Beautiful scenic nature with hidden gems throughout! Definitely a great place to bring the fur…read morebabies to have a swim! The park is clean and litter free Just be careful as some of the areas near the "island" are dirty and littered partially due to wash up and rising/sinking water levels. This is the only part that is concerning.

was looking for a picnic spot to eat some sandwiches and saw on there sign there was a picnic area…read morebut the gates were closed and we saw people walking with there dogs, seemed like nice spot. until we started to walk in the direction of the pinic spot and it was a very very far walk and it was very cold, we gave up on walking to the picnic spot and we ate on the road instead. would not recommend going if the gates are closed and the weather is cold.

The parking along the route isnt obvious, except for cars along a guardrail. There are 2 separate…read moreentrances from there, mostly obscured by overgrowth of bushes. The stairs lead down to what used to be an open picnic area, tables, grills, now quite a bit overgrown. The "falls" are simply a creek that flows along the picnic area, with a few small cascades, all under 5-6 feet tall. There is a trail that goes along the other side of the creek, and it then moves up & away from the creek into woods. That trail is ok, and eventually leads to a quirky rock formation where it's clear people either party and/or camp out and leave trash around. Like other comments, this place is in dire need of TLC by the state and better care by people who use it.

Lots of falls…read more Seven Falls is a small park with some interesting geology. I'm not sure why it is called seven falls because it really has only three or maybe four. Perhaps in the past more falls were visible and if you look closely at the geomorphology it is obvious that the water level was once much higher and carved out a channel through the rocks. The present falls are small, only five or so feet high and in times of drought the water level slows to a trickle. Because of all the recent rain the water was flowing pretty good when I took the pictures and in the winter the falls freeze and looks pretty impressive. No swimming is allowed but of course people still go in the water. The area around the falls has picnic tables and places for a fire. Most people think of this as a picnic or rest area but there are some hiking trails to the north of the falls. Nothing really exciting, just a few dirt paths up the side of the hill. One particularly interesting feature is a small hole in the side of the falls that was carve out by a rock spinning around during times of extreme water flow. Seven Falls isn't worth going out of you way to see, there certainly are far more impressive waterfalls in Connecticut. But for someone in Haddam that is interested in Geology or just wants a pleasant place to have a picnic it's worth a stop.

What a beautiful place! Even in February at 25 degrees and snow on the ground. There is parking off…read moreAlbany Turnpike and in the other end of the reservoir. The land is on 3000 acres and has over 30 miles of trails and woods. They are open daily from sunrise to sunset. We walked on the road because the trail had some snow on it. My step counter said I walked about 3.1 miles in that loop. There is a water treatment facility in there with parking for employees and vendors. Once we got to the other parking lot, we got onto the paved trail and walked by a dam. Eventually, the trail becomes gravel; the view of the reservoir was stunning (see my pics). I did see some benches at the begining of the trail. There were tons of people walking, jogging, and dog walking, even in the cold. I didn't get to explore all 30 miles of trails yet but I look forward to doing so when the weather gets warmer!

If you're heading down Route 44 from the Farmington Valley toward Hartford, you'll see the sign for…read moreReservoir 6 on the left. We found over a thousand acres of some of the prettiest scenery we've seen in a long time. There is a 95% flat and non-challenging path that circles the reservoir in a 3.6-mile loop. The reservoir is gorgeous, and you'll catch glimpses of Simsbury's Heublein tower and the Hartford skyline on your walk. We ran into maybe 100 people out there today, enjoying the gorgeous weather and scenic beauty of the grounds. A lot of folks had their leashed dogs with them, everything from a huge Great Dane to a medium sized Bichon Fraise to a tiny mini Schnauzer that was being hand carried. I loved the fact that every single dog we saw (that wasn't hand carried) was both leashed and well behaved. But, I hated the fact that on two occasions, we saw a tied blue plastic bag of dog poop laying right on the center of the path. How freaking lazy and disgusting can you be? It's very odd to see the different personalities of the fellow visitors -some were super friendly and loved to chit chat, others wouldn't even make eye contact as we passed in opposite directions. Oh well..... There is a small parking lot shortly after you pull in, but if its full, no worries -just keep driving on the road and soon you'll hit a second lot on the other side of the reservoir. We saw a few MDC police cars on the grounds, so apparently, they patrol the area.

Beautiful hiking trail! Muddy in the beginning, so wear hiking boots or shoes with good grip. The…read moreoverlooks are amazing and worth every minute. About 1 hour and 20 minutes to and from The caves. Rugged terrain towards the caves Not for the beginner, so plan accordingly. Snacks, water and maybe a walking stick

Trail has some lovely views, some steep up and down sections but no actual rock scrambling…read morerequired, and if you plan ahead you can find the elaborate rock etchings done over 200 years ago by patients of an 18th century small pox inoculation center! Also, when I went most recently, somebody built a pretty sick rope swing in the woods. Not sure how safe it is, but if it doesn't crap out on you it's a nice little adrenaline rush if you start your swing at the tree branch. Now for some tips to get the most out of your hike: Pro tip #1: if you're doing this as an after work hike, park yourself at Alliance Occupational Health and catch the trailhead across the street. Can't speak as to whether this would be ok during their normal business hours tho. Pro tip#2: go to the local library where they can provide you with a map on how to find hospital rock, just off the trail, with stone carvings made 200 years ago. -side tip- bring flour with you to dust the rocks with so you can make out thyme carvings better for pictures Pro tip #3: Bugspray.

This is a decent local trail. It has some nice views. Very easy, nice for a leisurely walk. Small…read moreparking lot and there's a seperate handicap parking lot, it is a handicap accessible trail so that's nice. Lots of people on bikes and with their dogs. Definitely a trail everyone can use. Only downside is there are lots of little flies so it can be a little annoying. Definitely recommend using bug spray.

I really enjoy this trail. Depending on which section you are on is depending on the beautiful view…read moreyou have. If you take the Hanover Pond Trail, you will have a beautiful view of the pond. If you're fortunate enough to catch the sunrise here it is stunning. When you follow through this trail, you will have the pond you for a little while and then you get to see some woods and yes, you do see the back of homes and the schools, but it doesn't take away from your journey. If you take a gorge trail, you get a nice view of the river and the trees with all of the mountainside.

The Air Line State Park Tail is really quite spectacular, one of the best biking trails, scenery…read morewise, that I've been on. It's a rails to trails project, and the southern section of the trail starts at Main Street in East Hampton, and runs all the way to Windham, all off road (except for one short section going under Highway 2.) The path is all gravel/dirt, so it's good for hikers as well as cyclists. There seem to be a lot of trails that have sections that utilize the Air Line Trail, on the day we rode there were quite a few people, but not so many that it was a traffic issue. The first section from the Cranberry Bog down to Salmon River is mostly downhill, which is of course fun going one way, but a little challenging on the way back, just something to keep in mind difficulty wise. There's a fantastic variety of scenery along the way, from cuts blasted through rock with water dripping, to high-level viaducts, and marshy bog areas, and tree lined paths. The time of year we rode was early spring, but I imagine it is pretty gorgeous in the autumn when the colors are turning. There's lots of parking all along the route, so if you're someone who likes to hike/ride sections of trail, you'll have plenty of places to go from. My only main complaint and the reason for 4 stars instead of five is that there is not a single bathroom along the trail at all. Not even a porta at one of the larger parking lots. This is a huge oversight in my opinion, and something the State Parks should really consider remedying.

Wonderful place to get fresh air, exercise-whether jogging, walking, biking, snow shoeing! The…read morelength of the course is perfect for the "weekend warrior" (and can be tailored to your fitness level). Whenever I went biking, there were always families, more serious athletes, and recreational folks like me just wanting to get fresh air and exercise. It seems to be well kept in that new gravel is laid down annually, as well as trees are cut to keep the trail safe and free of debris. The scenery is breath taking, especially in the fall where you can see the pretty colors. You can Chart how far you want to stay on the trail as it continues to Windham.

Excellent CT State Park with a number of trails with varying degrees of difficulty. The White Bar…read moreTrail is the longest, around a 55 minute hike, perhaps the most difficult but only in certain spots. There is one area on that trail with a 104ft 35° verticle ascent which will get your heart pumping, the rest of the White Bar is fairly easy. Because the Park is predominantly a hardwood forest the best time to hike would be in the Fall foliage season. This place is a gem, don't miss it..!!!

River Highlands State Park is made for people like me. People who say they like to hike, but who…read moredon't want to work super hard. People who expect a hike to provide some kind of natural payoff, but who don't want to work super hard for it. From the time you park, it takes about 15 minutes (with a dog who likes to sniff everything) to transverse the forest and reach a part of the trail with a Connecticut River view. The way there winds up and down, over and around - but never too suddenly. When you reach the CT River, the trail splits and you can go north along the River or south. The trail at that point is fairly high relative to the River. Hence, the name of the State Park is (1) "River" because the trail is adjacent to the CT River, (2) "Highlands" because you are on high land. Explosion! Mind blown emoji! In my experience, River Highlands is never too crowded. The parking lot is small, but I've never seen it full. I've encountered families, couples, dog walkers, mountain bikers and sight-seeing birds. You know - the usual. May be best to avoid this park when professional golfers are in town. Four Stars.

Having read much about the mysterious Moodus noises, my curiosity lead me here on a surprisingly…read morecool morning, with hiking boots on my feet, and a day pack on my back. There was entrance fee, and plenty of parking; so, it seemed I was off to a good start. I chose to hike the upper vista "trail" in the beginning, making my way back via the lower vista trail. You'll notice that "trail" is in parenthesis, for the reason that this is not a trail at all; it's a dirt road. That in itself would prevent any hiking area from receiving a a five, or even a four, star rating from me. In any event, it was a moderately steep ascent; but, not so much that I felt the need to stop for a rest. There was an adequate forrest canopy, providing plenty of shade. The forrest had the appearance of being dense on each side; but alas, the constant sound of traffic let me know better. Another star gone Upon reaching the summit, I noticed a number of picnic tables and benches. Although this area seemed well maintained, the view of the Connecticut river below was partially obscured by rather tall fauna. Continuing on, I immediately found myself descending on the lower vista trail, which, at this juncture, is as advertised, indeed being a narrow, winding trail. To my dismay, I noted several improvised footpaths, clearly made in attempt to avoid zig zag patterned descent. The descent itself was all to short; and, I again found myself on the lower fork of that same dirt road. All in all, it felt as if it took longer to drive there then it took to hike the main loop, leaving me to ponder whether or not I should have brought my fishing poll, instead. To extend the hike, chose to branch off the main trail, on to the yellw, then blue, to make a wider loop. At one point, I glanced a rooftop through the trees wondering if that was part of once abandoned town of Johnsonville, that I been told was visible from the trail. Maybe it was; maybe, it wasn't. All in all, this was a pleasant, but unremarkable, hike. If your kids are in reasonably good shape, this is a great place to bring them. Your dog is welcomed as well; in fact, I jokingly commented one fellow hiker that felt out place, not having brought a dog of my own. But wait! You say. The mysterious noise! Did you hear it? Well, at one point I did hear what sounded like the roar of a Civil War reenactment cannon. Unfortunately, that sounds a lot like the sound of a dumpster lid slamming against a garbage truck as it's lifted from the ground; and given the constant sound of traffic, I'd say either is plausible.

Maybe this is just me, but I don't feel the entrance is clearly marked from the road. There is an…read moreentrance and an exit sign, but I was looking for a state park sign and plum drove right past it the first go-round. But I made it... Parking lot is a good size, and there was a porta potty on the far side. Now, when you're in the parking lot, there is a trail to the left ambling downward, and a trail going up that leads to a paved parking lot with a few creepy boarded up houses, paved parking lot, and (at the time) a bunch of cherry pickers. It used to be a SOMETHING because there are overgrown basketball courts to be seen. This is not part of the park, although a friendly native let us know how to pick up a trail back into the park. Moral of our story - when you're in the parking lot, pick the trail ambling down, not up. Once you're in the actual park and not a mile out of your way, it's lovely. The trails are well maintained, lots of signage about how far you are from what lookout and the parking lot. There are also cute little fairy doors and elements, surely a magical place! I didn't see any picnic benches, but if you bring a blanket the lower overlook is very picnic worthy!