When looking for a place for a quick walk and a picnic, we were excited to check out Filley Park…read more Although the park is quite small, it was really enjoyable to walk around the wooded trail before walking around the pond and gardens. The wooded loop trail is probably about half a mile and the walk through the garden is probably another ~.15-.25 miles; both are mostly flat. There are tons of benches and a few picnic tables to enjoy the scenery and do some birdwatching. We visited on a Sunday afternoon and the park wasn't too busy. We were able to find a picnic table, that was pretty clean, and enjoy a picnic lunch. All-in-all, we really enjoyed our time and we will definitely be back on a regular basis as it's conveniently located in between all of our errands.

Tremendous progress has been made in the reclamation and renovation of Filley Park…read more When I first visited and posted in 2013, the place was a mess. The Pond was full of silt, and needed to be excavated and restored. Massive populations of ducks and geese had done their things and fouled up the area. When I next visited in 2018 a lot of progress had been made. I saw all sorts of construction activity, heavy equipment, and big piles of dirt and gravel. Improvements to sidewalks, landscaping, and lighting were underway, as was the dredging and refilling of the Pond. And when I visited yesterday, I saw much more! The sidewalks and benches and seating areas are finished. The Pond looks great, The ducks and geese are mostly gone, and a few straggles were clustered way off to the side. There's still some construction equipment on site, and excavation continues, but the overall progress is quite remarkable. We walked around the Pond as far as we could and took a stroll on some of their hiking trails.

Such a beautiful park! If you're coming from the main entrance there's a beautiful view of the…read moreHartford skyline over the hill. If you're walking from the plaza, you get a beautiful view of the river and trees as you make your way towards the boathouse.I love walking along the CT river no matter the season honestly, you can probably catch me there any time except dreaded January and February. I think the boathouse is so well kept and beautiful. I'd love to catch a boat launch, I'm not sure how I always miss them. I feel like it's the perfect activity for a little summer lunch since they have so many benches and tables. I'm always amazed by how big the park is when there are hella people visiting. The parking lot is huge too for those driving over.

Riverside Park is in downtown Hartford and the river is the Connecticut River. The park is big…read moreenough for lots of goings on and has several amenities for being outside in the fresh air. Boat launch, fishing access, wooded trails (be aware of your surroundings and never walk alone!), paved walkways. Plus picnic tables and charcoal grills and a large picnic shelter. A sand volleyball court, cricket and football fields, playgrounds and a bunch of interesting sculptures. There is plenty of parking including a number of dedicated handicapped spaces. Great park, lots of interesting stuff. [Review 15163 overall, 665 of 2021, number 19 in Connecticut.]

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.

The WH Reservoir has been my peaceful playground and refuge since the '70's…read more Hard to believe that State Connecticut had a planned to construct ring highway through the hills beside the Reservoir. Following public protest and legal battle(s) the project was shelved indefinitely back in the 70's. This was also about the time, vehicle traffic was barred on many of the back MDC roadways. What was left, beautiful network of paved and foot beaten paths. Everyday day of the week, the public are welcome to walk, jog, saunter, bicycle these mapped trails. Mountain biking has been throttled down significantly due to excessive wear and tear on the wooded areas. Biking still remains popular long designated routes and in a one-way pattern (for everyones safety). Pedestrians: Please mind the painted walking path, eyes on drifting into the bike path - that way ALL will enjoy. Kilkenny rock has been one of my favorite destinations (refer to an MDC map) this is a nice overlook of the Hartford sky scape. Trails also connect from the Farmington Avenue entrance across to Route 44 passing over Avon Mountain. GPS and one of my favorite apps "All Trails" are helpful even to a season chap like me.

Not sure where my wife ends up finding theses things but she does and we end up tagging along to…read moreeventually have fun at the end of the day and this was one of those days. Nightfall is an qnnuall event happening since 2012 which includes plays and puppetry. We came in a little after sunset so the kids missed out on pre event fun at the park which includes slides and swings. Perfect for family night picnic with great performers. Look forward for the next year even but better planned.

Nice ground ... first time here and the ground was good. Outfield was fast and the wicket played…read morewell. They hosted minor league cricket in this venue ... so it better be good :). There are 2 cricket fields . The other one had some local matches being played . Parking is tight . You can still park on the sides of the road . Restrooms can be better . The neighborhood has a lot of Jamaican restaurants ... the neighborhood looked a bit less safe :). Lots of people looking at you ;). If not for the neighborhood, this is a great ground to play ..

Spacious lovely open green space in the heart of downtown Hartford with the Capital building as the…read moreback drop. Very clean and simple park and a variety of events are held here throughout the year. We enjoyed the festivities and fireworks (2 shows) to ring in 2025. We much enjoyed walking the park on the paved walkways during the day, and it is great to read the information posted throughout about the history of the park. Take a ride on the old fashioned caraseul. Parking located around the park.

This park is a cool little oasis in the middle of the city. It's giving "mini Central Park" vibes…read morewith the massive gold domed Capitol building as a backdrop, so bring your camera because the views and the stone Memorial Arch are stunning. I recommend checking out the vintage carousel; it's a total nostalgia trip and can easily be the best part of the visit. Overall, it's a solid spot to touch some grass, ground yourself, and soak in some history if you're in the area.

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.

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

The Great River Park is a small park right off the highway, in East Hartford. This park is right on…read morethe Connecticut River. There were a number of people fishing and some were walking. There are some picnic benches if you'd like to be the one with nature while enjoying your lunch. This park is very clean, the grass has been cut recently. There's a substantial amount of trash cans, so no one should be littering on the park. On the other side of the river is where you'll find the capital city of Hartford. With some tall insurance buildings as well as the historic Colt Armory building, that is in plain sight. This is a nice place to step outside, if you happen to be working in one of the close by offices. This however, isn't my favorite or go to park because of how noisy the highway traffic can be.

I adore walking in the park every day on my lunch. I usually walk across the bridge into Hartford,…read moreloop back and then loop down and through the park to get a bit of fresh air. The statues are cool to see during the different seasons, and it's just a nice, quiet, contemplative area to visit. My office overlooks the park too so it's cool to see what's going on if I ever need to daydream out my window.

Beautiful park to walk or hike in. They have an amazing history trail that uses braille. Historic…read morelands! Also has a beautiful waterfalls running through it.

Had fun taking the brisk day to walk with my daughter down the walking path at Valley Falls. I…read morealways get neat pictures and great exercise.

This is a great park located in West Hartford. There were parking available when we went. There is…read morea pond with a ton of geese. The playground was in good shape and big. There's a big kids playscape with climbing and ladders. The little kids playground had a sandbox, swings, slides, tunnels, etc. There were benches and picnic tables as well. The pool and splash pad is adjacent and fenced in; to enter the pool, there is a fee. The splash pad has benches and a grassy area to put your stuff down. The restrooms were clean and there was a Little Free Library right near there. What I loved about the park was the ample amount of shade. Definitely a fun place to take the kids in the summer.

"I'm gonna hang out in the park, hang out after dark I'm…read moregonna be with the gang tonight" (The Ramones) West Hartford's Fernridge Park has so many nice features! We had a very enjoyable time strolling on their trails and taking in the pretty scenery around its big pond. We saw a ton of features on the park grounds - a wood bridge over the water and a splash pad, playground and playscape where the kids were having a blast. We saw families hanging out at their grills and picnic tables, plus a Little League field, basketball, volleyball, tennis courts and a big swimming pool. The leisure and entertainment opportunities here are fantastic. What a great place to relax and enjoy!