This is a beautiful park, it's very well maintained and clean. There are a lot of people walking…read moretheir dogs. You can walk in a small boardwalk and read about the wildlife. There are also some more challenging hikes where there is even some scrambling. Very clean and peaceful. The pine needles smell so beautiful! There's lots of free parking. You need pay for parking if you're out of state. Plenty of porta potties and bathrooms.

It has been at least 25 years since we last visited this park which is a shame because it is a true…read moregem. There is no entrance fee for CT residents and only costs $5 for out-of-state vehicles. We enjoyed walking around the ponds and trails with out dog as it appears many others do. The sole disappointment is the small covered bridge is currently closed. Next time, and there will be a next time in the not too distant future, we will bring a lunch and settle in at one of the many picnic tables.

This is such a beautiful lake with hiking trails. It is part of the Regional Water Authority (RWA)…read moreRecreation Area, so a special permit is required to park and hike around the reservoir. There are 10 miles of trails around the reservoir. The lake is on the boundary of Madison and Killingworth. The hikes are considered easy to moderate. It's very peaceful and quiet. Highly recommend you visit!

This gem is quite a bit off the beaten path. If you travel off season, which we do most of the…read moretime, you are rewarded with a serene nature experience, and relatively few fellow humans. It is dog friendly. From April to September the water is comfortable, with a pleasant sandy bottom. There seems to be a path all the way around the lake, but we've never gone that far. You are expected to carry your trash out to the parking lot, where you will find the only toilet facility in the form of a porta potty. Always a great place to lose the stress.

This was our first visit to Millers Pond, and we had a great experience. I printed the map from…read morethe DEEP web site first and checked out the comments and reviews on AllTrails app. We picked a route that would give us about a 3 mile walk and headed out. The parking lot wasn't very full when we arrived, but there are a lot of no parking signs on the road leading up to the park so I can only guess it must get really busy in the nicer months. We did a nice loop around the pond, there was mild terrain to navigate and with spring on its way, but the leaves not fully out yet the views were beautiful. We'll come visit again for sure, looks like there are a lot more trails to explore.

Beautiful, smooth bike trail through a wooded area that goes to Hammonasset Park and campground…read more I only wish it continued to the town of Madison as originally planned.

Great trail to run, bike and walk. The trail is not strenuous with little to no inclines. Shoreline…read moregreenway is kid friendly with plenty scenic views. It can smell during low tide, it's the price we pay for such beauty.

A very lonely…read morewoods A heavily wooded and rocky hiking area maintained by the Clinton Land Conservation Trust. Unfortunately it is difficult to find unless you have good directions. There is a small parking area, but since it is not very well known the lot seldom gets crowded. The area has one main trail going through the middle and 5 or 6 side trails going off into different directions. Some of the trails are steep, rocky and quite challenging. They require a lot of climbing over slippery rooks, climbing loose hills and jumping over streams. It is always very quiet and still and the scenery is quite beautiful and pristine with a lot of running water. In the winter it is even more lovely but can get very slippery and difficult to climb through some spots, but that makes it even more fun. Biking anything but the easy main trail would require some serious mountain biking or trials skills. A beautiful place to hike that not many people know about.

Came down from VT to visit my parents for the weekend with my Bernese. I was looking for a close to…read morehome hike for us that was physically demanding, enjoyable, and not crowded. This was perfect! The trails were VERY WELL marked, which is a huge plus! There were also lots of steep areas for us to climb, but also flat, easy going sections for us to relax on. We weaved through all the trains which was a solid hike all combined. Would definitely hike it again when home!

Great views are your reward for a very short sacrifice of fear and sweat…read more A very slippery, rock strewn, steep hill starts this hike out. Looks like they are attempting to add stairs and just gave up. Once past that horror is an easy up and down trail with astonishing views. A McMansion development couldn't mar the sheer beauty... Well, maybe a bit, but, still worth it. Next time I want to bring a thermos of tea to enjoy with the views.

I hiked this with my friend well aware that it was steep and dangerous... however when we hit a…read morethree mile point in the hike we were worried because we thought it was only supposed to be a mile and a half. The marks on the trees confused us and were too spaced apart; we ended walking over four miles and came out on the side of same random road. Thank god we weren't driving ourselves home because we would've had no clue where the car was. I had to send my mom my address to come pick us up... we ended up being on some random road in Durham when this trail is in Guilford!! We literally walked four miles away from where we started. These marks must be fixed.

Crystal-clear water + sunny spring day = perfect hike…read more Spent a beautiful spring sunny day at Wadsworth Falls State Park, and it did not disappoint. I took so many pictures of the clear river. It's seriously that stunning. The swimming water vanished. We hiked the Wadsworth Falls Loop (3.6 miles, easy, great waterfall views) and also checked out part of the Main Trail. Trails were in good shape; just a little mud here and there, but totally manageable. Bonus tips from my visit: · Dogs welcome on leash · Free for CT-registered cars; $10-15 for out-of-state · Restrooms, parking, and picnic tables available · Get there early on a sunny day to beat the crowds If you love clear water, peaceful forest walks, and two distinct waterfalls, don't miss this spot. Already planning to come back with an all-terrain wheelchair for a friend (you can reserve one in advance). Would I go again? 100%.

Gorgeous gorges! Although this park has ample signage against swimming, the Coginchaug River is…read morelovely on the eyes and ears, and being centrally located, Wadsworth Falls is a great local escape. If you have the right footwear in winter, it's a place for a rewarding hike! Boots and grips and the occasional side stepping is good for your winter trip. Mind the tracks, or crews tending the still in-use tracks, then enjoy the lovely views of multiple waterfalls, some frosted over, but water audibly rushing beneath the ice. Starting out, we didn't see the blue trail marked on the yellow and orange junction map, but the trails were well-marked with vertical tree blazes, so if you take the orange, yellow, or blue trails, you should be in good shape. If you don't have the time for a decent hike and just need a restful stop, large falls are just below the parking lot (those no access signs on the trails don't kid!). All year, enjoy! There are zero facilities here, and the only amenities appear to be accessible recreation and a dog waste station beneath the parking lot, but you aren't in the middle of nowhere. Pack in, pack out, and enjoy as much or little woods as you like, and enjoy the peaceful sounds and sights of the many falls.

The parking along the route isnt obvious, except for cars along a guardrail. There are 2 separate…read moreentrances from there, mostly obscured by overgrowth of bushes. The stairs lead down to what used to be an open picnic area, tables, grills, now quite a bit overgrown. The "falls" are simply a creek that flows along the picnic area, with a few small cascades, all under 5-6 feet tall. There is a trail that goes along the other side of the creek, and it then moves up & away from the creek into woods. That trail is ok, and eventually leads to a quirky rock formation where it's clear people either party and/or camp out and leave trash around. Like other comments, this place is in dire need of TLC by the state and better care by people who use it.

I wish that it was as well kept up as it was in years gone by. It seems to have gone downhill a lot…read morein the last 10 years or so. The parking lot was well kept, there were tables to picnic at and when my kids, now adults, were growing up it was family friendly. I can not say that is still true and I feel DEEP or whoever needs to invest in the area. If they returned it to what it was I feel it would be a much better place for families. I do not know who to contact to ask about doing this. BUT I do wish someone would do it. Haddam Meadows is kept up so well and IF they did this to 7 Falls it would be great especially because it is so close to cities and town in the area.

Cedars swamps and…read morecrappers Great Cedar Conservation Area is a 320 acre swamp with several miles of hiking trails. It is home to the largest collection of Atlantic White Cedar trees in the state as well as the largest individual White Cedar trees. It's a flat and very easy hike as long as you go in the cold weather. This is a real swamp so the flies and mosquitoes are extremely numerous and will tear you to pieces if you are brave or foolish enough to go in the spring or early summer. Not a lot of interesting rocks or terrain, the trees and plants are the attraction. Some beautiful cedars and some cool ferns closer to the ground, this swamp is a tree lover and botanist's dream I notice some old fences and what looked like an old foundation but what really caught my old was a cool old outhouse with an interesting sign. Not sure who put the sign up or exactly where the venerable old crapper originally came from but I certainly didn't have the courage to open the door to see what what inside. The Great Cedar area is a pleasant little hike that is for people that like to go slow and look, listen and smell. Swamps are beautiful places to hike in the winter but just make sure you don't go when the hordes of insects are masters of the terrain.

Very easy hikes and a beautiful and strangely interesting stroll in the woods. The trails surround…read morearound a few small lakes that make wonderful stopping off points. The Conservation Area wraps around the Hay House property, The Hay House is constructed entirely of hay bales. It is private property but you are invited to see the Stuba Buddhist shrine that sites in the front of the property by the parking lot. The "crapper" is the private loo for the Hay House. Kinda misleading since it is sitting right there on the trail.