My husband and I recently started kayaking. As beginners, we aren't comfortable yet kayaking in…read morerivers, so we decided to search for a nice lake to begin our kayaking adventures in. A few friends highly recommended Mansfield Hollow Lake (boat launch), so we made the drive to Mansfield. We were not disappointed! The parking area, in front of the lake, is large, and easy to find a space to park, even on summer weekends. It's easy to get in and launch a kayak or paddleboard from the shallow shore area. The lake itself is clean and beautiful! I love the fact that swimming in the lake is not allowed (because this lake supplies drinking water) and that motorboats must maintain a speed of 5 mph or less. We haven't yet kayaked in any other lakes, but I'm sure that Mansfield Hollow Lake (boat launch) will remain a favorite of ours. Such a beautiful place!

Beautiful and scenic, nice and clean tranquil. So many lakes in the area it is well worth the trip.read more

Beautiful venue and great food and drink! I have visited Little Dipper Farm for several of the…read moreField & Feast events from the incomparable team at Stone Row KB out of Willimantic. The space pays homage to the previous business Golden Lamb while adding new flair! From an afternoon tea in the Fall to a Summer celebration; the farm features the idyllic countryside of Eastern CT and rustic chic interior perfect for a special event. The signature locally-sourced small plates and cocktails from Stone Row crew have been excellent, and make the meal more of an evolving experience. Thanks for a lovely time!

Unreal. Every dish was more incredible than the last. This was the juiciest pork I had ever had in…read moremy life! The flavors of each course were masterful. Lobster ravioli and lavash with homemade butter are to die for. Coming from Boston, this was worth the trip, I can see this rustic, farm to table culinary EXPERIENCE being the next French Laundry. You can taste how fresh the ingredients are and the passion that the chef and staff have for their craft. Not to mention, the property is breathtaking. It is peaceful farm with a stunning lookout point and lake behind the restaurant. Overall decor is ultra authentic and sourced directly from the chef and staff, or part of the history of the farm. Each dish and each part of the restaurant seems to have a unique story behind it. I would drive the 1.5 hours from Boston, or farther anytime to experience this again!! Shout out to Crystal for taking great care of us and sharing fascinating tidbits about the history of the farm, the food, and how it's made!

Great place for a great hike and sweat. Also a nice cold stream to cool down. Will be my go to…read moreplace when I am nearby. Loved it

really nice camping spot. Different from what I was used too with the reservation I had which was a…read morefield campsite on the wolf den. However it was filled with families and couples alike. Nice hiking trails clean bathrooms/showers multiple sightings of deer, found a couple turtles . Cheap fire wood and convenient that it's only 15 minutes from essential business like food,superstores, etc. there was food and gas closer by too. Also the park ranger who I didn't catch his name but I wish I did (he wore a white hat), was super helpful and gave me his personal fishing spot nearby which was really cool and uncommon from another fisherman. I won't name his spot cause I have manners. But all around looking forward to my return in a few weeks.

A very quiet, heavily forested hike in the quiet corner. It's a beautiful place for a fall hike…read more The only downside is that there's no real elevation gain. Great for trail running though! Take note of the reservoir bog and bird lookout. Shout across the open space and you might be able to hear your echo!

Since I was a child, this has been one of my favorite places to collect my thoughts and enjoy the…read morebeauty of Mother Nature.

All gave some, some…read moregave all Pompey Hollow Park is a pleasant little park tucked away in a lonely part of Ct. It is a nice place for a casual stroll but is probably best know for it's summer music series.. Some really good music can be heard coming from this park in the warm months. The park also has some very nice tennis courts, bathrooms, a drinking fountain and a nice gazebo right in the middle. Not a whole lot of room for hiking but a pleasant place for a bit of strolling or dog walking. Once of the coolest things about the park is the touching memorial for the armed forces veterans that came from the area. A park that manages to fit and do a lot of very cool things in a relatively small area.

From the owner: Pompey Hollow Park is located just off Rte #44 in the center of Ashford and is nestled between our…read moreSenior Housing Complex and our Senior Center. It has a tennis court, a playscape, and a short walking trail which over looks the Mount Hope River. It's most known for our Tuesday evening summer concert series and our annual September Family Day Celebration.

I'll admit, I didn't spend a ton of time here, coming to quickly get a photo for the CT DEEP Sky's…read moreThe Limit program. Still, we did a bit of driving around the forest, and from the little wander we did around the Nathaniel Lyon Monument, we think this is a park we're going to have to visit again. There's a lot of hiking here, and there streams to fish in, and some backpacking/camping options. It's a bit of a diamond in the rough, but a place worth checking out.

Stumbled upon this place while looking for a quick walk somewhere new. This place fit the bill…read morenicely. Fairly decent sized dirt parking lot, short, well maintained trail, small turnaround area for launching canoes, kayaks, etc. into the river for some upstream or downstream paddling on the Willimantic River and Eagleville Pond (to the south). I hope to find my way back here with paddles in hand at some point. Hiking: I use the word hiking very loosely. It's more of a casual stroll, but it was pretty nicely maintained and meanders around a bit through wooded areas, grassy areas and marshy areas, with a short duration along the shoreline of the river. To find the trail, park in the dirt lot, then walk all the way to the back right corner of they grassy field. Grassy areas were low while I was there due to it being the winter, but I'd certainly be cautious for ticks if that grass gets longer in the summer. Looks like good potential for mosquitos as well due to the marshy areas, so show up prepared. Paddling: The river looked very calm and with good potential for wildlife sighting. You could paddle upstream or float down into Eagleville Pond. There's another park at the end of Eagleville Pond where you can end your trip if you have the means to do so. (Note: the pond ends with a pretty wide, marked dam. Go to the far left while facing downstream to get out at the other park). Adjacent park / Lynch Landing: The trail connects to the Lynch Landing trail, and in fact this review is admittedly glossing over that fact and considering it to be all one trail system. Know that you could also park in the VERY small Lynch Landing parking lot on Depot Road if you preferred. (...or possibly a the "EO Smith Depot Campus" building next to the Lynch Landing parking area, but I can't advise on whether or not that's allowed at this time.) Note: Yes, you can go across the bridge on your way out and instead of back out on Plains Road, but know that it's narrow and unpaved for a good distance. There's a great looking property shortly past the bridge. I could definitely see myself living there...

Basically, the trail/pavement is pretty small with not much there to do, and then there was the…read morefire department/ambulance with their loud sirens, along with Auto's traffic, I guess the only thing good I could say about it is it's outside so if you want to just get outside, it's a good place to go, get off your phone people lol

Huge fan of this bike/walking path. I typically park at the YMCA and do outdoor cardio here as a…read morewarmup. However, there are several places to park along this path that meanders betwixt Kennedy Drive and the Quinebaug River. There are so many positives! Along this path is a dog park, a bike fix-it station, a seasonal farmers market, fishing spots, kayak drop locations, and places to bebop over and eat. It is rarely crowded, and well kept. If that weren't enough they have picnic areas, quasi clean portapotties, story time stations changed seasonally, and some kid play areas. They thought of it all! Come take a stroll and take a nature bath!

Whitewater rafting trip. The staff was great! They were all very friendly and helpful. Zoar Outdoor…read moreis located on route 2 in Western MA directly across the street from the Deerfield River. Very beautiful area. After a brief safety video and briefing, we were given our rafting kit, loaded on buses, and brought up river to the raft slip, this was about a 30 minute trip north west. The raft trip ended across the street from where we started. An easy exit, we got out of the boat, returned our kit, and walked across the road to watch the video, and purchase souvenir photographs. We had an excellent day on the river during our 10 mile trip. My 14 year old son and I did the Zoar Gap trip which took most of the day with an hour break for lunch at a nice riverside picnic ground in the mountains. You can bring your own food( appropriately packaged) if you would like. They store it in a water proof bag and stow it on the raft. If there is even a hint of rain or you just don't want to get completely soaked, bring a three season jacket or rain coat. Also, you will be out on a river dress accordingly. NO open toed shoes! This includes flip- flops. You can rent shoes and wetsuits. If you have any medical issues like allergic reactions etc. I would either bring your own Epi Pen kit and medications with you, and stow it in the water proof bag, or possibly think about finding a less isolated outdoor experience. Be warned, white water rafting can be physically strenuous. The only issue I had was the lunch that was provided. Not that it was bad, it was well packaged and pre-made( not to order). If you have food allergies or don't like mayonnaise bring your own food. Zoar Outdoor is not really able to accommodate food allergies or pickey eaters. Mayonnaise was on every sandwich. I don't know why. They could just have provided packets on the side but they there were none available. My son hates mayonnaise so he only ate the chips, pickle, and cookies provided which got him through the remainder of the trip but not exactly a great lunch. One man we were with had a dairy allergy. I'm pretty sure he was not able to eat any of the food. I'm not sure why he didn't make sure a head of time if he could eat the food.I wish I had known the sandwiches had mayonnaise on them a head of time. Not a huge deal, we got over it. The trip was super fun! I would love to go again and will definitely choose Zoar Outdoor again.

Steve was our guide for white water rafting and he was awesome. Truly an expert on the route and…read moregave perfect instructions. All staff were very friendly. They even accommodated our dietary restrictions. 10/10 recommend!

Trail is not tended to, had to walk through so much grass and plants. Awful walk. Pretty water.read more