Multiple towns · Across Connecticut
Air Line State Park Trail
A former railway becomes a long ribbon through eastern Connecticut.
Open the guide
The Connecticut field guide
A place. A pause. A possibility.
The Connecticut beyond your everyday. Wander a park, step into a museum, find a corner you haven't met yet. Start anywhere. See where it takes you.
Follow your curiosityWest Cornwall, Connecticut · Photography credits
140 places. Countless ways to make a day your own.
Get to know the counties →Your next discovery
Find your kind of day.
140 places to explore
Barkhamsted · Litchfield County
American Legion State Forest
Rocky hills rise beside the Farmington River in Barkhamsted.
Open the guideBloomfield · Hartford County
Auerfarm State Park Scenic Reserve
Open farmland gives Bloomfield a different kind of outdoor escape.
Open the guideStorrs · Tolland County
Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry
Puppetry is treated as a visual and performing art at the Ballard Institute.
Open the guideStamford · Fairfield County
Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens
Trees, gardens and woodland routes create a green destination in Stamford.
Open the guideEast Canaan · Litchfield County
Beckley Furnace Industrial Monument
An iron furnace beside the Blackberry River opens a window into the northwest corner’s industrial past.
Open the guideUnion · Tolland County
Bigelow Hollow State Park
Ponds and deep woods define this northeastern Connecticut destination.
Open the guideWatertown · Litchfield County
Black Rock State Park
Wooded ledges frame Black Rock Pond in the western hills.
Open the guideGroton · New London County
Bluff Point State Park
A protected coastal peninsula gives Groton room to breathe.
Open the guideBolton · Tolland County
Bolton Notch State Park
A compact park sits at an important meeting point of trails and landscapes.
Open the guideEast Haddam · Middlesex County
Brainard Homestead State Park
Old homestead traces sit within an undeveloped parcel in East Haddam.
Open the guideGreenwich · Fairfield County
Bruce Museum
Art and science share a home in Greenwich.
Open the guideTorrington · Litchfield County
Burr Pond State Park
A pond that once powered manufacturing now draws walkers and paddlers.
Open the guideRedding/Bethel/Newtown · Fairfield County
C.P. Huntington State Park
Animal sculptures mark the entrance to a landscape of meadows, woodland and ponds.
Open the guideKillingworth · Middlesex County
Chatfield Hollow State Park
Rocky outcrops, pine woods and pond scenery make a varied landscape in Killingworth.
Open the guideHaddam/Chester · Middlesex County
Cockaponset State Forest
Scattered woodland parcels make Cockaponset a destination that rewards choosing a specific access point.
Open the guideNew London · New London County
Connecticut College Arboretum
A college landscape doubles as a place to study and enjoy plants in New London.
Open the guideHartford · Hartford County
Connecticut Museum of Culture and History
Objects, documents and personal stories bring Connecticut’s history into view.
Open the guideEssex · Middlesex County
Connecticut River Museum
An old waterfront warehouse holds stories of the Connecticut River.
Open the guideHartford · Hartford County
Connecticut Science Center
Hands-on exhibits make science something to investigate in downtown Hartford.
Open the guideEast Windsor · Hartford County
Connecticut Trolley Museum
Electric railway history becomes a moving experience in East Windsor.
Open the guideEssex · Middlesex County
Connecticut Valley Railroad State Park
Steam rail travel is the central experience at this Essex park.
Open the guideBridgeport · Fairfield County
Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo
Wildlife and conservation are the focus of this Bridgeport destination.
Open the guideHartford · Hartford County
Connecticut’s Old State House
A former seat of state government stands in the middle of Hartford.
Open the guideColchester · New London County
Day Pond State Park
The pond is only one part of this Colchester outing.
Open the guideNorfolk · Litchfield County
Dennis Hill State Park
An elevated former estate opens to broad views across the northwest hills.
Open the guideEast Haddam · Middlesex County
Devil's Hopyard State Park
Chapman Falls provides the dramatic center of this East Haddam park.
Open the guideRocky Hill · Hartford County
Dinosaur State Park
Fossil footprints bring deep time into focus in Rocky Hill.
Open the guideHaddam · Middlesex County
Eagle Landing State Park
A small riverfront park creates a pause along the Connecticut River.
Open the guideHamden · New Haven County
Eli Whitney Museum and Workshop
Making and experimentation are central to this Hamden workshop and museum.
Open the guideHartford/West Hartford · Hartford County
Elizabeth Park
Rose gardens give this Hartford and West Hartford park its best-known seasonal scene.
Open the guideEast Haven · New Haven County
Farm River State Park
An estuary meets Long Island Sound on the edge of East Haven.
Open the guideCheshire/Hamden · New Haven County
Farmington Canal Greenway State Park
An old canal corridor now carries walkers and cyclists through Cheshire and Hamden.
Open the guideOld Lyme · New London County
Florence Griswold Museum
An artists’ boardinghouse became the heart of the Lyme Art Colony.
Open the guideGroton · New London County
Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park
The hillside above the Thames River preserves the setting of a Revolutionary War battle.
Open the guideNew London · New London County
Fort Trumbull State Park
A substantial coastal fort overlooks the Thames River in New London.
Open the guideSalem · New London County
Gardner Lake State Park
Gardner Lake is the focus of this compact Salem park.
Open the guideHebron · Tolland County
Gay City State Park
Forest has grown around the remains of a vanished mill settlement.
Open the guideEast Haddam · Middlesex County
Gillette Castle State Park
William Gillette’s distinctive stone home sits high above the Connecticut River.
Open the guideVoluntown · New London County
Green Falls State Campground
A wooded campground sits within the larger Pachaug State Forest landscape.
Open the guideHaddam · Middlesex County
Haddam Island State Park
An undeveloped island offers a very different perspective on the Connecticut River.
Open the guideHaddam · Middlesex County
Haddam Meadows State Park
Broad riverside fields open onto the Connecticut River in Haddam.
Open the guideGroton · New London County
Haley Farm State Park
Stone walls and old farm traces remain in a coastal landscape overlooking Palmer Cove.
Open the guideMadison · New Haven County
Hammonasset Beach State Park
A long stretch of beach opens onto Long Island Sound in Madison.
Open the guideWaterford · New London County
Harkness Memorial State Park
An estate landscape meets the Sound in Waterford.
Open the guideNorfolk · Litchfield County
Haystack Mountain State Park
A stone observation tower rises above Norfolk’s wooded slopes.
Open the guideFarmington · Hartford County
Hill-Stead Museum
Impressionist paintings remain in the domestic setting assembled by the Pope family.
Open the guideMultiple towns · Across Connecticut
Hop River State Park Trail
The old rail corridor links a chain of towns east of Hartford.
Open the guideMontville/Bozrah · New London County
Hopemead State Park
A simple woodland approach leads toward Gardner Lake.
Open the guideGriswold · New London County
Hopeville Pond State Park
Pond recreation and a shaded campground share this Griswold landscape.
Open the guideSharon · Litchfield County
Housatonic Meadows State Park
The Housatonic River runs through a landscape of wooded hills and campsites.
Open the guideSharon · Litchfield County
Housatonic State Forest
Steep ridges and river valleys give this forest its varied character.
Open the guideEast Hampton · Middlesex County
Hurd State Park
Wooded slopes rise from the Connecticut River in East Hampton.
Open the guideShelton · Fairfield County
Indian Well State Park
A waterfall and gorge sit near the Housatonic River shoreline.
Open the guideWashington · Litchfield County
Institute for American Indian Studies
Indigenous history and culture are explored through exhibitions and educational programs in Washington.
Open the guideHampton · Windham County
James L. Goodwin State Forest
Forest education is woven into this Hampton destination.
Open the guideTorrington · Litchfield County
John A. Minetto State Park
This Torrington park carries the name of a Connecticut legislator associated with the development of Route 8.
Open the guideKent · Litchfield County
Kent Falls State Park
A series of cascades drops through the hills above the Housatonic Valley.
Open the guideSouthbury · New Haven County
Kettletown State Park
Wooded trails rise above Lake Zoar on the Housatonic River.
Open the guideMiddletown · Middlesex County
Kidcity Children’s Museum
Imaginative play gives this Middletown museum its character.
Open the guideKent/New Preston · Litchfield County
Lake Waramaug State Park
Hills enclose a lake landscape in the Litchfield area.
Open the guideBerlin · Hartford County
Lamentation Mountain State Park
A steep section of Connecticut’s traprock landscape rewards hikers with elevated views.
Open the guideMiddlebury/Naugatuck/Oxford/Southbury · New Haven County
Larkin State Park Trail
A former rail corridor threads through four western Connecticut towns.
Open the guideNew Haven · New Haven County
Lighthouse Point Park
A lighthouse and historic carousel mark the entrance to New Haven Harbor.
Open the guideNew Milford · Litchfield County
Lovers Leap State Park
An iron bridge spans a dramatic narrowing of the Housatonic River in New Milford.
Open the guideNew London · New London County
Lyman Allyn Art Museum
Art collections and changing exhibitions create a cultural stop in New London.
Open the guideKent · Litchfield County
Macedonia Brook State Park
A brook valley gives way to steeper ridges in this Kent park.
Open the guideMoodus · Middlesex County
Machimoodus State Park
Meadows, woodland and river overlooks share the landscape in Moodus.
Open the guideMansfield · Tolland County
Mansfield Hollow State Park
A reservoir landscape stretches between woods and open water near Mansfield.
Open the guidePomfret · Windham County
Mashamoquet Brook State Park
Woodland trails connect unusual rock formations with local history in Pomfret.
Open the guideMashantucket · New London County
Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center
Pequot history is told through exhibitions, research and cultural interpretation in Mashantucket.
Open the guideSimsbury · Hartford County
Massacoe State Forest
Two separate forest blocks offer different outings around Simsbury.
Open the guideWaterbury · New Haven County
Mattatuck Museum
Art and regional history meet in downtown Waterbury.
Open the guideDurham · Middlesex County
Millers Pond State Park
A spring-fed pond sits amid rocky woodland in Durham.
Open the guideBozrah/Montville · New London County
Minnie Island State Park
A tiny island in Gardner Lake is Connecticut’s smallest state park.
Open the guideGoshen/Cornwall · Litchfield County
Mohawk State Park/Forest
Mountain views and a distinctive black spruce bog give Mohawk a varied natural character.
Open the guideColumbia · Tolland County
Mono Pond State Park
A shallow pond anchors this Columbia conservation landscape.
Open the guideSterling/Plainfield · Windham County
Moosup Valley State Park Trail
A retired railway follows wetlands and the Moosup River toward the Rhode Island line.
Open the guideLebanon · New London County
Mooween State Park
The shores of Red Cedar Lake once hosted Camp Mooween.
Open the guideLitchfield · Litchfield County
Mount Tom State Park
A stone tower crowns the hill above Mount Tom Pond.
Open the guideMystic · New London County
Mystic Aquarium
Marine animals bring ocean science into view in Mystic.
Open the guideMystic · New London County
Mystic Seaport Museum
Ships, waterfront buildings and museum galleries tell different parts of a maritime story in Mystic.
Open the guideNaugatuck/Oxford/Beacon Falls · New Haven County
Naugatuck State Forest
Multiple forest blocks follow the Naugatuck River valley.
Open the guideLyme · New London County
Nehantic State Forest
Ponds and forest trails create a quieter inland outing near the lower Connecticut River.
Open the guideNew Britain · Hartford County
New Britain Museum of American Art
American art provides the through-line at this New Britain museum.
Open the guideWindsor Locks · Hartford County
New England Air Museum
Aircraft and aviation stories fill hangars near Bradley International Airport.
Open the guideNew Haven · New Haven County
New Haven Museum
New Haven’s history becomes more legible through the objects and stories gathered here.
Open the guideStafford Springs/Union · Tolland County
Nipmuck State Forest
A large stretch of northeastern woodland surrounds ponds, rugged trails and camping areas.
Open the guideTolland · Tolland County
Nye-Holman State Forest
The Willimantic River runs through a forest shaped by a history of timber use.
Open the guideNew London · New London County
Ocean Beach Park
A beach and boardwalk create a classic New London shoreline destination.
Open the guideDerby · New Haven County
Osbornedale State Park
A former estate brings woodland, local history and environmental education together in Derby.
Open the guideVoluntown · New London County
Pachaug State Forest
Connecticut’s largest state forest spreads across several eastern towns.
Open the guideBloomfield · Hartford County
Penwood State Park
A wooded ridge above Bloomfield offers a nearby escape from the Hartford area.
Open the guideBarkhamsted · Litchfield County
Peoples State Forest
The Farmington River valley provides the setting for this Barkhamsted forest.
Open the guideRedding · Fairfield County
Putnam Memorial State Park
The remains of a Continental Army winter encampment lie within this Redding park.
Open the guideThompson · Windham County
Quaddick State Park
Quaddick Lake is the center of this northeastern park.
Open the guideCromwell · Middlesex County
River Highlands State Park
High bluffs give an elevated view of the Connecticut River in Cromwell.
Open the guideNiantic · New London County
Rocky Neck State Park
A sandy beach, salt marsh and wooded trails share the shoreline in East Lyme.
Open the guideWoodstock · Windham County
Roseland Cottage
A pink Gothic Revival house creates a memorable landmark in Woodstock.
Open the guideKillingly · Windham County
Ross Pond State Park
Pond access and wooded slopes connect this Killingly park with neighboring Old Furnace.
Open the guideHebron/Marlborough/Colchester/East Haddam/East Hampton · Tolland County
Salmon River State Forest
A covered bridge and river valley give this forest a distinctive sense of place.
Open the guideSprague/Baltic · New London County
Salt Rock State Forest
A former farm landscape now provides wooded camping near the Shetucket River.
Open the guideNew Hartford · Litchfield County
Satan’s Kingdom State Park
The Farmington River narrows through a gorge at this New Hartford recreation area.
Open the guideEnfield/East Windsor/Somers · Hartford County
Scantic River State Park
River corridors and traces of former industry link this park’s separate sections.
Open the guideWaterford · New London County
Seaside State Park
A former sanatorium estate faces Long Island Sound in Waterford.
Open the guideLyme · New London County
Selden Neck State Park
An island in the Connecticut River carries a name that suggests a peninsula.
Open the guideStafford/Somers/Ellington · Tolland County
Shenipsit State Forest
Soapstone Mountain is a focal point in this forest spanning Stafford, Somers and Ellington.
Open the guideWestport · Fairfield County
Sherwood Island State Park
A broad coastal park gives Westport a public meeting place with the Sound.
Open the guideMilford · New Haven County
Silver Sands State Park
A boardwalk crosses a landscape of beach, marsh and dunes in Milford.
Open the guideNorwich · New London County
Slater Memorial Museum
Plaster casts of major sculptures make art history tangible in Norwich.
Open the guideHamden · New Haven County
Sleeping Giant State Park
A long traprock ridge forms Hamden’s familiar sleeping profile.
Open the guideSouthbury · New Haven County
Southford Falls State Park
A waterfall and covered bridge create a small scenic destination in Southbury.
Open the guideNew Fairfield · Fairfield County
Squantz Pond State Park
Steep wooded hills frame Squantz Pond beside the Candlewood Lake area.
Open the guideNorwalk · Fairfield County
Stepping Stones Museum for Children
Play and learning come together at this children’s museum in Norwalk.
Open the guideLedyard · New London County
Stoddard Hill State Park
A small riverside park overlooks the Thames River and Stoddard Cove in Ledyard.
Open the guideHartford · Hartford County
Stowe Center for Literary Activism
Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Hartford home anchors a place devoted to writing and social change.
Open the guideSimsbury · Hartford County
Stratton Brook State Park
A former railroad corridor passes through a wooded park in Simsbury.
Open the guideEast Haddam · Middlesex County
Sunrise State Park
A former resort site now opens onto the Salmon River in East Haddam.
Open the guideSimsbury · Hartford County
Talcott Mountain State Park
Heublein Tower rises above the Farmington Valley at the end of a woodland climb.
Open the guideRidgefield · Fairfield County
The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum
Contemporary art gives this Ridgefield museum an ever-changing character.
Open the guideNew Canaan · Fairfield County
The Glass House
Philip Johnson’s transparent house is one part of a larger designed landscape in New Canaan.
Open the guideNorwalk · Fairfield County
The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk
Long Island Sound is the central subject at Norwalk’s aquarium.
Open the guideHartford · Hartford County
The Mark Twain House & Museum
A richly detailed Hartford home puts Samuel Clemens’s family life and writing into a physical setting.
Open the guideEast Haven · New Haven County
The Shore Line Trolley Museum
A preserved shoreline trolley route connects transport history with the marsh landscape near East Haven.
Open the guideLitchfield · Litchfield County
Topsmead State Forest
An English-style cottage sits among meadows and gardens in the Litchfield hills.
Open the guideDurham/Wallingford · Middlesex County
Tri-Mountain State Park
An undeveloped section of the Metacomet Ridge is reached on foot.
Open the guideHartford · Hartford County
Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
A castle-like museum building opens onto a broad history of art in downtown Hartford.
Open the guideMiddlefield/Middletown · Middlesex County
Wadsworth Falls State Park
Woodland routes connect different parts of this Middlefield and Middletown park.
Open the guideWethersfield · Hartford County
Webb Deane Stevens Museum
A group of historic houses helps tell the story of early American life in Wethersfield.
Open the guideWilton/Ridgefield · Fairfield County
Weir Farm National Historical Park
An artists’ landscape survives around the home and studios associated with J.
Open the guideHamden/New Haven · New Haven County
West Rock Ridge State Park
A long ridge gives New Haven a dramatic western horizon.
Open the guideWallingford/North Haven · New Haven County
Wharton Brook State Park
Sandy knolls and a small pond create an outdoor pause near Wallingford and North Haven.
Open the guideLitchfield · Litchfield County
White Memorial Conservation Center
A nature museum provides an introduction to the wider White Memorial landscape in Litchfield.
Open the guideManchester/East Hartford · Hartford County
Wickham Park
Themed gardens and broad landscape views share this park near Manchester and East Hartford.
Open the guideStorrs · Tolland County
William Benton Museum of Art
The University of Connecticut’s art museum adds a gallery stop to a visit to Storrs.
Open the guideSuffield · Hartford County
Windsor Locks Canal Trail State Park
A historic canal towpath runs beside the Connecticut River.
Open the guideWindsor · Hartford County
Windsor Meadows State Park
Riverfront land in Windsor connects boating access with walking and cycling routes.
Open the guideNew Haven · New Haven County
Yale Center for British Art
British art and the architecture of Louis Kahn meet across from the Yale University Art Gallery.
Open the guideNew Haven · New Haven County
Yale Peabody Museum
Natural history becomes a way to see New Haven on a much longer timeline.
Open the guideNew Haven · New Haven County
Yale University Art Gallery
Art from different cultures and periods fills a connected group of buildings on Chapel Street.
Open the guideFriends of Nomade
A few local connections.
The local conversation
SUP New Haven
Restaurants, events, neighborhood stories and ideas for your next day in New Haven. A local perspective to take along as you explore.
See what's happening in New HavenLife outside your door
RJ Landscaping
Landscaping and property care from RJ Property Management LLC, serving the New Haven area. Meet a local team working on the outdoor spaces people come home to.
Explore landscaping and property care