Cute little park. Very easy walking trails, well maintained. The bridge is great for scenic…read morephotos. Small pond with a beach. Restrooms fairly clean.

Great place to spend family time and enjoy the sun or go for walks very relaxing place to be and…read moregreat picnic grill area

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.

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!

What a beautiful place! Even in February at 25 degrees and snow on the ground. There is parking off…read moreAlbany Turnpike and in the other end of the reservoir. The land is on 3000 acres and has over 30 miles of trails and woods. They are open daily from sunrise to sunset. We walked on the road because the trail had some snow on it. My step counter said I walked about 3.1 miles in that loop. There is a water treatment facility in there with parking for employees and vendors. Once we got to the other parking lot, we got onto the paved trail and walked by a dam. Eventually, the trail becomes gravel; the view of the reservoir was stunning (see my pics). I did see some benches at the begining of the trail. There were tons of people walking, jogging, and dog walking, even in the cold. I didn't get to explore all 30 miles of trails yet but I look forward to doing so when the weather gets warmer!

If you're heading down Route 44 from the Farmington Valley toward Hartford, you'll see the sign for…read moreReservoir 6 on the left. We found over a thousand acres of some of the prettiest scenery we've seen in a long time. There is a 95% flat and non-challenging path that circles the reservoir in a 3.6-mile loop. The reservoir is gorgeous, and you'll catch glimpses of Simsbury's Heublein tower and the Hartford skyline on your walk. We ran into maybe 100 people out there today, enjoying the gorgeous weather and scenic beauty of the grounds. A lot of folks had their leashed dogs with them, everything from a huge Great Dane to a medium sized Bichon Fraise to a tiny mini Schnauzer that was being hand carried. I loved the fact that every single dog we saw (that wasn't hand carried) was both leashed and well behaved. But, I hated the fact that on two occasions, we saw a tied blue plastic bag of dog poop laying right on the center of the path. How freaking lazy and disgusting can you be? It's very odd to see the different personalities of the fellow visitors -some were super friendly and loved to chit chat, others wouldn't even make eye contact as we passed in opposite directions. Oh well..... There is a small parking lot shortly after you pull in, but if its full, no worries -just keep driving on the road and soon you'll hit a second lot on the other side of the reservoir. We saw a few MDC police cars on the grounds, so apparently, they patrol the area.

This park should be a hidden gem in Manchester. If it hadn't been riddled with trash I might have…read morecalled it as such. Manchester should do better with it's parks. Taxes are certainly high enough.

"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.

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.

What a great hiking adventure! There various trails to choose from, but all of the terrine tends to…read morebe flat. There are stairs in some locations, but I've found them to be near the waterfall and throughout various place in the trail There is a waterfall basin in the beginning of the trail in the parking lot. Various bridges and beautiful scenery. There are benches along the trails for a quick break or to watch nature and the wildlife.

Enjoyed an amazing hike here! Plenty to see! There is a bunch of different trails you can pick…read morefrom. Beautiful views of waterfalls. So much to see and do here definitely check this spot out!

This is a great park located in West Hartford. There were parking available when we went. There is…read morea pond with a ton of geese. The playground was in good shape and big. There's a big kids playscape with climbing and ladders. The little kids playground had a sandbox, swings, slides, tunnels, etc. There were benches and picnic tables as well. The pool and splash pad is adjacent and fenced in; to enter the pool, there is a fee. The splash pad has benches and a grassy area to put your stuff down. The restrooms were clean and there was a Little Free Library right near there. What I loved about the park was the ample amount of shade. Definitely a fun place to take the kids in the summer.

"I'm gonna hang out in the park, hang out after dark I'm…read moregonna be with the gang tonight" (The Ramones) West Hartford's Fernridge Park has so many nice features! We had a very enjoyable time strolling on their trails and taking in the pretty scenery around its big pond. We saw a ton of features on the park grounds - a wood bridge over the water and a splash pad, playground and playscape where the kids were having a blast. We saw families hanging out at their grills and picnic tables, plus a Little League field, basketball, volleyball, tennis courts and a big swimming pool. The leisure and entertainment opportunities here are fantastic. What a great place to relax and enjoy!