Burr Pond State Park is a very beautiful and peaceful park. The pond is the showstopper here, hence…read morethe name. Driving up to the park was enjoyable; there's a big hill with a small waterfall you can see from the street. The parking area was a decent size but I can see it being packed in the summer and on weekends. The park is on 438-acres and the man-made pond is 85-acres. Popular recreational activities in this park are hiking, fishing, swimming, and boating. The pond was created in 1851 to help produce power buy building dams. There are two trails within the park; 2.5-mile blue blazed Walcott Trail which goes around the pond and 2-mile John Muir trail which goes through multiple parks. The beach is quaint but does the job on a hot day rather than driving an hour or so to the beach. There were so many picnic tables throughout; definitely a nice area for picnics. There is a seasonal boat rental and concession stand. If you want to go boating, there is a boat launch. We went in the winter for an event, the parking lot was packed so they were offering shuttles. The park was beautiful in the winter with the pond being frozen. There were people ice fishing and playing on the ice. I went recently on a spring weekday, temperature was perfect and the place was quiet. We walked on the trail and it was lovely with the view of the pond. Overall, a great park and will be there as often as we can.

"Don't say a word Don't say anything…read moreDon't say a word I'm not even listening You better watch your step" (Elvis Costello) Trust the Mayor. You'd better watch your step as you're walking the three mile trail that circles Burr Pond, or you'll end up face first on the dirt trail with a broken ankle. The dirt trail sure has its share of dangerous tree roots and rocks, followed by relatively hazard free stretches to walk. You sure get some gorgeous views of the water! We saw people fishing, swimming by the small beach, a big group hanging out by picnic tables playing salsa music, and two dog owners whose well behaved dogs were swimming in the pond. The trail itself is flat with just a handful of inclines, but most of those inclines are tree trunk related. It really is a lovely park.

This was a really nice hike I took recently. My cousin took me here and mentioned was a popular…read morespot to hike and swim at. It was so cool to walk through the trail with all the fall leaves and there wasn't anyone around at all so was able to enjoy nature (went in the middle of the week). The weather was perfect and cool which worked out as I did sweat. I was able to make it to the tower and had a really nice view around with the trees and the water. There is a beach too but we only drove passed it (looked really nice). For the tower just watch your head as there are spots, including going outside, you have to duck. It is a short trail up to the tower but be aware some spot can be a bit challenging to climb with going up hill and rocks. It did rain prior and was a bit slippery too but gotta watch your footing regardless. Overall this was a great place and would absolutely come back.

A great place for a short hike and the view at the top is stunning. It's a relatively short hike,…read morebut as you can see from the pic, a little goes a long way. It's a nice place to escape into nature.

The Litchfield Green has a lot of history - I believe this is where King George stood before the…read morestatue was melted down during the Revolution. Now it's about two islands of grass with a few plaques and benches, surrounded by shops and a chaotic traffic system. There is an information booth that is staffed I believe more in the week. The Green has summer concerts, bring your own chair, and an annual craft fair. Parking is most okay, but when there's an event or summer weekend it's packed. There is a parking lot behind the storefronts, and now that the pandemic is over there are separate roads to enter and exit. (The pandemic saw the exit sacrifice for outdoor dinning, and getting out became a very careful drive) Cops do like to sit on the Green for stopping and cell phone citations, and will judge the drivers on whether they look like they belong. They do give that game away when they ask how long you've lived in a lower income city, and not only have you never lived there, they're literally reading your license with a completely different address. That's not really the fault of the Green itself though.

First time exploring this charming town, rich with history, Litchfield, CT…read more The Litchfield Town Green is a long park in the middle of the town center, going west and east. The park is split up into three sections, West Park, Center Park, and East Park. It is surrounded by restaurants, shops, religious buildings, historic homes etc. There are benches, Cival War cannon, memorials for the Cival War, World Wars, Korean, and Vietnamese wars. There were plenty of street parking throughout the area. The area was bustling with traffic and people. Overall, from first impressions, Litchfield gave me that charming New England town feel; their town green was also just as lovely.

While Daffodils aren't my favorite flower, I can appreciate seeing their fields of yellow, letting…read moreme know spring has sprung. My friend and I drove to Laurel Ridge Park to see the bloomed Daffodils. The drive to the park was a long road through the woods. Parking is along the road. The walk is very flat and easy. Picking of the Daffodils is not allowed. You may admire them, take pictures of them, or use them as a background of your photoshoot. The Daffodils come in a few shades of yellow. Some are bright yellow, leaning towards orange, some are lighter yellow and some are in between. The prettiest part of Laurel Ridge is the little pond. In the center of the pond is a tiny "island" filled with the yellow flowers. If you'd like to experience the beauty of the Daffodils at Laurel Ridge, don't wait too long. They aren't likely to stick around past April.

This is a lovely place to visit and take pictures. We went yesterday (4/6/2026) It was sunny and…read morechilly out. The daffodils are starting to bloom. I a couple of weeks it will be spectacular!

I really enjoy hiking this location, especially in the winter. There is a train trestle that…read morecollects giant icicles. That's really cool to look at. We did the Pinney Loop which is just under 4 miles. The trail was obviously covered in snow as we had hiked January 1.

What goes great with a hike is coming with a group of friends and/or family, and Steep Rock…read morePreserve brings it all. It's worth the trip from surrounding areas for a weekend get-together or definitely the holidays. Free parking is provided with plenty of spaces to park. The trail map is provided at the beginning of the hike, or looking online and printing it out. Very useful to have on the whole journey. The main hiking trail is a gravel trail that parallels the Shepaug River from the parking lot, where cars pass through and also horses, which I found quite interesting. There are also dirt trails along the way with different colors (see map or online). Some highlights of coming here are checking out the old train tunnel, a bridge that crosses the river (which is wobbly, so be careful), and Steep Rock Summit, which can be tiring but well worth the climb with a decent view of the Clamshell section of the Shepaug River Valley. Bring snacks and a lot of fluids, it's needed according to the big map.

Hello Rapunzel!…read more Built in 1929, this 34-foot tower is a must visit. It's about a 1 mile hike up with a slight incline. I was able to do it with my kids. Once you get to the tower and climb to the top, you can see the Litchfield hills, Berkshires, and even NY on a clear day. There is a parking area and the place was pretty quiet when we went. There was a couple of people but overall it was peaceful and not crowded at all. If you love history, hiking, and landmarks, this is worth a visit.

A picturesque State Park. The tower and the pond are worth a visit. The trail leading up to the…read moretower has a few steep sections but it's manageable. There are interesting features to see, lots of Mountain Laurels (late May early June blooms) and old stone walls. There are a few picnic tables spread throughout the park. It's a calm park in a very beautiful part of Connecticut. Definitely worth a visit. The tower has excellent panoramic views.

This was our 3rd hike this week, and by far the best one I've done in quite awhile. We chose the…read more3.5 mile (yellow) trail which started off along the river, past an old quarry and up to 2 vantage points (one mostly obscured). The trails are well maintained and clearly marked throughout. It starts off along the river and then moves along through series of hills of moderate height. It takes around 2 hours to complete, and the varied scenery makes it the whole trip a joy. We will definitely be back in the fall to see it again with more colorful foliage.

"Sixteen miles to seven lakes way up among the pines In some…read morehidden valley where the twirlin' river twines" (Gordon Lightfoot) Hidden Valley is beautiful - a quiet and tranquil oasis of peaceful solitude. It covers over 900 acres with wooded scenery, hiking trails, gorgeous river views, and a very cool wooden timber suspension bridge known as the Thoreau Bridge. The bridge was the high point of our visit. It spans 134′ across the Shepaug River. We saw a few photographers stationed on the bridge snapping away in search of a perfect photo of Mother Nature' majesty. Spread across the bridge's handrails and a bench at the base of the bridge are etched quotes from Henry David Thoreau's essays. The inscription on the bench contains what is perhaps Thoreau's best-known passage: "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived."

I forget where this park is, but it's on the quieter side of Torrington near Litchfields entrance…read moreto Route 8. It's very quiet even though the grounds have a dog park with oodles of balls. The actual rainbow bridge is maybe a quarter mile from the park entrance in the woods. In addition to the bridge, there are other monuments and memorials with a picnic bench and chairs. The vibe is very serious even with all the color. The bridge is not over a body of water. It would be a nice place to mourn and see how much love there was for people's dogs and cats.

"She's gone, she's gone I'm just left here all alone…read more she's gone and I'm lonely" me and my dog" (Andre Williams) I did some quick research and found that 71% of U.S. households--that's about 94 million homes--own at least one pet. And when their short lifespans take them away from us, that loss has become a phrase -they "crossed the rainbow bridge". There is a real rainbow bridge and pet memorial behind the John Toro Sports Complex located at Davis Passway in Torrington. There is outstanding signage to guide you there. The first thing you'll see as you approach is an archway where you'll be greeted by sitting statues of a dog and a cat to welcome you. As you walk along the path, you'll see placards with names of dogs and cats that have "crossed the bridge" with loving words from their owners. As you walk deeper into the memorial, it gets very emotional. I saw a lifelike statue of a smiling Yellow Lab happily sitting while leashed to a bright red fire hydrant, there's a Pawprint Memorial Garden with cast pawprints honoring family pets. And then there is the bridge itself, yes, a real-life Rainbow Bridge painted in the striped colors of the rainbow. The sides of the bridge are covered with photos of dogs and cats with their leashes and collars left by their owners. The bridge was the brainstorm of a local Eagle Scout who thought of and oversaw the project, gathering funds from local pet owners and sponsors. The bridge and Pawprint Garden are a tranquil and very lovely place to remember our four-legged friends that enriched our lives with their companionship and unconditional love. It helped us remember Clyde and Maggie, and the distinctive little ways they enriched our lives and made us smile every day.