We've been to Fisher Meadows a couple of times, sometimes to enjoy the quiet and calm, other times…read moreto enjoy the golden hour, and once to enjoy a warm cup of masala chai surrounded by nature. It is a great spot to witness the magic of different New England seasons.

This recreation center is on 250.45 acres and is open year-round from dawn to dusk. There is a…read moredecent-sized gravel parking lot with a small playground with swings, picnic tables, and a pullup bar. There are two entrances to the trails by this parking lot and playground. I saw a huge field that is used for soccer. On the lake, you can fish and use non motorized boats; a boat launch is available. This recreation area is suitable for walking, jogging, hiking, cross-country skiing, biking, canoeing, bird watching, picnicing, and camping; for camping, you need to get permission from the Town of Avon. I walked the red trail then got off that trail halfway and walked by the well pump building; this brought me back to the parking lot. That walk was about 2.54 miles because I didn't want to do the bigger loop. On the AllTrails app, there are two trails in the park; Spring Lake and Fisher Meadows Loops. The walk was easy but there were some flooded and muddy areas. I have a feeling it is buggy in the summer but on this fine sunny March day, it was very pleasant except for getting my sneakers wet. Overall, a great space to enjoy the great outdoors.

Came here for a run while staying near BDL and really enjoyed the trail along the Connecticut…read moreRiver! You really get that feeling that you're out in nature--the sights, the smells, the sounds, everything. The path is suitable for walking, running and cycling. How I wish I could enjoy it in the fall with the changing colors!

Absolutely gorgeous, magical day, the kind that makes one thankful for the opportunity to enjoy…read morenature...sunny, mid 60's, low humidity, gentle breeze. Blue heron right after you enter from the south terminus. Lots of turtles basking. Eagles (adult and 2 juvies) visible in their nest, with another adult high above about 50 yds north. Another uge (we don't pronounce the "h" where I'm from) blue heron about 7/10ths of a mile from the start. Ducks, geese, hawk. Haven't seen a rabbit yet this year. My theory is that overcutting on the bank of the canal-side has caused rabbits to change their habits (seriously). No place to hide from predators. Everyone friendly...strollers, fishermen, bicyclists.... I tried to make a video of the song, "I was strolling thru the park one day, in the very merry month of May...". Lucky for the reader / listener that my phone was having memory issues. Always a 5 star!

Such a beautiful park! If you're coming from the main entrance there's a beautiful view of the…read moreHartford skyline over the hill. If you're walking from the plaza, you get a beautiful view of the river and trees as you make your way towards the boathouse.I love walking along the CT river no matter the season honestly, you can probably catch me there any time except dreaded January and February. I think the boathouse is so well kept and beautiful. I'd love to catch a boat launch, I'm not sure how I always miss them. I feel like it's the perfect activity for a little summer lunch since they have so many benches and tables. I'm always amazed by how big the park is when there are hella people visiting. The parking lot is huge too for those driving over.

Riverside Park is in downtown Hartford and the river is the Connecticut River. The park is big…read moreenough for lots of goings on and has several amenities for being outside in the fresh air. Boat launch, fishing access, wooded trails (be aware of your surroundings and never walk alone!), paved walkways. Plus picnic tables and charcoal grills and a large picnic shelter. A sand volleyball court, cricket and football fields, playgrounds and a bunch of interesting sculptures. There is plenty of parking including a number of dedicated handicapped spaces. Great park, lots of interesting stuff. [Review 15163 overall, 665 of 2021, number 19 in Connecticut.]

Stunning park! I've always heard such great things about this area and it was nice to finally check…read moreit out for myself. I went for a picnic and sat for a bit in the grass near Lot E. I would say this was the most peaceful part of the park as it seemed most people didn't really come out that far or if they did it was just to turn around. After we took a nice stroll through the Irish, English, and Oriental gardens. My favorite parts had to be the tree maze and hydrangea garden. I also got the chance to touch lamb ears for the first time... What an interesting experience! Can't wait to return to this park to explore more of the gardens and finally see the view of Hartford that everyone is always talking about.

I thought this would be a great place for a date, and it is beautiful, however some areas are not…read morevery well kept. The museum/nature center was very dirty, dead bugs in most of the exhibits. The gardens were beautiful, however three of the main ones I wanted to see were reserved on the day we went. I wish it was advertised somewhere which gardens are available on which day, I assume they get reserved weeks or months in advance, so it was disappointing when we assumed they were open to the public right up until we almost walked in on someone's party. Some of the other areas are very worn and need work. In addition the birds are kept is very small cages, and it broke my heart :/

The Raymond Brook Preserve is a nice little walking trail in Hebron. My friends and I walked here…read morefrom The Flour Girl Cafe & Bakery, making 10,500 steps. It would have been better without rain. The trail was very flat and easy, and wasn't particularly muddy even on a rainy day. There was a small parking lot which I imagine would be full on a pleasant day. This is a nice place to walk your dog or to go on a bike ride. The grass was pretty tall, all of the rain had given it a growth spurt, so I would stay on the trail. There is a nice stream of water passing through. I also noticed some beautiful red cardinals. There are some very old trees, that have fallen down sometime ago, and some others that are barely holding on. We had a nice walk at the Raymond Brook Preserve. I would advise anyone in the area to take a walk around here.

Nice little park with a good amount of flat, meandering gravel trailes in a few loops. Great for a…read morequick stroll or jog, and beautiful fields with a few options for sitting and relaxing. Trails are pretty wide and made of gravel. The number of flowering cherries was crazy, making for beautiful views and scents this first week of May.

Nice little hiking trail with a loop in and back around Talcottville pond. There is plenty of…read moreparking with an easily accessible trail head We made it to the area JUST before the waterfall BUT there was only a wooden plank across the rock-side with slick conditions that allowed no clear sight of the rushing water/falls. Maybe the summer will yield a safer passage to the foot of the falls. We opted in for a after trail which allowed us to overlook them instead There are abandoned and decrepit building structures that lay hidden under the earth like runes in the jungle.

Beautiful trail to take a walk on. Any time of the year would be a good time to walk here. I alway…read moreenjoy coming here for a nice walk in nature. Also plenty of parking available here.

Beautiful place! Trails are amazing. If you pay to go inside the money goes to support wildlife. We…read morehad an excellent afternoon hiking and playing in the brook.

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.

5 stars for the magnificent beauty. I had to deduct a star because the paved trail was closed. It…read morelooks like an awesome trail but I think it's closed due to hazardous water conditions based on the sign. There are three parking lots total. However, there are no sidewalks across the dam. You can walk on the grassy part of the dam, it is high and there are no railings; you can either fall into the street or down the dam face, which would probably hurt a little lol. If you bring small children, hold onto their hands. So many people are there on a nice day to gaze at the wonderful views of the reservoir and hills. Now please open up the trails, it would be an awesome place to take a walk in nature.

Picturesque, bucolic atmosphere. Limited parking areas on both sides. Today, with full sun and…read morecloudless skies, absolutely beautiful. I imagine during any type of weather, it's beautiful. Makes me want to take up painting.