Multiple towns · Across Connecticut
Air Line State Park Trail
A former railway becomes a long ribbon through eastern Connecticut.
Open the guideExplore Connecticut / Parks & forests
Take the long way out.
Follow a ridgeline, find a waterfall, or leave an afternoon open by the water. Explore Connecticut state parks, forests and trails, one place at a time.
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96 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 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 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 guideEssex · Middlesex County
Connecticut Valley Railroad State Park
Steam rail travel is the central experience at this Essex park.
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 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 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 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 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 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 Milford · Litchfield County
Lovers Leap State Park
An iron bridge spans a dramatic narrowing of the Housatonic River in New Milford.
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 guideSimsbury · Hartford County
Massacoe State Forest
Two separate forest blocks offer different outings around Simsbury.
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 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 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 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 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 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 guideLedyard · New London County
Stoddard Hill State Park
A small riverside park overlooks the Thames River and Stoddard Cove in Ledyard.
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 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 guideMiddlefield/Middletown · Middlesex County
Wadsworth Falls State Park
Woodland routes connect different parts of this Middlefield and Middletown park.
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 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 guide