It was very peaceful place to walk as well as very friendly people the little mini beach with the…read moresand is very cool

The playground fits into the park perfectly...a tree house and more…read more... Provided by Premier Park & Play from Newton, MA

"If I were a painter And could paint a memory…read moreI'd climb inside the swirling skies to be with you" (Norah Jones) The East Granby Farms Town facility has quite a lot of features - the  Kilbon Recreation Center for community classes, its home for the town's Historical Center, it boasts a baseball field and basketball court, picnic facilities, and some gorgeous scenery for your hiking enjoyment. But none of those are the prominent feature you'll see when you drive into the South Entrance. There, you'll be greeted by an enormous concrete silo painted with an equally enormous farmland mural. You see, when the Town of East Granby converted the old Viets farmstead into a public park, they left the landmark L. H. Viets silo standing and commissioned a mural to be painted on the silo. It covers the silo from top to bottom and is really quite a gorgeous work of art showing farm scenery, farm animals, rolling hills and a blue sky. Definitely worth your time to swing into the parking lot and check it out.

This park is on 116 acres and provides many recreational options. We came here for the playground…read more The tot lot playscape was nicely maintained and is on mulch with a couple of benches. This playground is for children ages 2-10 and is a fenced in area. Over by the basketball courts, there is the playground for children ages 5-12. Parking was plentiful. Across the street are the restrooms. There are tennis courts right nearby and a huge soccer field. There are ball fields, a bandshell, basketball courts, bathhouse, children's memorial garden, dog park, horse exercise area, horseshoe game area, pavilions, volleyball courts, veteran's wall memorial, swimming in a pond, snack shack during games, and a pond house for events. This place has got it all for your recreational needs!

We visited Salmon Brook Park by parking in the hiking trail entrance so we could wander through the…read morevery pretty area. The hiking trail is very easy to follow and navigate. No rocks, no tree roots, and not too much animal waste except for one enormous deposit that had us wondering if it was squeezed out by a Great Dane or a bear!! We took one of the side trails to the right and entered the river basin where we saw some jaw dropping beautiful vistas down in the valley. Five stars for a photo op, believe me. We walked all the way to the event meadow, but things were quiet today. Salmon Brook Park has a lot to offer - a Band Shell, an Event Room, Baseball Fields, Basketball, Volleyball, and Tennis Courts, Field Hockey, Soccer and Lacrosse Fields, a river, a playground, 2 picnic pavilions, and that very nice network of Hiking Trails. Come to think of it, it has pretty much everything you need to spend a few very nice hours in the great outdoors.

In 1982 the State Department of Environmental Protection acquired the original 425 acres of land…read morewhich would become the Newgate Wildlife Management Area. Today, it has grown to over 600 acres. There is one main trail that heads back to and past Newgate Pond. What appears to be a mileage marker suggests that this was intended as a bike path. Either way, it's about as wide as a one-lane road, and makes a nice alternative to the crowded rails to trails bike paths in the area. There are also side trails coming off of it. Some have old sign posts at their entrances, but no actual signs remain. The main trail is in good shape, suggesting that some maintenance is still performed. I wish I could have seen the area when everything was still in place. Judging by what has been left here to rot, at one time there was a huge project to make this quite the nice park. Now, it looks relatively abandoned as far as promoting it as a recreational area goes. You'll see traps in the trees for tracking invasive insects, so the main trail is probably just being maintained for the DEP to gain access. I like this area because it is so rare to see somebody else here. Judging by all of the condom wrappers in the parking lot, that area probably gets more use than the walking paths do. I come out here at least once a week, and have almost always had the place to just me and my dog. An easy walk about a mile down the main trail takes you to Newgate Pond. This is truly a hidden gem. Bring a blanket and some beers and just sit and watch the noisiest geese in the world swim around and honk at you. Right at the pond, the main trail takes a hard turn to the left. I have yet to explore that far, so I can't tell you where it leads. However, I have seen a cyclist coming from that area, so it may connect to the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail. Do yourself a favor and come explore this forgotten wildlife area. Chances are, you'll have it all to yourself.

July 2016. I am downgrading the spot to 3 from 4. I have been seeing parasites on the fishes…read morecaught here. Most recent trip m, 4?sun fish & one bass, everyone of them got parasites. Either yellow like grain of rice type or tiny black spots in meat. Do not eat fishes caught at rainbow reservoir! If you like fishing, I am sharing my fishing spot especially because I need to write good & useful Yelp reviews :) My spot is to the left of the rainbow reservoir boat launch. The boat is infrequent but the jet ski is a bit annoying to fishermen. However, the spot is productive if you can cast far enough, there is a steep drop off that goes down about 15-20 feet, all kinds of fish there. I've taken my kids there many times, caught sun fish, bass, carp, catfish etc. all at the same spot. Don't eat the bass!!! High Mercury content. Ok to eat sunfish & carp, but carefully check the fish for parasite as I've seen them last year, they look like little grain of rice but yellow in color, yikes! Other than that, it's really fun spot to take the kids & you can BBQ right there as well!

There is so much potential here for great Kayaking, Stand up paddle boarding, or canoeing given the…read moreconvenient location, decent parking area with a boat ramp and flat water. However: 1, The long straight shape of the reservoir makes it an irresistible place for jet skiers to do full throttle high speed runs and boats towing skiers. 2. Between the warmer waters we're seeing and the summer and all the lawn fertilizer runoff from the adjacent houses, I don't think I've ever seen a more algae-choked lake, especially one that is technically part of a river (see photos). It's really unsightly and there are signs warning against contact with the water. It looks like I photoshopped the pictures, but yes --the water is literally this green. You'll have better luck in the pristine upstream parts of the Farmington river or the Connecticut River itself.

"Going to run my fingers thru your long black hair Squeeze…read moreyou tighter than a grizzly bear" (Elvis -Stuck on You) Honest to God, we saw a bear walking down the road as we approached the start of the trail at the Woodhaven Drive traffic circle. The bear wasn't ON the trail, but rather sauntering down the street of a suburban neighborhood where we entered the trail. Needless to say, that did make us extra vigilant as we walked along the East and West segments of the Yellow Trail on an absolutely gorgeous Saturday morning. The Ethel Walker Woods is a big property covering more than 500 acres between the Ethel Walker School and Town Forest Road. You can access the trails two ways, either from one of the parking lots off Town Forest Road or via a trail leading from a cul-de-sac at the end of Woodhaven Drive, which is a residential area. That's where we saw that bear. This is a complex of six interconnected trails, and today we explored the southern loop of the Eastern and Western Yellow trails. The Simsbury Land Trust booklet warns you that this can be a complicated trail system for beginners, so you had better bring a map until you get familiar with these interweaving paths.. The trails were very well marked as we just followed the yellow markers and a yellow/blue marker where our trail ran parallel to the blue trail for a short time. The trail was pretty wide, relatively flat and pretty easy to navigate. We did have some big tree roots to be on the look-out for, as well as a few moderate inclines, but overall this will be easy trail for beginners. We saw some gorgeous trees, lots of greenery, a few small streams, and saw and heard a woodpecker busy hammering away at a tree. That was pretty cool. Our hike was solitary bliss, we didn't see one other hiker, zero dogs, and zero bears. We were grateful for that.

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.

This 4,400 acre nature preserve was owned by the former senator and governor of Connecticut, George…read moreP. McLean. It opened in 1932 and per Mclean's will, it was to be used as a wildlife sanctuary and opened to the public. There are two horse trails and 20 miles of hiking trails. This land is mainly in Granby and parts of Simsbury and Canton. People are allowed to walk, hike, run, walk leashed dogs with the exception of certain trails, snow shoe, cross country skiing, photography, and scavenger hunt. Waze took me to one of the side entrances and not the main lot; parking was on the side of the road. There was one parking spot which is a little bit safer but it was taken. Upon walking into the sanctuary, the trail was blazed and goes down a hill. There was an entrance to a trail at the beginning. We walked on a small bridge over a brook and up a hill. This hill was slightly steep and you can see a large pond at the bottom. It was beautiful and peaceful! I can't wait to explore some more. Next time, I will go to the main lot which had plenty of parking spaces.

McLean Game Refuge was my 2nd hike of the day, and as a novice hiker, I enjoyed this walk. The…read moretrails were wide and well maintained, aside from a few large BMs left on the trail that could've been left by a big dog, animal or another hiker (hopefully not). We also checked out an abandoned cabin against my wifes better judgement. If you aren't looking for a challenge, and prefer the company of trees, birds and squirrels, this place is for you.

This is my first time coming here, and I definitely need to return to explore the whole grounds!…read more There is plenty of parking upon entering and a dog park right near the parking lot There is an animal barn, a tobacco museum, picnic areas, a community garden, a maple sugar house, a nature center, a soccer field and 12 miles worth of hiking trails!! This could definitely be an all day adventure.

Northwest Park is a beautiful park located in the Town of Windsor. It is 473 acres and it used to…read morebe a tobacco farm. It's located right on the Farmington River. There are forests, wetlands, fields, and 12 miles of trails. There is a nature center, farm animals, tobacco museum, gardens, playground, and picnic pavilions. The tobacco museum is only opened seasonally. The parking lot was on gravel but there were plenty of spots available when I went; there is a porta potty in the lot as well. You can find restrooms at the nature Center too. Once you walk into the park, there is a viewing platform overlooking a small pond. The pond had goldfishes in it! First we went to the animal barn. There were turkeys, goats, ducks, donkey, chickens, cows, and rabbits. Next door to the barn was the maple sugar house; I don't think it was open when we went. We went into the nature center which was very nice. There were many exhibits, taxidermied local animals, a fish tank, hissing cockroaches, frogs, snake, a gift shop, a turtle pond, a tree house, and a table with puzzles and blocks for the kids. There was a clean bathroom onsite and the attendant working in the nature center was very friendly. The playground was also very nice. There were two playscapes for the different age groups. There were a couple of benches and the large picnic pavilions were nearby. They had a couple of gardens as well; one was an organic garden and the other was a butterfly garden, which was accessible. They had informational signs with braille on it. There are quite a few trails on the property. We walked over to the reservoir and Farmington River; the trails were easy and quiet. You can find the map online and in the Nature Center. There are also soccer fields and a dog park. Seriously, you won't be bored at this place. It's nicely maintained and the people of Windsor are lucky to have this park! I'm looking forward to going back!

Completed a three day, 37 mile loop trail hike with Mat. The Taconic crest loop. Mat had all of the…read morebases covered, provisions, itinerary, safety and comfort. He knew all of the trails in the surrounding area and would often recommend an applicable trail or hike when I asked him about some kind of hike I was interested in. He's very personable and accommodating. I would highly recommend Reach Your Summit to anyone interested in a great experience. A+ in my book.

Matt has been our hiking guide for an annual hiking excursion I take every fall in the Berkshires…read more He is extremely good at what he does! He is so good, I wanted to introduce my love of hiking to my family and thought he would be the best person to guide us on a post-Xmas hike. We hiked up Alander Mountain, which was slightly challenging but very doable for my husband and son who are relatively new to hiking. Matt's knowledge about hiking in general, as well as hiking in the northeast, is extensive. He is thoroughly prepared and carefully tailors the trip to suit the skill and fitness level of the group. To top it off, he supplied us with the most delicious homemade dried bananas, as well as hot chocolate once we reached the spectacular summit. I highly recommend Matt to anyone who loves to hike, and even to those new to hiking who want to have a safe and informative introduction. I can't imagine a better hiking guide than Matt!