We went on a Monday but the nature center was closed. This was fine because I wanted to walk on the…read morered trail (Werner Pond Trail); this trail is half a mile long and it's flat. The walk was very easy with some roots and rocks. There were views of the brook which was peaceful and the sound of flowing water was lovely. There were information cards everywhere detailing which wildlife lived in these woods. There were a couple of small bridges; one was on concrete and fenced in. We also walked over to the butterfly garden. They did a great job with maintaining this land. I can't wait to go back to check out the nature center and the other trails. Since it's early spring, there were no vegetation; I'm sure in the summer this place gets super lush greenery. They also offer many programs and activities; The Children's Museum in West Hartford is also affiliated with them.

A wonderful place for Nature Lovers, young & old! Live animals to see & sometimes touch! Well…read morestocked with treats & toys! Lots of those CT

This is a neighborhood park that I stumbled upon when I drove by. It is on 90 acres and has a pond…read morethat is 2 acres. I saw that they had a playground and had to check it out. Parking was on gravel with many pot holes. There was a porta potty. There was a large field next to a pond. The playground was placed next to the pond which in turn, was flooded. Unfortunately, we could not use it on this trip. I saw people walking their dog across the field, I'm not sure if there's a trail. After reading about the park on the town of Simsbury's website, there is a soccer field, two fields, and an open space.

A clean and large playground that is fenced in. There is a porta potty onsite; no trash cans…read morethough. The parking lot had plenty of spaces. Across from the playground, there was a huge field with a large stage; I'm sure they have good events there. Right outside of the park, near the street, there is a long paved path for walking, biking, etc. My kids loved the playground!

Every kid is welcome to this community playground…read more There's a playscape for kids as young as 2 years old. There are no boundaries for abilities, because this is designed so children of all abilities can play together, whether the kids are fully able or have physical, sensory or developmental disabilities. The playground was opened in October 2002 and you'll find it off of Iron Horse Boulevard inside the Simsbury Meadows Complex. No admission and tons of free parking onsite. They have two playscapes, designed for kids aged 5-12 and another for kids aged 2-5. There's a ton of fun here - baby swings, slides, a sandbox, a huge Boundless playground, two pint-sized climbing walls and lots more. The playground surface is very soft and rubbery, sort of like walking on a wrestling mat. They have gazebo to sit and relax, and porta-potties for when that need arises.

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.

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.

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

This was a little confusing to find at first, but after some exploring I was able to find it…read more First, park at the playground parking lot and walk down past the swings. Then you will see a small wooden bridge, cross that and you will see the "Fitness Trail" sign. There is grass for a few meters then it turns into a paved road; walk past the houses, behind the Apple Barn parking lot, then down the hill. The paved trail is adjacent to the road and goes behind more houses. This eventually turns to gravel/dirt. There are 20 exercise stations throughout and the trail is 2.5 miles long. These exercises are easy enough for a child to do. Stations 8 to 14, you have to watch out for golf balls because it's adjacent to the golf course. This whole trail goes around the Simsbury Farms Complex. This is a great place to get some steps in, exercise, and get fresh air! A great asset for the town of Simsbury.

Today's visit to the Simsbury Family Fitness Trail was great!…read more It's located in the Simsbury Farms Complex and is basically a 2.5 mile walk around the perimeter of the golf course. Why is it called a Fitness Trail, when the walk is pretty much flat and non-challenging? Here's why - the trail includes twenty exercise stations so you can stretch, climb, walk a balance beam, jump, do a pull-up or sit-up, even lift a log if you so desire. The walking surface on that 2.5 mile lop is quite varied as we walked on a paved path, a dirt path, a rocky path, and grass. Some of the loop is under tree cover and some is out under the sun. The golf course was on our left side as we circumnavigated the golf course, and a few times we noticed we were super close to the golf action. Close enough that the website cautions you to "Watch out for errant golf balls (in season), especially near stations 8 and 14". One cool thing that caught my eye were some little jumping things on the trail. At first, I thought they were grasshoppers or crickets, but when I looked carefully, I discovered they were itsy-bitsy toads or frogs!

Playground review only:…read more One of the best playgrounds I've been to; it's new, clean, and big. My toddler loved it and so did I. Yes, I went down the slide a few times with my infant and he loved it too. The view from the playground was also spectacular, the rolling hills of Simsbury. This playground is located near a golf course, rink, tennis/basketball courts, and trail. I have not used those yet, so no review on those. The playground had a bunch of picnic tables under a gazebo. There were playscapes for 2-5 year olds as well as 5-12 year olds. One of the playscapes has 3 levels if you count the ground. My favorites were the green tube and red swirly slides. There is a sign to take trash out with you since there are no trash cans. I noticed an older playground down the hill but it was muddy so I didn't go in it. I liked the rubber ground with mulch; smelled really fresh lol. Overall, great playground and will be using it often.

New playground is amazing!!! Great job town of Simsbury! We had not been up there in a while and…read morewas very pleased to be welcomed by a beautiful recreational area; tennis courts, pickle ball games, swings, basketball court and of course the huge playscape! Looking forward to get on the ice and the back on the playground some time soon

This trail used to be a rail trail back in the day. The trail is paved and easy to walk, bike, and…read moreskate on. It has gorgeous views of the Farmington River. I've walked the trail in the Collinsville area in the Autumn and it was amazing seeing the foliage. Before crossing the street, there is a crosswalk and button to alert traffic to stop; beware though, some people will just go through the yellow light while you're waiting to cross. There is a little free library and bench once you get across. Once you walk up further, there is a flower bridge; when in season, the flowers are beautiful. Overall, a great trail that connects to the larger Farmington Canal Heritage Trail that goes through multiple towns.

The Canton to Collinsville portion of the Farmington River Trail accounts for about 4 of its 18…read moremiles. The paved trail is level and flat and very easy to walk on. It was clean and free of debris and dog poop. There were quite a few bicyclists out today, so keep your ears open for "on your left" when they come up behind you. The trail hugs the Farmington River and winds through a park with picnic tables, benches, a gazebo, a flower bridge, and gives you some very pretty views of the river. We didn't see any geese or wild birds today, but we did see something odd. I noticed some kind of splashing or commotion in the water, and when I looked carefully, I saw it was a guy swimming in the river! I wonder if he was training for an Ironman or something?

If you're looking for an easy paved trail, this is the one. The trail is wide and goes around the…read morereservoir. Many joggers, walkers, dog walkers, and people pushing strollers. Dogs on a leash are allowed, it's wheelchair accessible, and kid friendly. If you bring your dog, signs says to pick up after them. The Nepaug dam has a beautiful waterfall with serene sounds. It was built between 1914 to 1916 and created the 951 acre reservoir about 35 feet deep. There is a parking lot; on nice weekend days, it does get full. Overall, it's one of my favorite trails because I can take a stroller/wagon to lug my babies. Also, the view is amazing!

One of the good things that happened to us from the Pandemic was it got us out of the house on…read moreweekends to visit so many of the parks and hiking trails in our area we had never visited before. We must have hit 30 different venues in 2020, and we started 2021 by visiting another new place that turned out to be a terrific find. The Nepaug Reservoir Trail is a mile long and is wide, paved, flat and about as easy to walk on as any trail we have visited. We parked at the main parking lot on Route 202, walked through a chain link gate, and found the start of the trail to begin our scenic walk around the reservoir and across the historic 100-year old Nepaug Dam. The 600-foot long dam has a concrete spillway in its center. The spillway is over 100 feet tall and is quite spectacular. The trail around the dam has a few cutouts that serve as observation platforms to take you out over the top of the dam. You will love the view ! We saw quite a variety of folks out there today -young families with strollers, couples of every age, joggers, lots of leashed dogs, and even a few hoverboard operators. What a great way to kick off the New Year.