July 2016. I am downgrading the spot to 3 from 4. I have been seeing parasites on the fishes…read morecaught here. Most recent trip m, 4?sun fish & one bass, everyone of them got parasites. Either yellow like grain of rice type or tiny black spots in meat. Do not eat fishes caught at rainbow reservoir! If you like fishing, I am sharing my fishing spot especially because I need to write good & useful Yelp reviews :) My spot is to the left of the rainbow reservoir boat launch. The boat is infrequent but the jet ski is a bit annoying to fishermen. However, the spot is productive if you can cast far enough, there is a steep drop off that goes down about 15-20 feet, all kinds of fish there. I've taken my kids there many times, caught sun fish, bass, carp, catfish etc. all at the same spot. Don't eat the bass!!! High Mercury content. Ok to eat sunfish & carp, but carefully check the fish for parasite as I've seen them last year, they look like little grain of rice but yellow in color, yikes! Other than that, it's really fun spot to take the kids & you can BBQ right there as well!

There is so much potential here for great Kayaking, Stand up paddle boarding, or canoeing given the…read moreconvenient location, decent parking area with a boat ramp and flat water. However: 1, The long straight shape of the reservoir makes it an irresistible place for jet skiers to do full throttle high speed runs and boats towing skiers. 2. Between the warmer waters we're seeing and the summer and all the lawn fertilizer runoff from the adjacent houses, I don't think I've ever seen a more algae-choked lake, especially one that is technically part of a river (see photos). It's really unsightly and there are signs warning against contact with the water. It looks like I photoshopped the pictures, but yes --the water is literally this green. You'll have better luck in the pristine upstream parts of the Farmington river or the Connecticut River itself.

Congamond is a heavily used system of 3 lakes with most of the shore of the middle lake is…read moreprivately owned, the north lake is 1/3 private houses and the rest is wooded but still most of it privately owned and the south pond is a mix but mostly private. There are a lot competing uses on this lake,. Bass fishing tournaments are common , water skiing and other tow behinds ar frequent and un-organized fishing is prevalent, PWCs (and I am not going to get on soap box here) and pontoon party boats are all competing for limited resources. Most of the boaters are OK., . I am writing this a point of view of a kayaker. I own a substantial fishing kayak and I am appreciative that on weekends there is a 10 mph speed limit before 10 AM. This is not a place for a camouflage kayak, The North Pond has the benefit that PWC's are not permitted and is smaller so high speed boats aren't as prevalent. Once 10 AM comes , I am just not comfortable on this lake and I leave, But until that time it is awesome for the fish and quiet,

Absolutely gorgeous, magical day, the kind that makes one thankful for the opportunity to enjoy…read morenature...sunny, mid 60's, low humidity, gentle breeze. Blue heron right after you enter from the south terminus. Lots of turtles basking. Eagles (adult and 2 juvies) visible in their nest, with another adult high above about 50 yds north. Another uge (we don't pronounce the "h" where I'm from) blue heron about 7/10ths of a mile from the start. Ducks, geese, hawk. Haven't seen a rabbit yet this year. My theory is that overcutting on the bank of the canal-side has caused rabbits to change their habits (seriously). No place to hide from predators. Everyone friendly...strollers, fishermen, bicyclists.... I tried to make a video of the song, "I was strolling thru the park one day, in the very merry month of May...". Lucky for the reader / listener that my phone was having memory issues. Always a 5 star!

"Always wanting to find your way True to yourself you've…read moregot to stay Walk in a straight line Walking in a straight line" (Crosby, Stills and Nash) We accessed the Windsor Locks Canal Trail at Canal Street in Suffield, but I believe you can also access it in Windsor Locks. After we parked, we turned right onto the trail and basically walked away from downtown Windsor Locks. The trail is straight and flat, which was great. No tree roots, no rocks, no tree branches or debris, no dog poop, and very few bicyclists. It's a super easy low impact walk just perfect for out of shape Yelpers like yours truly. The path threads the needle between the Connecticut River on the right and the old Windsor Locks Canal on the left. We saw a few interesting things along the way, an Amtrak train zipping along on the left, a few signs telling us we were in a Bald Eagle preserve, and a fallen tree in the canal which seemed to be home to two dozen ducks. We never did get a full on view of the Connecticut River, so either we didn't walk far enough, or we should have made a left instead of a right onto the trail?

While driving around in East Granby and seeing the beautiful colors of fall, I ended up at this…read morelittle park, Granbrook Park. This park is perfect if you want to let your dog run, if you want your kids to play, if you want to bring a picnic, or if you just want to be outside. There is a full playground for kids, with the swing and slide, there is also a basketball court. As well as some additional swigs for little kids and big kids. I also took a swing my self, and that is something I haven't done in a long, long time! There is a little pond at Granbrook Park. There's numerous benches and even a grill. There's plenty of exercise one can do here. Unfortunately, this isn't the park for hikes. This is a relaxing, child friendly, beautiful and easy park that's very well maintained.

3.5 stars. I came here for the playground and there were lovely views of the bridge and brook…read more There was plenty of parking and a porta potty onsite too. Amenities include basketball court, baseball field, playground, gazebo with picnic tables, grills, and fishing. There was a person in the middle of the brook fly fishing. The playground was on the smaller side but it had swings and slides; the playscape looked old. The playground was on mulch. My only complaint was that it was very buggy. Overall, a decent little park and my toddler was happy with the playground.

Music on Sunday's is awesome!! It was a beautiful park with different gardens and water features…read more They pump in water and it recirculates from the CT River.

Stanley Park was nice! Parks are an ideal outing for little ones so we headed over here one late…read moremorning. We walked on the trails and saw a few creatures including fish, frogs, geese, ducks, squirrels, and chipmunks. Great spot to take the family. It was also well-maintained as I saw several workers around. There was a cool map on the ground and as a cartophile, I appreciated that. Seems like there's quite a bit to do here.

This park is on 116 acres and provides many recreational options. We came here for the playground…read more The tot lot playscape was nicely maintained and is on mulch with a couple of benches. This playground is for children ages 2-10 and is a fenced in area. Over by the basketball courts, there is the playground for children ages 5-12. Parking was plentiful. Across the street are the restrooms. There are tennis courts right nearby and a huge soccer field. There are ball fields, a bandshell, basketball courts, bathhouse, children's memorial garden, dog park, horse exercise area, horseshoe game area, pavilions, volleyball courts, veteran's wall memorial, swimming in a pond, snack shack during games, and a pond house for events. This place has got it all for your recreational needs!

We visited Salmon Brook Park by parking in the hiking trail entrance so we could wander through the…read morevery pretty area. The hiking trail is very easy to follow and navigate. No rocks, no tree roots, and not too much animal waste except for one enormous deposit that had us wondering if it was squeezed out by a Great Dane or a bear!! We took one of the side trails to the right and entered the river basin where we saw some jaw dropping beautiful vistas down in the valley. Five stars for a photo op, believe me. We walked all the way to the event meadow, but things were quiet today. Salmon Brook Park has a lot to offer - a Band Shell, an Event Room, Baseball Fields, Basketball, Volleyball, and Tennis Courts, Field Hockey, Soccer and Lacrosse Fields, a river, a playground, 2 picnic pavilions, and that very nice network of Hiking Trails. Come to think of it, it has pretty much everything you need to spend a few very nice hours in the great outdoors.

Cute little park. Very easy walking trails, well maintained. The bridge is great for scenic…read morephotos. Small pond with a beach. Restrooms fairly clean.

Stratton Brook State Park was established in 1949 and is on 145 acres. It's located in Simsbury and…read morehas a huge parking lot; there's even an accessible parking lot. When I parked my vehicle, the first thing I noticed was the lovely red covered foot bridge and pond. There was a huge structure that has a fireplace and picnic tables; it's called the Massaco Forest Pavilion, it is historic and built in 1935. There is a boardwalk near the small beach and more picnic tables. Dogs are not allowed on the beach. Restrooms are available; a porta potty and in a small building (not sure if it's open). There were easy trails throughout; I walked on a short one and it was peaceful; quite a few people walking, dog walking, and a couple of them were fishing. I have a feeling this place gets busy in the summer and on weekends. I went on a Spring weekday, so it was nice and quiet.

This is my first time coming here, and I definitely need to return to explore the whole grounds!…read more There is plenty of parking upon entering and a dog park right near the parking lot There is an animal barn, a tobacco museum, picnic areas, a community garden, a maple sugar house, a nature center, a soccer field and 12 miles worth of hiking trails!! This could definitely be an all day adventure.

Northwest Park is a beautiful park located in the Town of Windsor. It is 473 acres and it used to…read morebe a tobacco farm. It's located right on the Farmington River. There are forests, wetlands, fields, and 12 miles of trails. There is a nature center, farm animals, tobacco museum, gardens, playground, and picnic pavilions. The tobacco museum is only opened seasonally. The parking lot was on gravel but there were plenty of spots available when I went; there is a porta potty in the lot as well. You can find restrooms at the nature Center too. Once you walk into the park, there is a viewing platform overlooking a small pond. The pond had goldfishes in it! First we went to the animal barn. There were turkeys, goats, ducks, donkey, chickens, cows, and rabbits. Next door to the barn was the maple sugar house; I don't think it was open when we went. We went into the nature center which was very nice. There were many exhibits, taxidermied local animals, a fish tank, hissing cockroaches, frogs, snake, a gift shop, a turtle pond, a tree house, and a table with puzzles and blocks for the kids. There was a clean bathroom onsite and the attendant working in the nature center was very friendly. The playground was also very nice. There were two playscapes for the different age groups. There were a couple of benches and the large picnic pavilions were nearby. They had a couple of gardens as well; one was an organic garden and the other was a butterfly garden, which was accessible. They had informational signs with braille on it. There are quite a few trails on the property. We walked over to the reservoir and Farmington River; the trails were easy and quiet. You can find the map online and in the Nature Center. There are also soccer fields and a dog park. Seriously, you won't be bored at this place. It's nicely maintained and the people of Windsor are lucky to have this park! I'm looking forward to going back!

The Farmington River Watershed Association was founded in 1953 to protect the Farmington River and…read moreits coastline. It covers an impressive area of 600+ square miles in CT and MA that includes 33 towns and seven recreational areas. All those square miles can accumulate quite a bit of unwanted trash, so once a year the Association holds an Annual River Clean-Up for volunteers to clean up what our thoughtless neighbors have tossed aside. Today, we were part of a massive 250 person swarm of those volunteers from across the Farmington Valley. We signed in at the Association office and were offered breakfast; fresh bagels and cream cheese (courtesy of Brookside Bagels) and coffee (courtesy of Starbucks). We chatted with some of the other volunteers and noticed a group of 8 kids who were there for a birthday party. The birthday girl was 9 years old today. How cool is that? We received our work gloves and trash bags and set off for our destination. Some of the places that were targeted for clean-up were the Tariffville Gorge, Curtis Park, and Iron Horse Rails to Trails. We headed over to Curtis Park, and walked the soccer fields, brush and shoreline. Scraps of paper, cigarette boxes, soda and beer bottles and cans, Dunkin Donuts cups and bags all found a home in our trash bags. One thing that didn't make its way into our bag (hell, we couldn't even lift it!) was a humongous truck tire and rim that some considerate litterer dumped near the shoreline so nature lovers wouldn't back into it while parking their vehicles. Curtis Park wasn't too bad for litter, so we headed over to the Tariffville Gorge where we found a more generous bounty of trash. While the litterers at Curtis Park mostly seemed to be beer drinkers, the litterers at the Gorge seemed to prefer hard liquor because we found a bonanza of nip bottles and pint bottles. We also found an old rusted fender and a hunk of a car muffler. Some of the other things we found were drink boxes, a plastic quart of motor oil, and quite a few supplies for the do-it yourself smoker. We filled our bags and headed back to the Association office for a very nice lunch donated by Simsbury businesses, Little City pizza donated ten pizzas, Antonio's Restaurant chipped in with fifty grinders, and Fitzgerald's Supermarket provided a huge amount of cookies for dessert. What a great day we had. We chatted with dozens of civic minded community service minded folks, we met two very dedicated leaders of the Association, we observed great support by the business community, we saw some spectacular scenery, and we picked up a lot of nasty trash that will never find its way into the river to harm the fishes and pollute the watershed. That's a pretty good day in my book.

This 4,400 acre nature preserve was owned by the former senator and governor of Connecticut, George…read moreP. McLean. It opened in 1932 and per Mclean's will, it was to be used as a wildlife sanctuary and opened to the public. There are two horse trails and 20 miles of hiking trails. This land is mainly in Granby and parts of Simsbury and Canton. People are allowed to walk, hike, run, walk leashed dogs with the exception of certain trails, snow shoe, cross country skiing, photography, and scavenger hunt. Waze took me to one of the side entrances and not the main lot; parking was on the side of the road. There was one parking spot which is a little bit safer but it was taken. Upon walking into the sanctuary, the trail was blazed and goes down a hill. There was an entrance to a trail at the beginning. We walked on a small bridge over a brook and up a hill. This hill was slightly steep and you can see a large pond at the bottom. It was beautiful and peaceful! I can't wait to explore some more. Next time, I will go to the main lot which had plenty of parking spaces.

McLean Game Refuge was my 2nd hike of the day, and as a novice hiker, I enjoyed this walk. The…read moretrails were wide and well maintained, aside from a few large BMs left on the trail that could've been left by a big dog, animal or another hiker (hopefully not). We also checked out an abandoned cabin against my wifes better judgement. If you aren't looking for a challenge, and prefer the company of trees, birds and squirrels, this place is for you.