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.

This gem is quite a bit off the beaten path. If you travel off season, which we do most of the…read moretime, you are rewarded with a serene nature experience, and relatively few fellow humans. It is dog friendly. From April to September the water is comfortable, with a pleasant sandy bottom. There seems to be a path all the way around the lake, but we've never gone that far. You are expected to carry your trash out to the parking lot, where you will find the only toilet facility in the form of a porta potty. Always a great place to lose the stress.

This was our first visit to Millers Pond, and we had a great experience. I printed the map from…read morethe DEEP web site first and checked out the comments and reviews on AllTrails app. We picked a route that would give us about a 3 mile walk and headed out. The parking lot wasn't very full when we arrived, but there are a lot of no parking signs on the road leading up to the park so I can only guess it must get really busy in the nicer months. We did a nice loop around the pond, there was mild terrain to navigate and with spring on its way, but the leaves not fully out yet the views were beautiful. We'll come visit again for sure, looks like there are a lot more trails to explore.

Amazing destination for mountain biking! I've been riding at Tyler Mill for years and the place is…read moreamazing!

while the site is nice, the aggressive, unpleasant, and generally trashy crews intended to maintain…read morethe place ruin the environment. I was hoping to find a place to take my dog where we could enjoy the day, instead we were verbally accosted by some nasty old woman. Go somewhere else, it's clear the locals absolutely do not want you there.

I love the accessible trail here! It is a mostly shaded trail made up of compressed gravel or wood…read moredecking. A little over 1 mile long, the trail meanders through the forest past tall trees and a small brook. There are several benches and lookouts along the trail to sit and relax. Also, a few of the wooded trails connect to the accessible trail for those who want to extend their walk. The trail is open even when the Nature Center is not. Leashed dogs are welcome.

Wallace Barnes Nature Trail is a 1.1 mile, fully accessible trail behind the Barnes Nature Center…read more There were plenty of parking spots when I went. It is a level boardwalk with some crushed stones throughout; people can use wheelchairs, strollers, walkers, etc. It goes through the woods so there were plenty of shade. I love that it has benches and shelters, for a quick rest. Those shelters overlooked a stream and field. There are informational signs throughout giving facts about the area. This trail also connects to 5 other trails; those trails are: Elmer's Way 0.5 mile Blue Trail 0.7 mile Yellow Trail 0.2 mile White Trail 0.3 mile Purple Trail 1.2 mile My children and I thoroughly enjoyed this very easy walking trail. We are a fan of boardwalks so it was enjoyable and pleasant. There were a few others out enjoying the trail also. I look forward to going back and checking out the other trails as well as the nature center. The nature center was closed when I went (Tuesday) but opens Thursday through Saturday 10-4 and Sunday 12-4. I highly recommend it!

Love hiking here! Great views, beautiful forest, easy parking, dog friendly.read more

We've made a couple of visits to the Salmon River State Forest since we moved to CT. There are a…read morecouple of parks and trails that go through the forest - The Air Line Trail and Day Pond State Park are both inside the forest, and the Salmon River Trail goes through it, around Day Pond park and over to the Comstock Covered Bridge. The trails are well maintained and well signed, and this is overall a great place to spend time hiking or fishing.

Great scenery and great trails. Watch where you walk as the terrain can be slippery due to the…read morefallen leaves and rocky paths. The paths are marked with a variety of different colors so be weary as to which paths you are on.

"I'm just a child of nature I don't need much to set me…read morefree" (Lennon/McCartney) The 200-acre Hoppers Birge Pond Nature Preserve, known locally as "the Hoppers" is part of the Bristol Park system. You'll see a big beautiful lake, and most likely a fisherman or two, like we saw today. Besides the lake, their 200 acres has lots of things for a child of nature to enjoy - glacial gashes and depressions in the earth, an old Colonial charcoal pit, and half a dozen walking trails. It was unseasonably cold today, so we didn't do too much exploring besides walking around the lake and its boardwalks. It really looks like a terrific place to visit, but I was kind of disappointed at the number of beer cans, beer bottles, and nip bottles tossed around the walking path by lazy inconsiderate cretins. Maybe a few strategically placed trash cans would have helped.

When looking for a place for a quick walk and a picnic, we were excited to check out Filley Park…read more Although the park is quite small, it was really enjoyable to walk around the wooded trail before walking around the pond and gardens. The wooded loop trail is probably about half a mile and the walk through the garden is probably another ~.15-.25 miles; both are mostly flat. There are tons of benches and a few picnic tables to enjoy the scenery and do some birdwatching. We visited on a Sunday afternoon and the park wasn't too busy. We were able to find a picnic table, that was pretty clean, and enjoy a picnic lunch. All-in-all, we really enjoyed our time and we will definitely be back on a regular basis as it's conveniently located in between all of our errands.

Tremendous progress has been made in the reclamation and renovation of Filley Park…read more When I first visited and posted in 2013, the place was a mess. The Pond was full of silt, and needed to be excavated and restored. Massive populations of ducks and geese had done their things and fouled up the area. When I next visited in 2018 a lot of progress had been made. I saw all sorts of construction activity, heavy equipment, and big piles of dirt and gravel. Improvements to sidewalks, landscaping, and lighting were underway, as was the dredging and refilling of the Pond. And when I visited yesterday, I saw much more! The sidewalks and benches and seating areas are finished. The Pond looks great, The ducks and geese are mostly gone, and a few straggles were clustered way off to the side. There's still some construction equipment on site, and excavation continues, but the overall progress is quite remarkable. We walked around the Pond as far as we could and took a stroll on some of their hiking trails.

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.