Reviewing it in terms of attempting a gravel bike ride starting at the Portland parking lot. From…read morethis start, the trail is only complete for ~ 2.5 miles before it ends. Also didn't love the gravel on this, as it was a bit loose (though maybe I'm nitpicking). The Maryland rails-to-trails we've been on tend to be much firmer and make an easier trek. But, the environment was lovely, it was fairly quiet, a few walkers and bikers, but no issues on the trails. Two of the road-crossings had pretty steep descents and assents, and it's worth going slowly for those road crossings, but all doable. As frequent CT visitors we'd hoped this was going to be the beginning of a great experience, so we'll have to shift our search to further along Air Line Trail (which will be further from our relative's home in CT).

Wow talk about a diamond in the rough. The trails were basically flat and before you knew it we had…read morealready walked 5 miles. I enjoyed my time here and talked about coming back. Maybe this spring.

I'm amazed by the beauty of this place!…read more MDC operates the water treatment plants located at this reservoir. This is a privately owned area and not a public park. There was MDC Police that patrolled the area when I was there. Parking was plentiful when we went on a beautiful spring weekday. There were clean porta potties onsite. There were trails in the woods and out in the open; the trails were paved and gravel. It is opened daily from sunrise to sunset and closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas. There were two trails; 3.4-mile loop red trail and 2.0-mile loop yellow trail. We started off with the gravel yellow trail that has a slight incline. Then we got onto part of the red loop which was near the bridge overlooking the water. We saw a couple of deer in the woods, geese, and turtles in the water. This is where we walked on pavement. Some of the trees were marked by type. The trail was busy with walkers and bikers. Overall, I really enjoyed the hike/walk and can't wait to go back.

Beautiful path to walk around the reservoir in every season. I wish there were a few more benches…read morealong the path.

They have a great trail that goes along the water that it pretty flat it just has a lot of roots…read more The Meriden parks department did a goat walk there and I highly recommend following them to know when the next one is !

USE CAUTION! This trail resides along a steep cliff side (not the main trail area) and may not be…read morefor suitable for a beginner hiker. Dogs are welcome on leash. Oaths are uneven with roots poking through. Watch your step One of my favorite local parks where every season is beautiful! Well maintained and marked trails, fishing areas a free little book library and a path to the rock quarry if lucky to find! If you travel to the far end of the reservoir (main entry area next to trail map) you come to a nice opening along the reservoir. Venture a bit further along the pond to the furthest end of the water; Left brings you further into the woods and over the bridge brings you full loop around the reservoir

I really enjoy this hike. This was my first time in this particular section of Ragged Mountain…read more There's definitely a lot of interesting things to see all the old cars and the different path. Definitely enjoyed it. I think we did about 4 miles that day. I plan to go back to hike other paths in this area. I would recommend this area to go out different things to see.

I am part of GCP in which we do weekly hikes, this week we happen to go here and it was one of the…read moregood places to be, parking is plenty and has multiple loops, at the top you have great view point and can see New Heaven downtown from there. Its a 5mile hike and medium complexity.

Nice little hiking trail with a loop in and back around Talcottville pond. There is plenty of…read moreparking with an easily accessible trail head We made it to the area JUST before the waterfall BUT there was only a wooden plank across the rock-side with slick conditions that allowed no clear sight of the rushing water/falls. Maybe the summer will yield a safer passage to the foot of the falls. We opted in for a after trail which allowed us to overlook them instead There are abandoned and decrepit building structures that lay hidden under the earth like runes in the jungle.

Beautiful trail to take a walk on. Any time of the year would be a good time to walk here. I alway…read moreenjoy coming here for a nice walk in nature. Also plenty of parking available here.

Stopped by to walk on this trail! Stopped byin broad daylight on a beautiful (early) October day…read moreand the leaves were beautiful. It was very peaceful except for the sound of gunshots. There are some signs posted - few hundred yards in on the trail and the sign indicated that there is shooting this time of year. I think it is only denser into the forest but beware if you intend to actually walk... At the very least please wear a neon vest or other bright colors! Shooting was incessant for the 20 ish minutes I was there. (Maybe a fluke but the sign kinda says no). Limited-ish parking but the actual CT forest and park office is closed right now for renovation. (Note for anyone who is trying to go to the office and not on the trails). There's ample parking near trailhead!

I was 20 mins in my hike and hear a door open AND shut! Nothing was around or flew away. I did some…read moreresearch afterwards and discovered their are birds that make creeking door noises but this wasn't the same noise I heard. So be aware of you end up going anyway! It was nice until I heard that.

This trail is about 4miles give or take there and back. There are benches along the way and two…read morebridges going over the water and one tunnel under the highway. It does flood under that bridge if raining a lot. There is a sign that says flood zone turn around don't drown or something like that. I can walk the whole thing in about 45 minutes. And there are a few little tails off it into the woods but they don't really loop and you have to turn around and come right back. You cal also park at either end.

"Oh, Suzie Q Baby, I love you, Suzie Q"…read more(Creedence Clearwater Revival) The indigenous people's word "Quinnipiac" roughly translates into English as "long-water people". The Q River is 38 miles long, and you'll get a gorgeous view of it from the bridge on the Quinnipiac Linear Trail. We had a lovely hike on the trail today, as did dozens of friendly walkers who smiled and waved to us as we walked from the main parking lot to the bridge and back. It was a very easy low impact walk of about two miles round trip. The trail is flat, paved, and very wide -at least fifteen feet wide. There were a few side trails marked by fresh mulch or wood shavings if you want to go off the beaten path. We saw plenty of interesting things on our walk - basketball courts, a wood walkway over some wetlands, several informational kiosks, a Lending library with a box of Narcan Nasal Spray prominently on display up front, a labyrinth, and scenic views of the Merrit Parkway which at times seemed about 50 feet from the trail. One other interesting but infuriating thing we saw was a collection of red, black, and blue knotted bags of dog doody that was neatly stacked around a Pet Waste station just under a sign that read "Please Keep This Area Clean".

A park with a spectacular view!…read more Talcott Mountain State Park is a 574-acre park located in Simsbury. Parking was spacious. The trail to the Heublein Tower is 1.25-miles long. The Tower can be seen from various parts of the state. It's a beautiful, white, 165-foot high tower with 360 degrees view. The trail was wide and on gravel. There was recent heavy rains so some of the trails had some washout. The hike was mostly up hill with some flat areas; I'd say it's moderate but it was a little bit more challenging for me because I was baby-wearing my child. My toddler did great on it. There were a couple of benches and logs to sit on along the way; pet waste receptacles were seen. My only qualm were the bugs, so don't forget bug spray like we did. Once we got to the top, there were a couple of porta potties and a kiosk. The view of the tower up close was exhilarating, so much history. There was an informational movie on in the garage with benches. There was a huge picnic pavilion and picnic tables throughout; a giant BBQ pit and another small one. The Heublein Tower was beautiful and built in 1914; it can withstand 100-mph winds. The staircases going up and down were meant to be one way; this was a great way to reduce pedestrian congestion and a fire hazard. There were historic relics and rooms decorated the way it was back in the day. Informational signage throughout the space. The tower used to be the summer home for Gilbert Heublein; a successful businessman whose company acquired Smirnoff Vodka and A1 Steak Sauce. The view from the ballroom was amazing and breathtaking. They had signs showing what we can see based on the direction. The hike back down the trail was easier, becareful though, some of the gravel were slippery and I saw a kid fall. Overall, a great hike and the view was worth it!

Amazing and easy hike with the gals. The view is amazing from the top. It is a great hike to chat…read morewith people and too far from Hartford