Stunning park! I've always heard such great things about this area and it was nice to finally check…read moreit out for myself. I went for a picnic and sat for a bit in the grass near Lot E. I would say this was the most peaceful part of the park as it seemed most people didn't really come out that far or if they did it was just to turn around. After we took a nice stroll through the Irish, English, and Oriental gardens. My favorite parts had to be the tree maze and hydrangea garden. I also got the chance to touch lamb ears for the first time... What an interesting experience! Can't wait to return to this park to explore more of the gardens and finally see the view of Hartford that everyone is always talking about.

I thought this would be a great place for a date, and it is beautiful, however some areas are not…read morevery well kept. The museum/nature center was very dirty, dead bugs in most of the exhibits. The gardens were beautiful, however three of the main ones I wanted to see were reserved on the day we went. I wish it was advertised somewhere which gardens are available on which day, I assume they get reserved weeks or months in advance, so it was disappointing when we assumed they were open to the public right up until we almost walked in on someone's party. Some of the other areas are very worn and need work. In addition the birds are kept is very small cages, and it broke my heart :/

A beautiful park which has a playground for kids, trail by the water, also good to host parties…read moreduring spring/summer/fall, perfect outdoor venue, this park has a field for practice and is of a good size. Overall a great place to have fun for all age groups. Located close by the highway. This is one of my son's favorite parks in Manchester.

Great park with lots of space for kids to run around and climb. Picnic tables for snacks or to get…read moreout of the sun. There is a free library with books for kids to drop off/pick up books. They have bathrooms there, but they are not always open, so that can be frustrating if you expect it to be available and it's not. Grounds are usually clean and well cared for.

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.

Such a beautiful park! If you're coming from the main entrance there's a beautiful view of the…read moreHartford skyline over the hill. If you're walking from the plaza, you get a beautiful view of the river and trees as you make your way towards the boathouse.I love walking along the CT river no matter the season honestly, you can probably catch me there any time except dreaded January and February. I think the boathouse is so well kept and beautiful. I'd love to catch a boat launch, I'm not sure how I always miss them. I feel like it's the perfect activity for a little summer lunch since they have so many benches and tables. I'm always amazed by how big the park is when there are hella people visiting. The parking lot is huge too for those driving over.

Riverside Park is in downtown Hartford and the river is the Connecticut River. The park is big…read moreenough for lots of goings on and has several amenities for being outside in the fresh air. Boat launch, fishing access, wooded trails (be aware of your surroundings and never walk alone!), paved walkways. Plus picnic tables and charcoal grills and a large picnic shelter. A sand volleyball court, cricket and football fields, playgrounds and a bunch of interesting sculptures. There is plenty of parking including a number of dedicated handicapped spaces. Great park, lots of interesting stuff. [Review 15163 overall, 665 of 2021, number 19 in Connecticut.]

The Pinchot Sycamore Park is located below the Route 185 Bridge and along the Farmington River. The…read morepark is home to the oldest tree of its kind in CT. The park also includes a small launch on the Farmington River for canoes, kayaks, and small boats. This so-called launch is nothing more than a narrow path with large rocks sticking out of the ground, going down a hill to the river that is also very rocky. The tree is definitely worth checking out.

Tree Huggers Unite!…read more The Pinchot Sycamore Tree is located in a small park in Simsbury. The entrance to the park is very steep and in front of the traffic light, right next to the bridge. There's a small dirt parking lot and the Farmington River is adjacent to the park. There is another large tree with big rocks surrounding it. I saw a couple of trails going down to the river; a place to offload kayaks and canoes. The time I went, I saw a group of people standing/swimming in the water. Right next to the bridge, you will see the massive American Sycamore tree; the largest tree in Connecticut. The 200-300 year old tree is very beautiful and majestic. There were two stone markers in front of the tree; the tree was dedicated to conservationist, Gifford Pinchot. The tree is lit up with lights at night. Overall, a lovely place to be and reminisce about what the tree has seen throughout the years.

I love hiking trails and my brother in law recommended a stop at this trail. My wife has some…read moremobility issues and the trails we walked were hard packed and not much of an incline for her so it was perfect. Beautiful fall foliage as well. The tunnel was cool to see how it was built into the rocks . Nice parking area as well with a porta potty if needed.

Great rail trail, for hiking and bicycling. Plenty to see...brooks, hills, tunnels, bridges, plant…read morelife, and a little wildlife.

Interesting little park with a couple of environments. Much of it is a mowed grass trail through a…read morefield. There is a small trail through woods on the western side. Generally flat and easy.

I like this park. What I like about this park is that the geese like to hang out at Union Pond…read more That is cool except for water levels which are lower than I thought but though it's still a great place to relax, wind yourself and either read a book or watch the geese. Also a good place to go out for a walk as well.

This was a great trail though we didn't finish it due to time constraints It was well marked,…read morefollowed the pond shoreline and was relatively easy with a few inclines. Beautiful spots along the way to enjoy the water views. Also found two geocaches off the trail which were awesome. Parking for 4-5 cars but another lot right across the street. There is also a fairly new fitness trail over the footbridge. Not my thing but thought it looked awesome

The Great River Park is a small park right off the highway, in East Hartford. This park is right on…read morethe Connecticut River. There were a number of people fishing and some were walking. There are some picnic benches if you'd like to be the one with nature while enjoying your lunch. This park is very clean, the grass has been cut recently. There's a substantial amount of trash cans, so no one should be littering on the park. On the other side of the river is where you'll find the capital city of Hartford. With some tall insurance buildings as well as the historic Colt Armory building, that is in plain sight. This is a nice place to step outside, if you happen to be working in one of the close by offices. This however, isn't my favorite or go to park because of how noisy the highway traffic can be.

I adore walking in the park every day on my lunch. I usually walk across the bridge into Hartford,…read moreloop back and then loop down and through the park to get a bit of fresh air. The statues are cool to see during the different seasons, and it's just a nice, quiet, contemplative area to visit. My office overlooks the park too so it's cool to see what's going on if I ever need to daydream out my window.

Very nice dog park that's well maintained and they supply poop bags and fresh water source for dogs…read moreon both sides. Separate fenced areas for big dogs and small dogs. Just wood chips to update the older ones. A few older benches remove. Bring your own toys, or there are plenty always left behind from the others dogs. My dog loves to come to this park as he has so many doggie friends he looks forward to and they all play well together. There is plenty of room for your fur pups to run around and release their energy out. I usually come every day as it's a reward for my dog to come and he's a been a better dog since I've been coming here. The adults are all wonderful from around the south windsor area.

We did not bring our fur babies but we still want a fix of seeing dogs running around and enjoying…read morethemselves. Today was perfect weather and the dogs were having a great time. It is also amazing that the OLD tobacco barn is still standing near the new Bark park after the first time I saw it 35years ago and it was dilapidated then.