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!

This is a great little spot on the CT River, that is quiet and relaxing. This isn't a park with…read moreactivities for kids. Pack a lunch, bring a fishing pole and get back to basics. There is plenty of open space for a gathering, if you wanted to bring some lawn games, a cooler and a grill. The grounds are always clean and there is ample parking. Unfortunately, this park is directly across from a stable. On warm days, you can not escape the smell of manure.

I really enjoy this hike. This was my first time in this particular section of Ragged Mountain…read more There's definitely a lot of interesting things to see all the old cars and the different path. Definitely enjoyed it. I think we did about 4 miles that day. I plan to go back to hike other paths in this area. I would recommend this area to go out different things to see.

I am part of GCP in which we do weekly hikes, this week we happen to go here and it was one of the…read moregood places to be, parking is plenty and has multiple loops, at the top you have great view point and can see New Heaven downtown from there. Its a 5mile hike and medium complexity.

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.

Beautiful, smooth bike trail through a wooded area that goes to Hammonasset Park and campground…read more I only wish it continued to the town of Madison as originally planned.

Great trail to run, bike and walk. The trail is not strenuous with little to no inclines. Shoreline…read moregreenway is kid friendly with plenty scenic views. It can smell during low tide, it's the price we pay for such beauty.

A beautiful free quiet preserve along the inlet allows for gentle relaxing walking trails, and you…read morecan bring your dog. It's an 18 acre natural meadow that can be explored. This acreage overlooks the Indian River, marsh and Long Island Sound in the distance. It's a quaint little gem lots of parking, adjacent to the also free McCuster Landing, a small boat dock and cupola called McCusker Landing.

Not a business, but a beautiful nature preserve that has some trails you can take. Great any time…read moreof year and a favorite for us locals around sunset. You can view lots of birds, and other native wildlife if you have the patience and fortitude to grab a chair and sit out in one of the fields. You sign in before your walk, and let it be known who is in your walking party with you. It's one of a few lovely places that you can walk on in the area. A must for nature lovers, and parents who are looking to get their children out exploring with them.

A fairly easy loop hike within a protected area that seems to get low to moderate traffic. The hike…read moreinvolves many different aspects of open land with wide cut paths to dense woods with narrow paths to very narrow paths between beaver ponds. There are no steep inclines and the hike reflects more gradual and limited inclines. The views of the water areas are plentiful and include several benches to take a break. The parking area should fit 10-12 vehicles but when we visited on a Sunday afternoon spring day there were two cars, so it does not appear to be a busy spot. One warning is if it recently rained it will be muddy in spot so dress appropriately and wear solid shoes that can stand up to mud. I would classify this hike as mostly flat and easy, so definitely bring the kids to get out and enjoy nature.