Saw a fellow yelper, Dan R, smoking a bong in the church parking lot. All the hamburger wrappers on…read morehis dash flew off as he sped off. Don't know how he sees out of the busted up window... and there was signs of struggle. There was also a bunch of nuisances having some sort of party by the tennis courts. Otherwise, best park ever! Always a joy to come to this public park with my grandchildren.

"Those summer days Them summer days…read moreThat's when I had most of my fun Hot fun in the summertime" (Sly and the Family Stone) Today was a hot summer day and we enjoyed spending a few hours exploring and walking around in Mill Woods Park. We saw a few baseball fields, tennis courts, a dog park, lots of pretty flowers, a very nice swimming area, and took a nice leisurely stroll on a flat wide newly cut grass walking path. We didn't see a lot of people out there today, but we did see a whole bunch of butterflies, birds and a bunny rabbit perched ahead of us on the path. He skedaddled when we got close. We also heard the public address announcer for a little league game across the lake, and he was a hoot as he did his best Michael Buffer imitations as each new batter came up to bat.

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.

Bushnell Park is pretty pleasant and relaxing, particularly during the daylight hours. Once the sun…read morestarts going down though, I wouldn't recommend hanging around. The number of homeless and people doing drugs openly goes up significantly.

Very nice park , there is a nice walking trail around the pond and the playground is very fun for…read morekids.

"In and around the lake" (Roundabout - Jon Anderson and…read moreSteve Howe) While walking roundabout the lake at Stanley Quarter Park I realized a few things. #1 - You can't blame a goose for being a goose. #2 - You can't blame a few hundred geese for doing what a few hundred geese leave behind, basically a lot of #2. #3 - As a result of #2, you can't blame me for docking this post for a fifth star. Pretty much across the street from the University of Central Connecticut College's campus you'll find this gorgeous park with a big lake, a multi-station fitness trail, and a nice and easy 0.6 mile looped walking path around the lake. The path took us over a few stone and wood bridges and gave us a great look at hundreds of geese and what looked like seagulls. The geese were everywhere - in the water, on the grassy hills, frolicking and flapping their wings in the lake, and honking so much they made us laugh. But the problem we encountered was the byproduct of those hundreds of geese and the ensuing mess they leave on the path around the lake. You'd better watch your step very carefully or you'll be walking into globs of goose shit. It was everywhere, and there was a shit ton of it. Now like I said, ya can't blame a goose for doing what a goose does, but I feel like someone at the municipal level has badly dropped the ball by not better maintaining things.

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.

The WH Reservoir has been my peaceful playground and refuge since the '70's…read more Hard to believe that State Connecticut had a planned to construct ring highway through the hills beside the Reservoir. Following public protest and legal battle(s) the project was shelved indefinitely back in the 70's. This was also about the time, vehicle traffic was barred on many of the back MDC roadways. What was left, beautiful network of paved and foot beaten paths. Everyday day of the week, the public are welcome to walk, jog, saunter, bicycle these mapped trails. Mountain biking has been throttled down significantly due to excessive wear and tear on the wooded areas. Biking still remains popular long designated routes and in a one-way pattern (for everyones safety). Pedestrians: Please mind the painted walking path, eyes on drifting into the bike path - that way ALL will enjoy. Kilkenny rock has been one of my favorite destinations (refer to an MDC map) this is a nice overlook of the Hartford sky scape. Trails also connect from the Farmington Avenue entrance across to Route 44 passing over Avon Mountain. GPS and one of my favorite apps "All Trails" are helpful even to a season chap like me.

Being new to the hobby of paddle boarding I was very intimated at first however after coming across…read moreValley paddle board, I decided to give it a shot. There were numerous packages available in the planning phase and I ultimately went with the 2 hour group paddle board session with instructor guidance and equipment rental. Not to mention included in the cost was a (2) drink voucher for refreshments at a local brewery post paddle board session (which was a welcomed bonus). The location Christine chose for this session was perfect especially for someone just starting off like myself. We started off in a small shallow beach just sitting on our boards and getting a feel for the water. With Christine's concise, easy to follow direction, I upgraded to a kneeled position and finally to a standing, balancing and confident position within a half a hour. When the sun started to go down Christine advised that the group paddle out to a small island in the middle of the lake that was full of wild flowers, to relax and enjoyed the rest of the sunset. At this time we well exceeded the 2 hour mark but Christine was happy to do so for a wonderful experience. Once the weather gets a bit warmer I will definitely be reaching out to Christine for another session!!

We had the best time! Christine at Valley Paddleboard took our family on a trip down the Farmington…read moreRiver. it was so beautiful. She made sure the kids in our group were safe and having fun. She even taught us some paddleboard yoga moves. Can't wait to go back next summer!

This is a great park located in West Hartford. There were parking available when we went. There is…read morea pond with a ton of geese. The playground was in good shape and big. There's a big kids playscape with climbing and ladders. The little kids playground had a sandbox, swings, slides, tunnels, etc. There were benches and picnic tables as well. The pool and splash pad is adjacent and fenced in; to enter the pool, there is a fee. The splash pad has benches and a grassy area to put your stuff down. The restrooms were clean and there was a Little Free Library right near there. What I loved about the park was the ample amount of shade. Definitely a fun place to take the kids in the summer.

"I'm gonna hang out in the park, hang out after dark I'm…read moregonna be with the gang tonight" (The Ramones) West Hartford's Fernridge Park has so many nice features! We had a very enjoyable time strolling on their trails and taking in the pretty scenery around its big pond. We saw a ton of features on the park grounds - a wood bridge over the water and a splash pad, playground and playscape where the kids were having a blast. We saw families hanging out at their grills and picnic tables, plus a Little League field, basketball, volleyball, tennis courts and a big swimming pool. The leisure and entertainment opportunities here are fantastic. What a great place to relax and enjoy!

This is a great experience for anyone looking for a stress-free day on the water…read more My girlfriend and I rented a canoe and met the trailer at our reserved time at West Hill Lake. In less than 5 minutes we were out of the car and in the boat. We had the boat for as long as we wanted, and simply called to let Mainstream know when we were done. No waiting around at all. The lake is beautiful and calm, and the boats and paddles are high-quality.

Used the Facility this summer polite and efficient staff. Good canoes and a nice clean placeread more

James, our guide on our rafting trip, was amazing. He is an amazing guide who taught everyone in…read morethe raft how to navigate in the water as a group within the first few minutes. James loves what he does and has many years of experience. He speaks multiple languages fluently and is knowledgeable in everything! James made our rafting trip truly memorable. Not one second of the journey was boring with him as guide!

Bought a new Pyranha Scorch small kayak! Order went well with delivery within a few weeks. Jim…read moreanswered all questions and was very knowledgeable about kayaking was buying! Transaction went smoothly! This was a 2nd kayak after 45 years with same brand!