Located on the West End of Bristol, Rockwell Park has been a staple in my family since the mid…read more40's! (my grandparents home is off the park) The park has a nice shady walking path around its border for hot summer days as well as a splash pad ...and pool for kids. They have SO MANY fun events just look in Bristol Park and Rec webpage... For example, they have music every Tuesday throughout the summer in the outdoor amphitheater. They have Muzzy field adjacent to the parking lot and there are games of all kinds with fireworks afterward. They have seasonal events, including visits from Santa in Mrs. Rockwells pavillion. Also, there is a skateboard cement park that was professionally designed by pro skaters.... A frisbee disc golf course on one end AND a dog park!!! I can't say enough of good things about Rockwell Park...I absolutely Love this local spot.

I had no idea how big this park was. Disc golf, dog park, mountain biking, hiking/nature trails,…read moreball fields, skate park... I could go on and on. It's an older park but has tons of new attractions and modern park features. It's worth going. This is a real Bristol, CT Gem. Pequabuck river flows through it. Tons of green space. Lots of parking. A really great park to visit.

I take my toddler to the playground here fairly often. The whole playground is fenced in. It has 2…read moremain playscapes, one for toddlers and preschoolers and another for older kids. My toddler loves the smaller playscape. There are a few slides and plenty of different ladders and stairs to climb. BEWARE- after a good rain the area around this climber is a giant puddle. There's a slide that goes right into the middle of it. We avoid this park after a rainstorm for this reason. The larger playscape seems pretty fun. My toddler still climbs on it when it's not too crowded. It has a lot of ramps and some fun slides. I climb with him or stay close by because there are some openings to climbing structures he cannot navigate that are pretty high up. There are also swings (including baby swings), covered picnic tables, a sand/ digging area, and some outdoor musical instruments inside the fence.

This is a great little park for an afternoon excursion with kids. In addition to the playing…read morefields, there are lighted tennis and basketball courts for evening play. We went with our 2yr old to check out the play area. It is very well done and arranged. It is ADA compatible which in addition to being accepting to everyone makes being a parent easier, ease of access to high areas. My daughter loved the slide that was essentially a string of rolling pins. The only slide of its design I've come across. There are plenty of swings and there is a nice covered area with picnic tables. It is completely enclosed and gated, so it takes a bit for the little ones to get away! Always a plus. In the play area there is a sand box with some shovels, the sand is pretty well used at this point and isn't all that soft but it's useable. There is also a really fun little pipe instrument setup with the gates. If you venture across the street there is some hiking trails in the woods, nothing overly long or daunting but it was nice for a stroll in the woods with the baby and the the dog.

Great scenery and great trails. Watch where you walk as the terrain can be slippery due to the…read morefallen leaves and rocky paths. The paths are marked with a variety of different colors so be weary as to which paths you are on.

"I'm just a child of nature I don't need much to set me…read morefree" (Lennon/McCartney) The 200-acre Hoppers Birge Pond Nature Preserve, known locally as "the Hoppers" is part of the Bristol Park system. You'll see a big beautiful lake, and most likely a fisherman or two, like we saw today. Besides the lake, their 200 acres has lots of things for a child of nature to enjoy - glacial gashes and depressions in the earth, an old Colonial charcoal pit, and half a dozen walking trails. It was unseasonably cold today, so we didn't do too much exploring besides walking around the lake and its boardwalks. It really looks like a terrific place to visit, but I was kind of disappointed at the number of beer cans, beer bottles, and nip bottles tossed around the walking path by lazy inconsiderate cretins. Maybe a few strategically placed trash cans would have helped.

We've been to Fisher Meadows a couple of times, sometimes to enjoy the quiet and calm, other times…read moreto enjoy the golden hour, and once to enjoy a warm cup of masala chai surrounded by nature. It is a great spot to witness the magic of different New England seasons.

This recreation center is on 250.45 acres and is open year-round from dawn to dusk. There is a…read moredecent-sized gravel parking lot with a small playground with swings, picnic tables, and a pullup bar. There are two entrances to the trails by this parking lot and playground. I saw a huge field that is used for soccer. On the lake, you can fish and use non motorized boats; a boat launch is available. This recreation area is suitable for walking, jogging, hiking, cross-country skiing, biking, canoeing, bird watching, picnicing, and camping; for camping, you need to get permission from the Town of Avon. I walked the red trail then got off that trail halfway and walked by the well pump building; this brought me back to the parking lot. That walk was about 2.54 miles because I didn't want to do the bigger loop. On the AllTrails app, there are two trails in the park; Spring Lake and Fisher Meadows Loops. The walk was easy but there were some flooded and muddy areas. I have a feeling it is buggy in the summer but on this fine sunny March day, it was very pleasant except for getting my sneakers wet. Overall, a great space to enjoy the great outdoors.

Cool area. lots of places to lay low and relax. Biking is not a problem. The water is nice feeling…read moredue to a cold spring as well.

If you need breathtaking views especially this time of the year where the trees change color, this…read moreis the spot for you. There is more than one trail and if you have a map you can decide which trail to follow. If you are interested in just a walk around the lake the red trail would be perfect but if you are more interested in the view of the lake from higher up, then the blue to the orange trail, blue and blue to the red trail will get you there. The entire hike got us was about 3 miles. A simple hike that is good enough for a beginner. It had a steep hill and I was so out of breath going up but when you get to the top at the lookout point it was all worth it. The lake wasn't the cleanest as the water was green but there were still people fishing. A lot of picnic tables to sit, eat or hang out and a big parking lot with adequate space.

This is a beautiful spot to walk, or walk your dog or just sit & meditate! It's fun watching the…read moreducks in the pond with the excited little children, and/or watch the Frisbee golf players (a sport I had not heard of previously). There is also a very nice playground for the little ones, as well as basketball courts, tennis courts, a ball field & a nice swimming pool for the summer! We are very lucky in Bristol to have some beautiful places to walk, also including the Boulevard & Rockwell Park (which also has a dog park). For walking though, none of the areas are really treated for ice making it difficult immediately after inclement weather.

My son and I discovered this park today because it had this golf and he loves to play! This park…read morehas so much to offer and the setting is absolutely beautiful! There was a great playground for children. A great little pond with Canadian geese and children feeding the geese. The disc golf course was excellent. There is a swimming pool that was obviously closed for the season and many people were just walking around in this beautiful setting. I can't wait to return.

First time coming to this park, and it has a little bit of everything. There's a basketball court,…read morea pool for the summer, a children's playground, workout equipment, and a walking trail That goes around the pond. There are a few bridges and benches along the pond, as well as a beautiful waterfall midway through the trail Everything is paved and easily accessible minus the stairs going down to the waterfall. However, there is a parking spot on a lower level, where you can easily walk to it.

Very cute little park. They had a play scape area ,a soccer field ,walking trail ,pool , waterfall…read moreand many fun activities partake in . To include different work out stations. Dogs are allowed on leash here.

Splendid mix of very well maintained trails and gated gravel access roads within the Session Woods…read morePreserve. All watched over by the CT DEEP. Today Monday 6/8/2026 was my first visit with my pup and daughter's pup. We covered approximately 3.5 miles hopping from trail to trail. The weather was phenomenal and the forest very pleasant. The DEEP facility hosts training and learning seminars in addition to their regular duties. Hats off to this splendid preserve. Open from sunrise to sunset.

Sessions Woods is a nature preserve on 700 acres of land with trails and an education exhibit. They…read moreoffer educational programs and demonstrations; there are hiking trails throughout that you can hike yourself. Trails are open from sunrise to sunset; the exhibit is open 8:30-4 Monday-Friday. There were four trails to choose from; Beaver Pond, Forest Meadow, Tree ID, and Crosscut Trail. The parking lot was large. On this visit, I completed the Forest Meadow Trail. The trail was a 0.6-mile loop trail. There were informational signs throughout; they were kind of faded and old. The trail was easy and peaceful; I noticed quite a few boulders. There was only one other person we walked by on the trail. I was being vigilant about bears and ticks. There were quite a few benches which was a nice since my toddler enjoyed resting on them. I saw that the other trail had boardwalks; I look forward to coming back to check that out.

This is such a staple for long-time residents of Meriden, or folks passing through!…read more Hiking trails, a pond for fishing, a band shell where events take place throughout the year, and tons of open green space-- this is the heart and soul of Meriden!

Yesterday my dog and I decided to visit Castle Craig which is perfectly situated for a fantastic…read moreview of the park itself plus much of Meriden. Though this year's peak fall colors were muted and a bit past, it was still enjoyable.