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!

A park with a spectacular view!…read more Talcott Mountain State Park is a 574-acre park located in Simsbury. Parking was spacious. The trail to the Heublein Tower is 1.25-miles long. The Tower can be seen from various parts of the state. It's a beautiful, white, 165-foot high tower with 360 degrees view. The trail was wide and on gravel. There was recent heavy rains so some of the trails had some washout. The hike was mostly up hill with some flat areas; I'd say it's moderate but it was a little bit more challenging for me because I was baby-wearing my child. My toddler did great on it. There were a couple of benches and logs to sit on along the way; pet waste receptacles were seen. My only qualm were the bugs, so don't forget bug spray like we did. Once we got to the top, there were a couple of porta potties and a kiosk. The view of the tower up close was exhilarating, so much history. There was an informational movie on in the garage with benches. There was a huge picnic pavilion and picnic tables throughout; a giant BBQ pit and another small one. The Heublein Tower was beautiful and built in 1914; it can withstand 100-mph winds. The staircases going up and down were meant to be one way; this was a great way to reduce pedestrian congestion and a fire hazard. There were historic relics and rooms decorated the way it was back in the day. Informational signage throughout the space. The tower used to be the summer home for Gilbert Heublein; a successful businessman whose company acquired Smirnoff Vodka and A1 Steak Sauce. The view from the ballroom was amazing and breathtaking. They had signs showing what we can see based on the direction. The hike back down the trail was easier, becareful though, some of the gravel were slippery and I saw a kid fall. Overall, a great hike and the view was worth it!

Amazing and easy hike with the gals. The view is amazing from the top. It is a great hike to chat…read morewith people and too far from Hartford

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.

M.K. Wilcox Park is located in Bloomfield, CT. It's approximately 118 acres with about 2.3 miles of…read moretrails. There was a medium sized parking lot and a path up to the kiosk. On the kiosk, there were some information and maps of the area. There was a large lawn which would be a great spot to picnic on. I went in December so I didn't see any picnic tables, unless they put it away for the winter. There are a few hiking trails, lookout areas, and it connects to the larger Metacomet Blue Trail. I walked across the field to the yellow blazed trail entrance. Based on the map, it's a loop trail with an overlook area. At the fork, to the left goes to the overlook, to the right goes to an old chimney. The trail was pretty easy and wide. It's winter so no greenery or ticks, yay! I decided to go left at the fork and saw a large hill. It was a warmer winter day, around 38 degrees. I saw some black shadows on the hill so I stopped to investigate. I noticed it moved a little bit and I decided to zoom in on my camera; it appeared that I came across a mama bear and some cubs! So I decided to walk back to my car, very slowly. Overall, it was an enjoyable and easy hike, from what I completed. I didn't get to do the whole trail because of the Bear scare. I do look forward to going back and exploring some more, hopefully without bears next time.

My boyfriend and I were looking for a new place to hike and enjoy the beautiful weather. We…read morehappened to find MK Wilcox park while driving through Bloomfield and it is delightful! It's kind of in the middle of nowhere, which we loved because we basically had the park to ourselves; there were only three other people there during our visit. There's a flat parking lot with a Porto Pottie for visitors. You walk up a winding paved path to a stunning meadow where you find the trail map. There are four different trails (I believe) to choose from, a picnic area, and an obstacle course. We chose the yellow trail, which started flat through the meadow and then steadily inclined into the woods. The final descent was a little steep, but we ended up at a clearing with a fire pit, old fireplace, and an incredible view. We are so grateful we found this hidden gem and plan to go back to try a different trail. Highly recommend!

This is small park was donated to the town of Simsbury in 1946 by Henry and John Ellsworth; this…read morewas done as a memorial to their sister, Annie Ellsworth Schultz. This park has many types of trees and plants, located near the Simsbury Town Hall. There is no parking lot; I would park across the street at the shopping plaza. The garden is maintained by the Simsbury Beautification volunteers. There's a paved pathway through the park. A notable landmark is the gazebo, don't forget to look up at the ceiling; there is a map of all the trees in the park. There were benches throughout and a sign showing what types of trees that were planted. Overall, a cute park if you're in the area and love nature.

In the heart of Simsbury's central business district, right next to Town Hall and across the street…read morefrom J. Foster Ice Cream you will find this beautiful hidden oasis of greenery. There's a brick pathway that takes you around the property, and as I walked it this morning, I saw gorgeous landscaping, flower beds, at least six benches, a picnic table, a water fountain and a nice gazebo. One very cool feature I saw is a map legend identifying the dozens species of bushes and trees all around the park. To complete your educational experience, there are dozens of individual signs identifying the various trees and shrubs on the property. It's a destination for wedding photos and public gatherings, and its quite beautiful.

Playground review only:…read more One of the best playgrounds I've been to; it's new, clean, and big. My toddler loved it and so did I. Yes, I went down the slide a few times with my infant and he loved it too. The view from the playground was also spectacular, the rolling hills of Simsbury. This playground is located near a golf course, rink, tennis/basketball courts, and trail. I have not used those yet, so no review on those. The playground had a bunch of picnic tables under a gazebo. There were playscapes for 2-5 year olds as well as 5-12 year olds. One of the playscapes has 3 levels if you count the ground. My favorites were the green tube and red swirly slides. There is a sign to take trash out with you since there are no trash cans. I noticed an older playground down the hill but it was muddy so I didn't go in it. I liked the rubber ground with mulch; smelled really fresh lol. Overall, great playground and will be using it often.

New playground is amazing!!! Great job town of Simsbury! We had not been up there in a while and…read morewas very pleased to be welcomed by a beautiful recreational area; tennis courts, pickle ball games, swings, basketball court and of course the huge playscape! Looking forward to get on the ice and the back on the playground some time soon

A small but nicely maintained park! There were a few parking spots but most were taken the day I…read morewent. There were porta potties too which was convenient. The flower bridge was blocked off with cones due to some upcoming construction. I explored the landing which had quite a few picnic tables and benches. The brick pavers and landscaping were done beautifully. There were steps down to the river with a lovely view of the flower bridge. The town fo Simsbury hosts summer concerts here and other events. This is a lovely and relaxing place to picnic with a lovely backdrop of the Farmington River and flower bridge.

It might be one of the smallest parks you'll ever visit, but the scenery is terrific…read more You see, the park with that awkward name, "Hop Brook Landing at the Flower Bridge" is just one-half acre in size. But because it sits along the Farmington River and overlooks Simsbury's magnificent flower bridge, it will be a popular destination. This tiny park includes a pavilion, benches, bike racks, walking paths, picnic tables and access to Hop Brook for area kayakers and canoeists. We visited today, to get out of the house and take a break from being housebound by the Corona-virus. There were a few families with kids walking around, people sitting at the tables chatting, a lone kayeker in the water, and a lively group of high school age girls goofing around and laughing as they rode their skateboards in the parking lot. I can't wait until the summer when the bridge is full of flowers, when people can interact without social distancing, and when all we are living through today has become a distant memory.

Home of Simsbury Little League's six field complex…read more Beautiful fields Scoreboards Big time snack-bar with fresh hot food Covered dugouts with benches for the kids It has a swimming pool It has a skate-park It has an adult softball field. I spent many wonderful hours at Memorial Park when my sons played here. Saw them grow up from T-Ball games all the way to Babe Ruth League games. What a wonderful place............