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.

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

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.

We visited recently just to walk the trails and have a picnic. It is quite a marvelous property…read morewith an interesting history. Unfortunately it is only marginally kept up. No surprise as it would require a LOT of manual labor to put the whole farm into very good shape.

Such a peaceful place to step back; stroll, look, quietly listen, and relax. Well maintained by…read morestaff, 4H volunteers, Scouts troops.

This is a very easy and accessible trail - just about a mile loop. Lots of Farmington River views…read moreand a bridge or two. The path is wide, flat, and paved with a gravel section you'll find after you walk under the overpass and end up by Bart's Hot Dogs. The main parking lot is on Palisado, kind of Kitty Corner to Bart's. The main entrance path soon turns into a "T", so you have the option of heading left to Pleasant Street Park (.4 miles) or right to Mechanic Street (.5 miles). We went left, walked all the way to the boat launch behind Bart's, then doubled back. It was a very enjoyable walk with great scenery everywhere we looked.

One of my new favorite walking trails! I was looking for a meeting place that is halfway for my mom…read moreand I and this is PERFECT. I love walking along the river and the paved trail makes it easy to walk as fast or as slow as you'd like. As a bird nerd, I could spend hours birdwatching here. I saw bluebirds, cardinals, blue jays, robins, hawks, ducks, and more! But what I enjoy the most is the fit trail exercises they have at the beginning. As my mom gets older, she's trying to find ways to get stronger. We've committed to going to this trail once a month to do the fit test, which includes stretches and bodyweight exercises, so we can track our strength progression. The one downside to the trail is that there's no bathroom or port-a-pottie. But otherwise, we are so grateful we found it and are excited to be new regulars!

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.]

This 787-acre park was established in 1944 and connects with Talcott Mountain State Park, which is…read moreacross 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!

BLUE TRAIL ONLY…read more "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.

Beautiful park in the center of Hartford! The carousel, fountain, Pond (when well maintenanced),…read moreand direct access to the Capitol building make this one of Hartford's most popular tourist destinations. The train station is directly across the street making it easily accessible. A lot of people don't know that this is America's oldest publicly funded park, but they offer tours that allow you to find out more about everything that has gone into the park over the years. The views of the city from the top of the arch on Trinity Street are gorgeous. Many events and clubs are hosted in the park like the annual Jazzfest and weekly run club and yoga.

I have been here a few times recently. My son had an appointment at CCMC, so we decided to go…read morebefore hands. It gives a mini NYC park vibe. There are food trucks, lots of walking space, a playground, a carousel, and lots to look at! There is a lot of space to sit and relax or have a picnic. I would love to see a little more love with the landscape. I'm bummed that the carousel was closed too.

This park is on 162 acres; it's a farm, trail, and education center…read more The coolest part are the barnyard animals and large garden. They are open all year round so it's a nice spot to take the kids or yourself to. There are three miles of trails too; don't forget your duck boots, we went after rain and it was muddy but fun nonetheless. There's even a half mile of that trail that is handicap accessible. There is a discovery room that has reptiles, amphibians, and a parrot! There were plenty of parking when we went. A great spot to explore for sure!

Four cool things we saw at Westmoor Park:…read more Llamas Chickens People snowshoeing A curious black and white cat that followed us around! Even though most of the facility was closed, it sure scratched our cabin fever itch and provided a very nice place to get outside, walk around, and breathe some fresh air. Although the Indoor facilities aren't open at this time, you can explore the park grounds and trails as we did today. We want to come back when things are opened up because this looks like an awesome place with tons of fun things to do. It was pretty cool seeing people snowshoeing today, we never saw that before.

Has great potiential. Needs monitoring by authorities. Should go early on in the day.... Many…read moreadults drinking alcohol in the parking lit in broad day light. Honestly, they had no care if anyone saw them

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.