Naugatuck State Forest
Managed by Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
457 acres5.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Ferrantep2 · Public domainAOutdoors
Outdoors in Bethany
Bethany has 57 miles of mapped trails, 2.7 for every square mile of land
329 acres are parks and preserves, 62 per 1,000 residents. 11% of Bethany’s land is conserved, about 1,471 acres. The biggest trail networks: Naugatuck State Forest (5.1 mi), Town of Bethany Property (2.6 mi), Hein Trails (1.3 mi).
Ahead of 85% of U.S. towns · #61 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it
Conserved land
11%
1,471 acres · of 21.1 sq mi of land
Trails
57 mi
2.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
329 ac
62 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
38%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
863 ft
Mount Sanford
Lakes & rivers
22
1 beach
What kind of outdoors town is Bethany?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Bethany have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Bethany is ahead of 85% of U.S. towns, #61 of 155 in Connecticut. Trail miles hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Bethany’s overall grade.
Conserved land11% of the land · typical CT town 15% · U.S. 4%A−Trails2.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (57 mi) · CT 1.4 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land62 acres of park per 1,000 residents (329 acres) · CT 22 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home38% 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 85%
LessMore
Connecticut towns of 2,500+ (155)Ahead of 61%
Connecticut towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 15%; the U.S., 4%), so Bethany’s 11% is ahead of 26% of Connecticut towns, while its trails per square mile lead 89% 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 Naugatuck State Forest, with 5.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Town of Bethany Property
Nature preserve
160 acres2.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Hein Trails
Managed by Bethany Land Trust
49 acres1.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Woodward Preserve
Nature preserve
36 acres1.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Mendell's Folly Preserve
Nature preserve
68 acres1.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Ida Carrington Lowell Land
Managed by Bethany Land Trust
26 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
West Rock Ridge State Park
Managed by Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
85 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Grobe Hockanum Brook Upland Preserve
Nature preserve
27 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 21 parks & preserves
Naugatuck State Forest457 acres · 5.1 mi of trail · Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
DirectionsTown of Bethany Property160 acres · 2.6 mi of trail
DirectionsHein Trails49 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · Bethany Land Trust
Woodward Preserve36 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsMendell's Folly Preserve68 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
DirectionsIda Carrington Lowell Land26 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Bethany Land Trust
DirectionsWest Rock Ridge State Park85 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Grobe Hockanum Brook Upland Preserve27 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Van Epps Preserve6 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsBethany Bog & Lebanon Swamp64 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Yale University
Naugatuck State Forest - Mount Sanford Block18 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Town Of Bethany (Fairwood & Amity Roads)17 acres
DirectionsThe Nature Conservancy Quiddity (Owned)13 acres · The Nature Conservancy
Luke Hill Preserve13 acres · Bethany Land Trust
Podgwaite Preserve10 acres · Bethany Land Trust
Peck Pond4 acres
DirectionsKleeman/Egger/Stronk Property4 acres · Bethany Land Trust
Rodell’s Roost for Robins3 acres · Bethany Land Trust
Bethany Library Park3 acres
Edna L. Delano Nature Sanctuary3 acres · Bethany Land Trust
Hershman's Hollow2 acres · Bethany Land Trust
Who protects it
1,471 conserved acres
11% of Bethany’s land. Who manages Bethany’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
USDA easements (NRCS)128 ac
Private owners26 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits10 ac
Town or city5 ac
Not recorded1,302 ac
State Resource Management Area · 474 acPrivate Conservation · 441 acLocal Park · 155 acAgricultural Easement · 128 acLocal Other or Unknown · 126 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 128 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 51 of 54 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naugatuck State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 474 | Unknown |
| Unknown Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 385 | Unknown |
| Bethany Veterans Memorial Park Local Park | Not recorded | 155 | Unknown |
| Mendell's Folly Private Conservation | Not recorded | 69 | Unknown |
| Hein Trails Private Conservation | Not recorded | 57 | Unknown |
| Bethany Farms Trail System Private Conservation | Not recorded | 49 | Unknown |
| West Rock State Park State Park | Not recorded | 32 | Unknown |
| Bethany Bog Research or Educational Area | Not recorded | 29 | Unknown |
| Town Of Bethany (Fairwood & Amity Roads) Local Conservation Area | Private owners | 26 | Open |
| Ida Carrington Lowell Land Private Conservation | Not recorded | 26 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
12 places to go in Bethany
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Bethany
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Bethany
4 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Waterfalls in Bethany
Hopp Brook Falls
DirectionsScenic views in Bethany
2 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Bethany
Mount Sanford863 ft elevation
DirectionsBeacon Cap725 ft elevation · In Naugatuck State Forest
DirectionsHigh Rock709 ft elevation
DirectionsMeeting House Hill633 ft elevation · In Edna L. Delano Nature Sanctuary
DirectionsTrails & water
4 named trails and 22 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 1.8 miHorses · 1.1 miUnpaved · 36.3 mi
West Loop Trail0.4 mi
Big Tree Trail0.3 mi
Narrows Trail0.3 mi
Ridge Trail0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Bethany Village PondBristols PondpondDisbrow DamFairwood PondpondHockanum LakereservoirKleeman DamLake BethanyreservoirLake ChamberlainreservoirLander PondLeys PondMaylew PondMunson Road PondlakeNorthrop Road PondNorvein Hier DampondPeck PondpondTwitchell ReservoirreservoirWeingrad PondWest River PondBladens RiverSanford BrookSargent RiverWest 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
5Basketball
5Baseball
4Tennis
2Soccer
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
Wheeler-Beecher HouseBuilding · listed 1977
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Bethany: 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) | 9.5 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 36 | 38 | 46 | 58 | 69 | 77 | 83 | 80 | 73 | 62 | 51 | 41 |
| Rain (in) | 3.7 | 3.3 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 4.5 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 4.6 | 4.9 | 4.1 | 4.4 |
February is the driest month (3.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.9 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Bethany →
Next door
Bethany and its neighbors
Bethany has the second most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Hamden123 miBethany57 miWoodbridge55 miCheshire49 miBeacon Falls32 miNaugatuck24 miSeymour18 miProspect12 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethany | 11% | 2.7 | 62 | 38% | A |
| Woodbridge | 10% | 2.9 | 1 | 15% | B− |
| Hamden | 16% | 3.8 | 13 | 49% | A− |
| Prospect | 3% | 0.9 | 17 | 38% | B |
| Beacon Falls | 27% | 3.3 | 24 | 26% | A− |
| Naugatuck | 11% | 1.5 | 13 | 74% | A− |
| Seymour | 11% | 1.3 | 6 | 53% | B+ |
| Cheshire | 12% | 1.5 | 15 | 67% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Bethany
Where can I hike in Bethany?
The longest trail networks: Naugatuck State Forest, 5.1 miles; Town of Bethany Property, 2.6 miles; Hein Trails, 1.3 miles; Woodward Preserve, 1.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Bethany is conserved land?
11% 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 Bethany’s trails?
Naugatuck State Forest and Town of Bethany Property don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Bethany?
11,666 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Bethany or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 329 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Bethany have?
Ahead of 85% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #61 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 Bethany 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 →