice people fishing, and I see people in the water with their inflatables. There are a few other trails to hike, which I highly recommend! The birding here is also fantastic. This place is magical!! Bring the pups! .... One last thought, just be aware that service is very patchy here!

Bigelow hollow is a pleasant place to picnic and spend the day. It has become crowded, so try it…read moreduring the week. It is local to me. I have not yet kayaked there. When i do i will come back to report.

All gave some, some…read moregave all Pompey Hollow Park is a pleasant little park tucked away in a lonely part of Ct. It is a nice place for a casual stroll but is probably best know for it's summer music series.. Some really good music can be heard coming from this park in the warm months. The park also has some very nice tennis courts, bathrooms, a drinking fountain and a nice gazebo right in the middle. Not a whole lot of room for hiking but a pleasant place for a bit of strolling or dog walking. Once of the coolest things about the park is the touching memorial for the armed forces veterans that came from the area. A park that manages to fit and do a lot of very cool things in a relatively small area.

From the owner: Pompey Hollow Park is located just off Rte #44 in the center of Ashford and is nestled between our…read moreSenior Housing Complex and our Senior Center. It has a tennis court, a playscape, and a short walking trail which over looks the Mount Hope River. It's most known for our Tuesday evening summer concert series and our annual September Family Day Celebration.

Hammonasset Beach State Park is located in Madison, CT. We arrived here on a cloudy, but sunny day,…read moreso the beach area wasn't super busy. For Connecticut residents admission is free. For non residents it can be as high as $22, per day depending on time of arrival and the day of the week. They had a substantial amount of campers and tents on the park side of the beach! They also have restrooms and showers. You can also find a snack and ice cream bar here. The walk to the beach from the parking was pretty short, since there's no boardwalk here. I found the sand to be pretty soft, the shells were the most prominent and the most aggressive the closer to the water. Unfortunately due to the wind and the cloudy sky, it was too cold for a swim. We used an SPF 70, and still walked away with a red back! The beach was clean and the water was clean. There were lifeguards on duty. I would return here again.

I love coming to this beach. It's close and convenient. The only downside is there are no waves…read more It's compared to that of a still lake. My favorite beach thus far has been West Beach with the pavilions due to the amount of parties and get-togethers I'm able to have in this area. Middle beach I rarely visit while Meigs point is more of a popular spot with the nature center.

I've been here a few times, it's not a huge park at approximately 400 acres, but it is big enough,…read moreand absolutely beautiful at certain times in the spring with an abundance of azaleas and rhododendrons producing a plethora of spectacular blossoms. There are two popular running and hiking trails, Eames Pond via old Bringham Road (1.8 miles) and Davis Hill Field/Laurel Hill Loop (1.7 miles). We hiked most of these two on this visit. There are many other trails for hiking, walking and exploring including the Black Hill Road Trail, Azalea Path and Judy's Secret Garden Loop Trail. Many of these feature beautiful azaleas, rhododendrons and other flora to be admired in the Spring. Eames Pond offers nice views, from the bridge and some of the trails. There is also a lovely cascading stream, small waterfall, sawmill and other historic buildings. There are some picnic tables scattered about, I could argue Moore needs more of these! That said, Moore needs a lot more parking. The lot is small, and many people park alongside the road, making it difficult for two cars to pass. Overall, this is a very pleasant park to visit, and you can take dogs on a leash. Note that there is no swimming here.

The trails at Moore State Park are pretty nice to look at, and they make for some decent nature…read morewalking as well. Tip: Unfortunately, the trails are poorly marked and contain no signage with any kind of background information. Despite the down sides, we read about this park in a magazine, and enjoyed our first visit enough to come back some day.

Trails, a rose garden, water, a playground, and a dog pound(?). This a little gem of a place…read more Think lincoln woods for those from RI like me. This place is huge and one could easily spend hours here. Very quaint and peaceful.

Beautiful park, lots of trails to walk and the water fountains are a nice touch too! We were able…read moreto sit on a bench and watch the ducks and a few turtles too! Beautiful atmosphere and they even have a playground for the kids.

Beautiful park. If no one is at the booth when you arrive, scan the QR code near parking and pay…read moreonline. Plenty of picnic tables are scattered around the park and a few charcoal grills. Lots of port-a-john near the beaches and a building closer to parking. No swimming was allowed at the beaches. Plenty of fishing though. Nice place to walk and look for shells. The mansion gardens are small and beautiful. Lots of colorful plants. Graceful collonade. Definitely a nice spot for photos. Lots of pollenators enjoying the gardens too. Pathways through the park are a mix of paved and gravel. Watch out for goose poop when crossing through the fields. Pets are welcome on a leash and be sure to pick up after them. State parks are "carry in, carry out" so there are no trash bins. Be sure to bring your own trash bag to dispose of your trash at home.

A beautiful seaside park that was surprisingly busy on breezy November weekend. We walked around a…read morefew of the gardens which I imagine will be even more impressive in the spring and summer.

This park was a staple for my family and I growing up in the area! It's a playground and dog park…read morecombined by a large field that stretches the entire street. The street parking nearby is free, and there are bike racks for anyone that needs them. The neighbors in that area were always very kind to me, but it's also important to be aware of their families and privacy. It's not a place for large group gatherings or non-residents to host events. There are water fountains, waste disposal, and lots of seating, but there are not picnic tables or public restrooms. It's a beautiful park and I always make it a stop on my walks!

Great views along the vista points! Note ... there are no facilities to relieve oneself...so be…read moreready to be one with nature.