This 787-acre park was established in 1944 and connects with Talcott Mountain State Park, which is across the street. Curtis H. Veedor donated the land to the state and asked for it to be preserved the way it was. Most of the trails were blazed by him. The parking lot was large. There are multiple trails including the Metacomet Trail and picnic areas. I took the first trail I saw behind the gate, which was the blue blazed trail. The trail was on an incline and paved; there was a bunch of potholes so it looked like it was never kept up with since it was originally paved. However, aside from the pot holes and rocks, it was a peaceful and easy hike. I saw a couple of people on it with their dogs. Overall, a decent hike with some good views! read more

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BLUE TRAIL ONLY "Forty Miles of Bad Road" was a rock and roll instrumental and #9 hit for Duane Eddy in 1959. Now, bad roads don't necessarily have to be 40 miles long. And bad roads don't necessarily have to even be a conventional road. For example, a bad road can actually be a paved hiking path within a State Park. Within Penwood State Park's 800 acres you will find a wide variety of trails -blue, red, orange white, purple and yellow. The blue trail, also known as the Metacomet Path, runs straight up the park's gut like a North to South central artery. We walked a few miles of it this morning. First we parked in the main lot on Route 185, pretty much on the Bloomfield/Simsbury Line. The blue trail is flat and wide and paved, so it's an easy low impact hike for out of shape beginners like us. We started off with some pretty water views of Gale Pond and the back yards of some nice properties. But as we walked deeper into the tree line, we were very taken by the terrible conditions on that paved path. Cracked pavement, crumbling pavement, missing pavement, deep holes in pavement, etc. I couldn't tell if it was plain old wear and tear or frost heaves or water damage or old age, but the trail had some abysmal sections that seemed plain old hazardous to me. So you'd better keep a sharp look out if you value the health of your ankles. There were a few sewer or drain covers rising above the trail's surface like sea creatures or the shells of mutated turtle monsters. The hazards were spray-painted yellow, so someone is aware of their dangers. For a State Park, I sure expected better conditions on that trail. read more

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The CT DEEP website says Penwood donor Curtis Veeder surveyed the Penwood trails at night, "establishing a true meridian line from the exact position of a star." Penwood trails are Mr. and Mrs. Veeder's handiwork. Like the stars, the park is out of this world. If you can't travel to Banff National Park--and COVID-19 era, you can't--you can at least visit Lake Louise here, named for Mrs. Veeder. If you come here early enough, the sunrise along the ridge lines is incredible. Talcott Mountain State Park has Hueblein Tower, so of the Hanging Hills, it's the rockstar, but the hiking trails at Penwood are the place to come for inspiration. Awesome climbs and intriguing trap rock formations means bring your boots, but enjoy the rewards. Twitter during this social distancing era kept announcing full parking lots through autumn, so with fall colors comes less quiet. read more

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Wonderful wooded trails with moderate elevation, scenic lookouts along the Penwood trails (Talcott Mt State Park is across the street, another nearby gem), a set of challenging stone steps up on Penwood where blue, white and orange trails almost intersect, and off one side of the blue trail you may discover a large cairn garden, such a hidden treasure. The Metacomet trail traverses Penwood. Dog friendly on leash, trail runner joy...the Traprock 50 is held here in April. There are a couple picnic tables up where blue and red trails meet. The only outhouse/portolet is at the parking lot. Pandemic era parking lots fill by 9:45 on weekends, usually 11 midweek. read more

Penwood State Park - A small portion of the secret cairn garden - Parks Near Me - Bloomfield, Connecticut

Very nice place for walking in the woods or walking into fields. Very family friendly. Nice places to sit and relax. Picnic tables. No parking fees. read more

Hike bike or ski A beautiful, woody park almost across RT 44 from Talcott Mountain State Park. It is almost 800 acres and has trails going through some pretty deep woods, marshes and up some steep terrian. There are numerous picnic areas and side trails that go off in all directions and the Metacomet Trail runs right through the park. All types of flora and fauna can be observed. It is a great place to hike, mountain bike or X-country ski and a great place to visit all year long. There is no charge there usually is plenty of parking. read more

Just a short drive from Hartford, Penwood State Park offers almost 800 acres of four-season fun for everyone. Most of the hiking trails start and end in the main picnicking area. Each trail is a color-coded loop and the entire loops is 8.5 miles. The park also offers bathrooms as well as picnic shelters and tables. The park is open from 8am-sunset For trail-runners, Penwood is a great destination. The trail gain is significant, it is about a 5,000-foot vertical ascent. Over the years I've seen my fair share of twisted ankles, face plants and people needing to be bandaged up. So whatever you plan to do, play responsibly! Penwood can definitely be risky and dangerous, and the only tips I can give you from my experience trail running is to wear a pair of sturdy shoes and keep a close eye on the ground! In the beginning, I wore my running sneakers and quickly discovered they aren't the best to go into battle with traprock and broken pavement. So invest in some shoes with good ankle support if you plan on going for an adventure. Otherwise, hiking boots work just fine if you plan on slowing the pace. And if it is your first time out, rest often and enjoy the view. On my most recent visit, we followed the yellow trail up. With beautiful views along the way, it's very easy terrain. I love the blue trail the most though. A nicely wooded trail, with a few interesting ruins right of the path, it's a scenic route. Keep in mind that right from the beginning, there are a fair number of steep inclines. Blue trail also has various types of terrain, so depending on your activity -- come prepared. The blue trail ultimately leads to a lookout at the top of the Metacomet Trail, and it's simply beautiful. read more

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Always packed, you can park on the grass if the lot is full just beware of the large sidewalk guard for your car. Dog friendly and a really nice route for a weekend walk! read more

Penwood State Park offers several trails with some nice scenery. I like that there are a couple paved trails and also some unpaved trails, so there are plenty of options. It is also very easy to find--right off 185--and offers a decent amount of parking. We took one of the paved trails to Lake Louisa and then the blue trail back to the parking lot. We intended to take the blue trail to the lake as well, but missed the entrance, so make sure you keep your eyes peeled if you are looking to take this trail. At first it seemed as though the trails weren't marked very well, but once we found the blue trail, I found that there were blazes pretty frequently. The blue trail to Lake Louisa, which is a small lake with a small outlook spot, and back was a little over 3 miles. Other than the lake, the route was not very scenic. This hike was nice, but by the sound of the other reviews, I think I have to try some of the other trails for better views. It is definitely worth a trip back. read more

Penwood State Park - One of the paved trails-making our way to the blue trail. - Parks Near Me - Bloomfield, Connecticut

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Penwood is easy to get to as it is right off 185 and is close to home. Folks run and ride on the paths. We usually do the yellow ridge and continue on to the light blue to make a loop. The cedar ridge outlook has basically the same view as from the ridge in Tallcott across the street. The dark blue is the most challenging of the three main paths.The peak is "the pinnacle" with some Interesting rocks on the way up and wildflowers in the spring and views to the east and west. There is an open area of many acres and has picnic tables, bathrooms, a picnic shelter and all that and is quite nice and is on the light blue-Metacomet path about a mile from the entrance. Beyond the junction of the light blue/blue/yellow paths the park continues and changes quite a bit. If you are sensitive to poison ivy then keep your eyes open as there is a lot of it in Penwood, especially where the sun shines on the edges of the woods. Also, the pond (Gale Pond) that you see from 185 is not part of the park. read more

Situated across the street from Talcott Mountain State Park, Penwood is a great spot to spend some time outside. You've got access to the Metacomet Trail in addition to the park's own trails. I ended up here on New Year's day in the hopes of finding a plowed parking area. I was not disappointed. When you own a family sedan, yet enjoy snowshoeing, it gets a little tough getting access to trailheads. The yellow trail gives you a nice walk along the ridgeline, while the Metacomet will take you deep into the park. There, you'll find a stone staircase (probably an old CCC project), a waterfall, odd machinery in the middle of nowhere, and the smallest body of water anybody has ever called a lake. I didn't remember Penwood being all that busy in the past, but it was mobbed on New Year's Day. Typically, you will see people, but it usually isn't a crazy amount. It's worth checking out. There isn't much elevation change, so all the hiking is fairly easy. Still, there are great views and a little bit of solitude. read more

This park is like the forgotten sibling of the more popular Talcott Mountain, which is just a little bit further down the street. My boyfriend and I enjoyed how quiet this park was in comparison (we only saw two other groups the whole time we were there), and it offered some lovely views. We followed the yellow loop for the first half of our hike until we reached what was supposed to be Lake Louise, although we never quite found it. The yellow loop was easy and opened up to many beautiful overlooks, perfect for people who want a non-challenging but still rewarding walk. On the way back, we decided to take the blue trail, and it was significantly steeper, definitely for more experienced hikers. Close to the park entrance, there was a little side path that led to a beautiful deck overlooking Gale Pond. Again, we were surprised by how quiet this place was. In all, our hike took about 2.5 hours. The only reason I give this place four stars is because the park could use a little bit of maintenance. A lot of the paved parts of the park were in disrepair, and some of the blazes were old and faded, which made following the trail confusing in some parts. It feels like the majority of funds for maintenance get invested into Talcott Mountain, which is a shame because this park has a lot to offer as well. read more

Haven't been The for 40 years and it was just as much of a blast as it was then. Nicely kept but big enough to get lost in. Which is fun to me. Clearly blazed paths. Everyone you happen to meet there is just a nice friendly person. Go! You'll see! read more

We did a fairly quick hike at Penwood, on a trail that never strayed too far from nearby backyards. It wasn't the most scenic trail, partially for that reason, but to be fair there are a number of other trails at Penwood we haven't tried. The covered picnic area and fields are nice, and parking is easy and free. read more

Have only been two times, but Penwood seems to have a lot of potential as far as CT State Parks go. There are at least 4 trails to choose from. I have been snowshoeing twice and only have great things to say. Take the black trail up (the main trail from the parking lot) and it will be a moderate workout on foot, skis or snowshoes. The yellow trail is a nice bet for views. We had a lovely view of the sunset here yesterday. read more

After driving by Penwood Park many times en route to Talcott Mountain, I decided to look up the trail map and give it a shot. So happy I did! Like the Talcott Mountain hikes, it's super easy to get to off of 185. There are two parking lots, one when you first come in and one if you drive a bit further into the park. I haven't had trouble getting a spot either time I've been this far. The trail map is clear and the trails that I have used have been marked well enough. I've primarily done the yellow and black (nature trail) and really enjoyed them both. The yellow offers a scenic lookout that is comparable to the Talcott Mt/Heublein tower view, but without the crowds and super steep incline up. We have run into people occasionally on the trails, but they are in no way crowded and you're left to be one with nature most of the time. Really enjoying this park and looking forward to exploring some of the other trails I haven't gotten to yet! read more

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We love Penwood mainly because it has all Talcott Mountain has to offer minus the crowds.