Yale-Myers Forest
Managed by Yale School Forests
1,826 acres12.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 3.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Ashford
32% of Ashford’s land is conserved: 7,930 acres
55 miles of mapped trail cross Ashford, 1.4 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Yale-Myers Forest (12.6 mi), Natchaug State Forest (5 mi), June Norcross Webster Scout Reservation (4.5 mi). 18% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 77% of U.S. towns · #97 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it
Conserved land
32%
7,930 acres · of 38.8 sq mi of land
Trails
55 mi
1.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
88 ac
21 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
18%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
1,188 ft
Snow Hill
Lakes & rivers
31
3 beaches
What kind of outdoors town is Ashford?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Ashford have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Ashford is ahead of 77% of U.S. towns, #97 of 155 in Connecticut. Conserved land holds the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Ashford’s overall grade.
Conserved land32% of the land · typical CT town 15% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (55 mi) · CT 1.4 · U.S. 0.4APark land21 acres of park per 1,000 residents (88 acres) · CT 22 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home18% of residents within a half mile of a park · CT 57% · U.S. 72%C−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 77%
LessMore
Connecticut towns of 2,500+ (155)Ahead of 38%
Connecticut towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 15%; the U.S., 4%), so Ashford’s 32% is ahead of 94% of Connecticut towns, while its trails per square mile lead 53% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Yale-Myers Forest, with 12.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Natchaug State Forest
Managed by Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
1,467 acres5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
June Norcross Webster Scout Reservation
Managed by Boy Scouts
954 acres4.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail sign
Nipmuck State Forest Laurel Sanctuary
Nature preserve
297 acres3.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Friedman Memorial Forest
Managed by Joshua's Trust
134 acres2.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Josias Byles Sanctuary
Managed by Joshua's Trust
68 acres1.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Rankin Preserve
Managed by Joshua's Trust
83 acres1.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Pinkham Preserve
Managed by Joshua's Trust
52 acres1.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 23 parks & preserves
Yale-Myers Forest1,826 acres · 12.6 mi of trail · Yale School Forests
DirectionsNatchaug State Forest1,467 acres · 5 mi of trail · Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
DirectionsJune Norcross Webster Scout Reservation954 acres · 4.5 mi of trail · Boy Scouts
DirectionsNipmuck State Forest Laurel Sanctuary297 acres · 3.2 mi of trail
Friedman Memorial Forest134 acres · 2.2 mi of trail · Joshua's Trust
DirectionsJosias Byles Sanctuary68 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · Joshua's Trust
DirectionsRankin Preserve83 acres · 1.5 mi of trail · Joshua's Trust
DirectionsPinkham Preserve52 acres · 1.5 mi of trail · Joshua's Trust
DirectionsLanghammer Town Forest81 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
DirectionsChurch Farm Center for Arts and Sciences146 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · Eastern Connecticut State University
DirectionsChurch Farm Preserve69 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · Joshua's Tract Conservation and Historic Trust
DirectionsIron Mine Valley Preserve53 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Joshua's Trust
Tinkerville Brook Preserve41 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Joshua's Tract Conservation and Historic Trust
DirectionsKnowlton Hill Preserve52 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Joshua's Trust
DirectionsHole in the Wall Gang Camp195 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Fliegel Farm Woods5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Joshua's Trust
Colts Pond Road Preserve30 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Joshua's Trust
DirectionsPompey Hollow Park28 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsNipmuck State Forest297 acres · Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Ashford Memorial Park33 acres
DirectionsEastern Connecticut Sportsman Club27 acres
Haberman Haven12 acres · Joshua's Tract Conservation and Historic Trust
Ashford Town Green1 acres · Town of Ashford
Who protects it
7,930 conserved acres
32% of Ashford’s land. Who manages Ashford’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Private owners1,159 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)554 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits205 ac
Other state land101 ac
Not recorded6,415 ac
Private Conservation · 2,407 acState Resource Management Area · 2,153 acResearch or Educational Area · 1,792 acConservation Easement · 777 acAgricultural Easement · 554 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 900 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 103 of 108 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yale Forest Research or Educational Area | Not recorded | 1,792 | Unknown |
| Natchaug State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 1,640 | Unknown |
| Unknown Conservation Easement | Not recorded | 1,172 | Unknown |
| June Norcross Scout Reservation Private Conservation | Not recorded | 946 | Unknown |
| Nipmuck State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 300 | Unknown |
| Camp Connri Private Conservation | Not recorded | 265 | Unknown |
| Natchaug State Forest (Old Forest Management Area) State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 212 | Unknown |
| Friedman Memorial Forest Private Conservation | Not recorded | 133 | Unknown |
| Quinebaug Highlands Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 131 | Unknown |
| Ayers Gap Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 74 | Closed |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
29 places to go in Ashford
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Ashford
3 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Ashford
6 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Ashford
1 waterfall without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in Ashford
Snow Hill1,188 ft elevation · In Nipmuck State Forest Laurel Sanctuary
DirectionsSky Hill1,086 ft elevation
DirectionsWestford Hill951 ft elevation
DirectionsTurkey Hill889 ft elevation · In Yale-Myers Forest
DirectionsSharpe Hill879 ft elevation
DirectionsGrass Hill820 ft elevation
DirectionsPumpkin Hill791 ft elevation
DirectionsBucket Hill712 ft elevation
Directions4 more peaks
Horse Hill702 ft elevation
DirectionsSpooner Hill682 ft elevation · In Natchaug State Forest
DirectionsPerry Hill673 ft elevation
DirectionsKnowlton Hill656 ft elevation · In Knowlton Hill Preserve
DirectionsPicnic areas in Ashford
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Ashford
Brialee Family Campground
DirectionsCamp CONNRIThe Salvation Army
DirectionsPlus 2 campgrounds without a name on the map.
Trails & water
31 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Armitage N. PondsArmitage PondpondAshford LakereservoirBrowns PondBuck PondreservoirGoss PondreservoirHappy Acres Pond/Rychlings PondreservoirHarakleys PondreservoirKidder Pond LowerKidder Pond UpperKlecak PondKnowlton PondreservoirKnowlton Pond BrooklakeKovaleski PondpondLake ChaffeereservoirLipps PondMoritz PondreservoirPaine PondreservoirPoole Pond/Pearson PondreservoirSabo PondreservoirSmiths PondStowell PondSustek PondpondUpper Colts PondUpton DamUpton PondlakeWarrenville PondWestford No 1 DampondWestford No 2 DamZaicek PondreservoirMount Hope River
Biking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
3Basketball
3Tennis
1Beach volleyball
1Softball
1Baseball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →4 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Ashford: May to September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 35 | 38 | 46 | 58 | 69 | 77 | 82 | 80 | 73 | 62 | 50 | 40 |
| Rain (in) | 3.7 | 3.1 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.9 | 3.9 | 4.5 |
February is the driest month (3.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.9 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Ashford →
Next door
Ashford and its neighbors
Ashford has the second most mapped trails of the 5 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashford | 32% | 1.4 | 21 | 18% | A− |
| Eastford | 49% | 1.5 | 52 | 13% | A− |
| Willington | 11% | 1.1 | 77 | 29% | A− |
| Chaplin | 38% | 1.5 | 141 | 49% | A |
| Union | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Ashford
Where can I hike in Ashford?
The longest trail networks: Yale-Myers Forest, 12.6 miles; Natchaug State Forest, 5 miles; June Norcross Webster Scout Reservation, 4.5 miles; Nipmuck State Forest Laurel Sanctuary, 3.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Ashford is conserved land?
32% of its land, against a typical 15% for a Connecticut town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Ashford’s trails?
Yale-Myers Forest and Natchaug State Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Ashford?
18,131 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Ashford or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 88 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Ashford have?
Ahead of 77% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #97 of 155 in Connecticut. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Ashford neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →