Wow what an amaizing place with breathtaking views and amaizing animals. Literally 160 PLUS acors…read moreof land at the bottom of the mountain specifically designed for the training of horses and development of happy, Disciplined, well cared for, animals from just your casual rider learning from day 1 to your more advanced rider. Seriously, come to Simsbury and just mention the farm Folly Farm and anyone will tell you.....its a town gem and here to stay! If you like animals, horse's in particular, you will love this place.

The smallest of the…read moresmall At less than one acre this is the smallest state park in the Connecticut. It is an island in the southeast part of Gardner Lake and of course it can only be reach by boat. The actually island is uninhabited and heavily wooded. Even in a kayak it difficult to find a place to land because of the rocks and trees. Once on the island it is hard to move around because it is so heavily covered with trees. A cool place to stop and take a break while yaking around Gardner Lake and the scenery is very lovely, but island isn't much else. The lake is actually quite nice and a fun place to paddle if you want something mellow without the challenge of the ocean. There is a convenient parking area and launch site at the northeast side of the lake.

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.

I have been riding at AVSS since October 2022. I began leasing my mare in January 2024, and then…read morepurchased her in August 2024. The trainers and staff at AVSS have helped me grow as a rider and helped me develop my mare as she recovered from an injury. My mare has some specific requirements for living conditions to stay sound and happy. She must live outside 24/7 so that she is able to move constantly. She does not do well in a stall. Although AVSS does not publicly offer pasture board, Emer was extremely willing to work with me to put my mare first. My mare is "fat and happy" outside. She has 24/7 access to water, plenty of hay, a bedded shed, and her shed is cleaned extremely frequently. It is a rare occasion for me to find more than one pile of poop in her shavings. As far as communication, I am informed when I am running low on supplements or lesson packages in a timely manner. This allows me to plan ahead to make sure my mare never goes without. I can call or text staff at the barn and I receive prompt responses. Additionally, lessons are high quality, professional, and informative. I have received formal HJ education for over 10 years, however I still leave every lesson feeling as though I am working towards my goals. My trainer, Sarah, is kind, encouraging, supportive, and knows when to push me to do better. I also appreciate how flexible she is due to my work schedule. The facilities at AVSS lack for nothing. It boasts an indoor arena, two outdoor sand arenas, a grass jump course (during the summer months), large stalls, a huge amount of turnout, several wash stalls, fantastic footing, good lighting and several hill jump courses. I find that the barn is clean, organized, and well run. Personally, I am extremely grateful to have stumbled upon this gem of a facility.

The worst stable experience we ever had. Filthy and the workers are treated poorly. The owner's…read morepriority is money and not much else. When our daughter returned to her previous coach, they discussed why she regressed in skill level despite having 2 private lessons and a group lesson. After purchasing a horse, the owner promised that there would be a jumper program. They charged us for my daughter to compete in a jumper class with no other rider. The team coach responsible for my daughter didn't have the skill level to ride my daughter's horse. The biggest red flag was when we went away for a week and I requested our horse to be ridden, the owner never got back to me and when I asked to meet with her, she never responded. I no longer trusted her with the safely of my daughter or the safety of her horse. When we decided to leave, she refused to come talk to us and had someone else manage the departure. We went to this barn because it partners with Miss Porter's School. I entrusted the school to vet the barn. However, after spending a week at the barn, it was unhealthy. After our incident, we have met many families whose horses were constantly going lame at Avon Valley Show Stables and the adults are poor role models for young women. The best thing we did was to leave this stable and Emer Coyne's erratic behavior. Do your due diligence!

Naugatuck Green is a town green space located in downtown Naugatuck. It's surrounded by historic…read morebuildings and businesses. There were plenty of street parking. There are memorials for veteransbwho served. There are benches and walking paths. Events and gatherings takes place there. We enjoyed walking around there. I'm loving all the historic buildings too. Overall, a lovely town green.

Warning to Others - Do Not Book Lessons Here…read more We paid $463.50 in January to Jannak (Jenna) Vullo of Seven J's Farm for a package of 10 horseback riding lessons. After taking our money upfront, she never provided the lessons. Instead, she made excuse after excuse about not being available. Months went by (it is now August) and we still have not received the service we paid for. After repeated requests, Jenna claimed she would refund us but said she could only pay us back "in payments" -- even though we paid her in full, upfront. To date, she has not refunded us. This is unprofessional and dishonest. She took our money, failed to deliver the service, and has avoided making things right. Sadly, we now see a pattern of this being a scam operation. People need to be aware: do not trust this business with your money. If she cannot provide the service, she should not be taking payments upfront. We are pursuing all necessary steps to report this. I'm leaving this review to warn others so no one else gets taken advantage of the way we did.

When I started taking riding lessons with Jenna this past fall, I had not been on a horse for over…read moreten years. Jenna helped me feel comfortable immediately, and I have already gained so much confidence from her approachable manner and wonderful lesson horses. Her care and love for the horses is evident in everything she does. Jenna is dedicated to her horses and students and to growing her business. I highly recommend Seven J's Farm.

This recreation area is also called the Riverton Ball Fields. It was built and maintained by…read morevolunteers for decades. The fields are used for youth baseball and softball. It's also right next to the river. I saw some people going down to fish. Parking was ample. There is a concession stand and restrooms but it was closed when I went. The fields looked nice maintained. There is also a playground in the complex. Overall, a nice spot for sports for the kids, in this little community.

Wow what a hidden gem!! I'd like to think I know Hartford very well, but the Charter Oak…read moreneighborhood is new to me. I started a walk at Riverfront Plaza and made my way down the path along the river. I usually will stop at the fishing spot near the train tracks but I cleared the entire path this time. I had no clue how pretty this park is!! I sat at the gazebo for a bit watching row practice before making my way up the hill and around. Coming out the park is tough if you're on foot (no sidewalks?? Come on Hartford.) so definitely not ideal. I'm looking forward to revisiting when the weather is back to being nice.

A perfect destination to take a walk along the river walkway, Charter Oak Landing is truly a local…read moregem not many recognize or appreciate. With scenic views of the Hartford skyline and the CT river, take the family out for a nice picnic. Complete with tables, a children's playground and public restrooms -- it's an easy destination to spend a Sunday afternoon chilling out, maxing, relaxing all cool! Peaceful and quiet, it makes a great place to eat your lunch and just watch the beautiful Connecticut River flow by. With plenty of free on-site parking, the paved and lighted walkways make Charter Oak Landing great training grounds too. For a challenge, start at Riverfront Plaza and loop around Riverside Park, Great River Park to Charter Oak Landing.