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!

This 787-acre park was established in 1944 and connects with Talcott Mountain State Park, which is…read moreacross the street. Curtis H. Veedor donated the land to the state and asked for it to be preserved the way it was. Most of the trails were blazed by him. The parking lot was large. There are multiple trails including the Metacomet Trail and picnic areas. I took the first trail I saw behind the gate, which was the blue blazed trail. The trail was on an incline and paved; there was a bunch of potholes so it looked like it was never kept up with since it was originally paved. However, aside from the pot holes and rocks, it was a peaceful and easy hike. I saw a couple of people on it with their dogs. Overall, a decent hike with some good views!

BLUE TRAIL ONLY…read more "Forty Miles of Bad Road" was a rock and roll instrumental and #9 hit for Duane Eddy in 1959. Now, bad roads don't necessarily have to be 40 miles long. And bad roads don't necessarily have to even be a conventional road. For example, a bad road can actually be a paved hiking path within a State Park. Within Penwood State Park's 800 acres you will find a wide variety of trails -blue, red, orange white, purple and yellow. The blue trail, also known as the Metacomet Path, runs straight up the park's gut like a North to South central artery. We walked a few miles of it this morning. First we parked in the main lot on Route 185, pretty much on the Bloomfield/Simsbury Line. The blue trail is flat and wide and paved, so it's an easy low impact hike for out of shape beginners like us. We started off with some pretty water views of Gale Pond and the back yards of some nice properties. But as we walked deeper into the tree line, we were very taken by the terrible conditions on that paved path. Cracked pavement, crumbling pavement, missing pavement, deep holes in pavement, etc. I couldn't tell if it was plain old wear and tear or frost heaves or water damage or old age, but the trail had some abysmal sections that seemed plain old hazardous to me. So you'd better keep a sharp look out if you value the health of your ankles. There were a few sewer or drain covers rising above the trail's surface like sea creatures or the shells of mutated turtle monsters. The hazards were spray-painted yellow, so someone is aware of their dangers. For a State Park, I sure expected better conditions on that trail.

Backledge Falls is an 80-acre park with hiking trails, a pond, and yes...a waterfall. You'll find…read moreit on Route 93 (Hebron Ave) just on the Glastonbury side of the Glastonbury-Hebron line. There's a small parking lot at the trailhead. The trail is rather thin and has an extraordinary number of rocks and tree roots, so you really have to keep your head down and watch where you're going. Streams crisscross the park, so that explains why we found three small wooden bridges to help us navigate the wetlands. Two of those bridges had no railing, and one (a Boy Scout project) had a nice Trex railing, but just on one side. It was 81 degrees yesterday, but the high tree cover kept direct sunshine off of us for pretty much our whole time out there. There are some pretty steep inclines that had me huffing and puffing and thank the lord we had our hiking poles for balance and leverage. We walked most of the Blue and White trail, which is marked, but the paint is fading and in need of a refresh. We met around half a dozen groups of hikers, and each group was nicer and friendlier than the one before.

It was a beautiful late November day and perfect for a hike. Blackledge Falls is right in town…read morethough I've only been one other time after a snowfall. The hike is fairly easy with a small incline but a lot of small rocks on the "blue-white". As it was November, leaves covered the trail and made some spots slippery. The falls themselves were disappointing ... more like a dribble than a falls but it was still a nice walk in the woods. Perhaps springtime after the thaw is the better time to come if seeing a waterfall is your goal.

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.

"Leave your cares behind come with us and find The pleasures…read moreof a journey to the center of the mind" (Ted Nugent and the Amboy Dukes) Center Springs Park is a serene and beautiful park smack in the center of Manchester. During our stroll around the park, we found a nicely maintained walking path cutting through the greenery and up to the park's free Disc Golf course. Just show up and shoot a round, as long as you bring along your own discs. The centerpiece of the park is a six-acre pond with three water fountains shooting streams of water high into the air. There were two long boardwalk bridges over the lake which gave us some nice views of fish and ducks hanging out in the lake. Throw in a playground, a gazebo/pavilion, picnic space, and some public art sculptures, and you have everything you need to spend some relaxing time in a pretty location.

Beautiful and peaceful place with lots of fish , fun experience . However I think it would be a…read morelittle better if they cleaned the algae around the fishing dock Aside from that it's a pretty fun place to fish and have a picnic .

Well maintained hiking trails. Beautiful and scenic whichever way you decide to hike. Make sure you…read morewear proper fitting as the terrain can get rocky and steep in some areas. If you are lucky enough to find the falls, it's worth the hike!

Another visit to this state park though this time we only walked our dog around a small section…read more There were a number of people sitting around enjoying the nice weather or having a quick lunch at one of the numerous picnic tables. We will be back

Crandall Park has a lot going on for a little park in a small (at least population wise) town…read more Tennis courts, playscapes/swings, baseball fields, soccer fields, volleyball, pavilions, hiking/biking trails, including a fairly short handicap-accessible (and stroller friendly) paved path through the woods, ponds/fishing, rentable rec hall/cabin, a beach with a pond/swimming area and float, restrooms, plenty of paved parking. I wouldn't suggest driving too far to visit, but it's a good place overall for a quick bit of afternoon activity for anyone fairly local. The trails are admittedly confusing at times if you go into the back areas due to too many hikers and clearly mountain bikers creating their own alternate routes, but the park is small enough that you should be fine even if you get lost. Bring some water and a cell phone just in case, and ideally print out or take a picture of the trail map if you start in a location where there's a sign. The trails are also notably non-rewarding other than in terms of getting out in the woods get getting exercise. The park also feels generally safe, and the paths and trails are wide enough (particularly the main ones near all the amenities, that you can easily pass people, walk multiple people side-by-side, etc.

Clean,fun park off of I-84 in Tolland Ct. most notably this park contains a trail for ADA,…read moreproximately 6/10 of a mile all paved for those that are unable to ambulate!

Beautiful hike, not too hard, but not necessarily for beginners either. I wood bring water and good…read moreshoes

I hosted a birthday hike at Quarry Park and brought a bag of spray paints- we had a blast! The hike…read moreis fair, not easy but not difficult. The graffiti was beautiful art. The only downfall is that we put bug spray on, but I came home with 42 mosquito bites- but I will go back when there's not as many mosquitoes!!