Staff was very nice! Good prices. Took the pedal boat out for an hour and got a good workout! Nice…read moreviews of the mountains when you're in the lake.

First you should know that Rainbow Reservoir is not at 2 Walters Way, and that is a PRIVATE Road…read moreabout three houses before the entrance to the boat launch ramp. Rainbow Reservoir is a part of the Farmington River, and thus the blue algae bloom that happens in very hot years with low rainfall is not due to the very few land owners with property abutting the reservoir. There are miles and miles of the river that starts in Massachusetts, the longest portion of which is the West Branch, making the river a total of 84 miles long. Along all these miles, the river abuts all kinds of different properties from farms to industrial and residential. I am not saying that folks with abutting properties to Rainbow Reservoir don't contribute to the problem, but they are a drop in the hat compared to everything else that line the miles of the Farmington River. Another point I would like to mention is about the draining of Rainbow Reservoir. This is not done by "the town" as one reviewer said, and in fact even officials of DEEP have told me the State of Connecticut has very little control over the dam due to grandfather clauses. The dam is the property of the Farmington River Power Company, (the sole reason there is a reservoir in the first place, is because they built the dam in 1928 to make hydroelectric power). The power company drains the reservoir to do maintenance on the dam and turbines, and seemingly have little regard for the eco system damage they may or may not be doing. They also have little regard for the boaters and loath the land owners that line what they call "The Pond". Those of you who complain about the "high powered boats" may like to know that those folks have been using Rainbow Reservoir to ski on since the early 70's, a time when nobody used it to kayak the reservoir, and there were very few other folks using the reservoir. The reason the skiers continue to use "The Rez" is that it is one of the best places in CT to water ski and barefoot waterski due to the flat calm water. Those who waterski on Rainbow Reservoir actually have boats that purposely make small wakes for skiing, (which is obviously better for kayaks), and are geared down to pull skiers, not go fast. These skiers co-existed with fisherman in boats very well for years, because they both wanted the same thing, calm flat water. Now that anybody can be on the water with a cheap kayak, the kayakers, (aka new comers), complain about the boaters, and fill the long parking spots designed for vehicles with trailers, with single cars, with no regard to the fact that they are using a spot designed for a trailer rig, even when they kayak in groups with multiple cars and could stack their cars in one or two of the trailer spots to use less spots. They pay no boat registration fee that goes to building and maintaining boat launch ramps, nor do they pay anywhere near the property taxes and other taxes the boaters do on their rigs that go towards boating and fishing. Kayakers also need to realize that Rainbow Reservoir is a river and it is generally narrow, so 90% of the boaters use the Res in a counter clockwise direction for safety reasons, thus they do not want to veer off course to avoid a kayak and hit an oncoming boat instead. By trying to kayak down the middle of the reservoir, often in large groups spread 3 or 4 kayaks wide, on the wrong side, they put themselves and others in a dangerous position. If they would stay closer to the edges, and stay single file as the boaters generally do, it would be much safer for all. One last point that a kayaker probably doesn't think of, and that is draft. Rainbow Res has a lot of shallow spots, and the boaters cannot go everywhere it might seem like they could to the average person. These folks know Rainbow, and know what their boats draw for water. They have to stay in that "channel" so to speak. By the way, so that you don't think I'm anti kayak by this review, let it be known that we own four kayaks, one for each family member, and I sell them for a living as well. Share the water, there's room for everyone if we want to be respectful towards one another.

July 2016. I am downgrading the spot to 3 from 4. I have been seeing parasites on the fishes…read morecaught here. Most recent trip m, 4?sun fish & one bass, everyone of them got parasites. Either yellow like grain of rice type or tiny black spots in meat. Do not eat fishes caught at rainbow reservoir! If you like fishing, I am sharing my fishing spot especially because I need to write good & useful Yelp reviews :) My spot is to the left of the rainbow reservoir boat launch. The boat is infrequent but the jet ski is a bit annoying to fishermen. However, the spot is productive if you can cast far enough, there is a steep drop off that goes down about 15-20 feet, all kinds of fish there. I've taken my kids there many times, caught sun fish, bass, carp, catfish etc. all at the same spot. Don't eat the bass!!! High Mercury content. Ok to eat sunfish & carp, but carefully check the fish for parasite as I've seen them last year, they look like little grain of rice but yellow in color, yikes! Other than that, it's really fun spot to take the kids & you can BBQ right there as well!

Historical gem right on the Connecticut. Good family fun, swimming, tennis, picnics, and an…read moreamazing Gatsby-esque ballroom!! Members can join for family member ships and there are several types to suit any type of individual or people. Boating slips are nice and perfect spot for boat watching on the river.

When I was growing up in the late 1950's , my parents got our family a membership at the Holyoke…read moreCanoe Club. I am very happy to see that is still in existence . During the summer they had evening dances for teenagers with jukebox music. My parents went to a number of adult dances. At least a couple of times on weekends my parents took my brother and me to go swimming and brought food. At dinner time we walked probably a hundred yards from the pool and had a meal in their picnic grove near the Connecticut River. Then went for an evening swim between 6-8 pm before going home. At that time the membership was about $150 per year for the family. My father would bring the car home at lunchtime so my mother could take my brother and me to their pool, sometimes I brought one of my best friends.If it has been maintained as well as the pictures show, it is well worth visiting to learn more about their current membership levels. I am very glad to have been able to go there. Roger in San Antonio Texas

I received the wrong size seat covers for my Crest Pontoon Boat, I was directed to a Crest…read moredealership to order replacements. I left voice messages that were ignored. Finally my call got through and the owner, Kurt, picked up. Kurt was extremely kirt. Spoke over me and just so rude. I was in tears after the call. I reached out to Crest Pontoon direct. It seems only way to get the protective seat covers is through Kurt. Problem is he wants me to pay to have my boat brought to his location because the covers need to be made because they have none in stock. Why would I need to pay to have my boat towed 100 miles to get something I already paid for. I would NEVER do business with this bully.

We recently met with Kurt to research Crest boats. Both he…read moreand his young teammate Andrew had fantastic customer service skills, and he was extremely knowledgeable and friendly. ​

This park was a staple for my family and I growing up in the area! It's a playground and dog park…read morecombined by a large field that stretches the entire street. The street parking nearby is free, and there are bike racks for anyone that needs them. The neighbors in that area were always very kind to me, but it's also important to be aware of their families and privacy. It's not a place for large group gatherings or non-residents to host events. There are water fountains, waste disposal, and lots of seating, but there are not picnic tables or public restrooms. It's a beautiful park and I always make it a stop on my walks!

Have past by the Mill Pond Park crossing over the bridge with my former 4H'r on our way to the Fair…read moreGrounds. Often thinking, this Historic Mill Pond and upstream stretch of the Scantic River must be tackled. That day finally arrived. A later Monday afternoon in July. Should be quiet. Wrong, the Park was bustling. Busy with Park goers: Nature people by the pond, one person enjoying their laptop on a shaded picnic table, kids on the playscape, other kids fishing with a parent and some with a grandparent, and then there were the kayakers loading and others unloading bound for and some returning from the same adventure. A great Small Town feeling. I unloaded and hiked my kayak & gear down to the boat ramp. Chatted with a few, the usual, the great weather, did you fish, how far did you go or plan to go. Public Safety Notice: 1. The upper side of the Mill Dam is dangerous and boaters are warned to stay clear. 2. If you're a first timer like I was, bring a GPS to track your route out and back. There are many dead-end coves and depending on the water level numerous ways to lose the River. There are Orange markers/blazes to follow the River Trail. 3. Wear your Personal Flotation Device (PFD). The Pond, in July was weedy and there was a great deal of surface algae in sections of still water. The main flow of the Scantic was fairly clear and on this trip the water level allowed easier passage across sunken or semi-sunken obstacles. Yes, bugs abound, but so do fish for anglers and foul for watchers.

I found this Walk and Bikeway while staying nearby for business. I always like trails and nature…read morewalks and I saw this was not too far from the hotel I was staying at. It follows the Connecticut river both north and south. I went North both times and encountered some peaceful scenes of the river and bridges going across it. I also found a Belted Kingfisher which we find sometimes in Florida during the cooler months in the NE. It was nice to see and appreciate the vast territory the Belted Kingfisher has. It does follow a highway and a railroad. That being said it was pretty quiet for the time I was there. There is opportunities for fishing, boating, or simply relaxing along the river. I didn't like the amount of trash along the river, and along the path. I did my part to pick some of it up while I was in town.

East Brimfield Lake, also known as, Long Pond. It is a nice, lightly developed body of water along…read morethe Quinabaug River Canoe (Kayak) Trail. The Lake/Pond is frequented by fishermen, canoeists, and kayakers. It's easily paddled along the circumference, just watch for a few shallow stones and stumps. The entire body of water covers approximately 420 acres. There are three sections, North, Middle, South. North to Middle requires a short portage across a narrow bridge. Middle to South is passable below a Route 20 over pass. The South section leads further to the South on the River Trail. We usually park on the North side of Route 20 at a public boat launch and cast off into the Middle Section.