Swan Preserve Trails is a 90 acre parcel managed by the Canton Land Conservation Trust (CLCT); it…read morewas donated in 2000 by the Swan Family. The white blazed trail was added in 2020 in memory of Ted Cowles, who was a board member of CLCT. The parking area for this trailhead can fit about 4 vehicles. I really liked that they had a Little Free Library and it was packed to the brim. If you've read my reviews, I love the library, books, and Little Free Libraries. There were some small steps down to the trail by the kiosk; this was located besides some houses. There are two trails on this property. The Swan Trails is a 1.5-miles loop with blue, red, and yellow blazes. The red trail is easy and the other two are moderate. There was a beautiful brook, uplands, and small bridges. The second trail is called Ted Cowles which is 1-mile and white blazed. It is considered moderate and is off the yellow trail. My family and I enjoyed exploring the yellow trail on this beautiful November Saturday. The leaves can be slippery and there were a bit of roots and rocks, so watch your step. There were some small ascends. I kind of enjoy the trail in the fall because it is bare, which means no ticks! There were quite a bit of mountain Laurels too. When we were leaving, there were other hikers coming through, other than that it was quiet. It seems to be a well loved trail for sure. I look forward to checking out the other trails on this property!

This is a .5 mile trail and if you make it a loop, it will total to 1 mile; it's on yellow and red…read moreblazed trails. This short trail connects to the longer West Mountain Trails. The parking lot was spacious and it could fit a few vehicles. There was a kiosk and right next to that, a trail that forks; one is yellow and goes down the stairs and the other is red. We took the yellow trail which brings us down some rock stairs, and it was flat and easy after that. The trail was blazed nicely and it had some roots but it wasn't too bad. We got to the wooden bridge that goes over Hop Brook; there was an old stone wall and remnants of a dam. There is another other set of stairs and a picnic area if you do the loop back to the parking lot. Overall, it is definitely one of my favorite short trails. I look forward to going back and hiking this short trail again; as well as the West Mountain Trails, which is connected to this.

This was one of the best hiking experiences we've had…read more The scenery is absolutely beautiful, you are deep in the woods and the quiet solitude and gorgeous views are quite a combination to behold. The trail is a one-mile loop so its not very challenging at all. There is a moderate incline on the way back to the parking lot, regardless of how you start the loop, and you do have to be pretty careful on the stone staircases, and you have to be quite vigilant and look out for stones and roots on the path. But the path is very well marked and for the most part level and easy to navigate. There's a stream, a picnic table or two, a one-person-at-a-time wooden bridge, an old and very cool stone wall, but mostly there is beautiful forestry and serenity all around. This was one of my favorite hikes to date.

This Bog trail is part of the Simsbury Land Trust. It's located on North Saddle Ridge Road in…read moreSimsbury, CT and parking can be found on street. There are two stone pillars and a sign, it can be easily missed if you drive too fast. The trail is 1 mile out and back; one of the shortest and easiest hikes I've done in a while. At first, the walk is in between two houses, continue to walk on the flat and wide esker (glacial stone), you will notice the bog on both sides, which is down the hill. At the end of the trail, on the right side, there is a steep hill going down towards the 150 ft boardwalk made of wood. We went in November, so the leaves were plentiful and slippery. There are educational signs on the boardwalk. The bog is 40 acres and is usually found in England and Canada. The bog water is acidic so there are only certain species of plants and animals that can live there; from the sphagnum moss to Gartner snakes, to name a couple, those species are highly adaptable in that environment. Other animals just passes through for food and shelter. It was a peaceful and relaxing walk, and there were views of West Mountain. I saw some dragonflies, which is a natural habitat for them. If you're looking for a short and easy hike, I recommend it!

"Under the boardwalk, down by the sea" (The Drifters)…read more Mix equal parts of a hike in the forest, a bog, and a boardwalk, and you have one very cool trail to explore. The entrance to the trail was kind of hard to find. We knew from the Simsbury Land Trail book to be on the lookout for two stone pillars on North Saddle Ridge Drive, but even though we were looking for them, we missed them. Turns out the pillars are very small and set back from the road a bit. But we did find the entrance, and soon we found ourselves walking on a beautiful forest trail, under a canopy of tall green trees. The trail was wide, pretty flat for a while, and relatively free of obstacles except for some tree roots that you have to be careful to avoid. About 1,500 feet into the trail there's a right hand turn that leads to a very steep descent. Some well placed railroad ties acted as stairs to make the downhill trek easier to manage. Soon you will pop out of the forest and see a very cool sight- a long elevated boardwalk that will take you out into a 39-acre bog. You'll be thisclose to all sorts of vegetation on both sides and you'll also see a series of informational signs describing the plants and animals all around you. At the end of the boardwalk, there are three benches where you can relax and take in the beautiful views of the trees, the bog, and a pretty view of West Mountain. You enter this trail from a typical suburban residential street, and it just blows my mind that these gorgeous trails are all over Simsbury, pretty much hiding in plain sight.

Bunker Hill Trails are owned by Canton Land Conservation Trust (CLCT). The trailhead is on Bunker…read moreHill Road in Canton. There was parking on street, on the shoulder; maybe one or two cars can fit, tops. There was a sign showing where the trail starts. There were two trails; red and yellow (Scout Trail), 1-mile out & back and easy, based on their website. There are 54 acres with three parcels; Sweeton Pasture acquired in 2006, 4-acres donated by the Goodwin family in 2018, 12-acres purchased by CLCT in 2020. We went on a weekday evening and it was quiet. The bugs weren't too bad, I think because we had bug spray on. The trail was hilly, rocky, with tree stumps; some spots were overgrown. A pair of good hiking sneakers and a walking stick would've made this walk a little bit better. I am not a professional hiker by any means, but they labeled this trail as easy and in my opinion it was more moderate. There were steep inclines and declines on the trail; I wore my baby so that added an extra element. The woods were peaceful and the brook was exquisite. There was a brand new looking wooden bridge that goes over it and takes you through the yellow trail. Overall, an okay trail that needs more blazing in some spots. If you like a little bit of a challenge and sweat, I recommend it.

Take a hike and then get some ice cream!…read more Parking for this trail is behind the Tulmeadow Farm store; there is signage regarding the trail. The trail through the farm is wide and flat; the corn and hay field is on 60 acres and 73 acres of that is woodlot. The trail connects to 0.4 miles which is located on the town's property. This is a working farm so it is advised to stay on the trail; the markers were clear. The Heublein Tower can be seen from a distance. This is an out and back trail when reaching Town Forest Road and back; a little less than 3 miles total. Overall, a fun and easy trail!

Ever had an ice cream at Tulmeadow Farm? Its one of Simsbury's landmark attractions…read more Well, if you walk through the parking lot at the back of the store, you'll see a wood kiosk welcoming you to the beginning of the Tulmeadow Farm Trail. The trail is divided into a few sections and everything is clearly marked with blue markings on poles or trees. The trail starts off as a farm road between two fields, and we saw a tractor working the land as we walked today, that was pretty cool. Eventually, the trail turns and you walk across some beautiful green hills that reminded me of a golf course, and then turns again to approach the tree line and enter the woods. The trail is fairly flat, with a few slight inclines. You'll see a few rocks here and there, but no tree roots or tree limbs on the path. We did see some presents from our canine friends on the trail (disgusting) and two unleashed dogs strolling around while their inconsiderate owners yacked on their cell phones. It's a very cool trail where you'll see views of Tulmeadow Farm and its crops, and a glimpse of the Heublein Tower. You'll also see an ominous sign asking you to be mindful of hunters in the area.