US-6 Corridor
Managed by State of Connecticut;Town of Coventry;Town of Andover;Town of Bolton
145 acres4.6 mi of trail
Yellow BlazesOrange Blazes
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Sphilbrick · CC BY-SA 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Bolton
Bolton has 38 miles of mapped trails, 2.6 for every square mile of land
558 acres are parks and preserves, 115 per 1,000 residents. 12% of Bolton’s land is conserved, about 1,077 acres. The biggest trail networks: US-6 Corridor (4.6 mi), Bolton Notch State Park (2.8 mi), Lombardi Ridge Preserve (2.4 mi).
Ahead of 89% of U.S. towns · #46 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it
Conserved land
12%
1,077 acres · of 14.4 sq mi of land
Trails
38 mi
2.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
558 ac
115 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
47%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
5.6 mi
5.6 mi paths
Highest peak
758 ft
Whites Hill
Lakes & rivers
11
1 beach · 2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Bolton?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
A trail town2.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 96% of U.S. towns.Room to roam115 acres of park per 1,000 residents; the typical U.S. town has 13.Land that stays wild12% of the land is conserved; a typical Connecticut town, 15%.History along the way4 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Bolton have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Bolton is ahead of 89% of U.S. towns, #46 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 Bolton’s overall grade.
Conserved land12% of the land · typical CT town 15% · U.S. 4%A−Trails2.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (38 mi) · CT 1.4 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land115 acres of park per 1,000 residents (558 acres) · CT 22 · U.S. 13AParks close to home47% 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 89%
LessMore
Connecticut towns of 2,500+ (155)Ahead of 71%
Connecticut towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 15%; the U.S., 4%), so Bolton’s 12% is ahead of 31% of Connecticut towns, while its trails per square mile lead 88% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A− 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 US-6 Corridor, with 4.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Bolton Notch State Park
Nature preserve
130 acres2.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Lombardi Ridge Preserve
Nature preserve
98 acres2.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail signWebsite ↗
Gay City State Park
Nature preserve
182 acres2.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail sign
John S. Risley Memorial Park
Nature preserve
81 acres2.1 mi of trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Bolton Heritage Farm
Managed by Town of Bolton
122 acres2 mi of trail
Bolton Heritage Farm Connector
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Herrick Memorial Park
Nature preserve
83 acres1.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Porter Howard Watershed Land
Managed by Town of Manchester
202 acres1.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 24 parks & preserves
US-6 Corridor145 acres · 4.6 mi of trail · State of Connecticut;Town of Coventry;Town of Andover;Town of Bolton
DirectionsBolton Notch State Park130 acres · 2.8 mi of trail
DirectionsLombardi Ridge Preserve98 acres · 2.4 mi of trail
DirectionsGay City State Park182 acres · 2.3 mi of trail
DirectionsJohn S. Risley Memorial Park81 acres · 2.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBolton Heritage Farm122 acres · 2 mi of trail · Town of Bolton
DirectionsHerrick Memorial Park83 acres · 1.9 mi of trail
DirectionsPorter Howard Watershed Land202 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · Town of Manchester
Bobcat Woods Community Forest80 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · Bolton Land Trust
DirectionsBox Mountain Forest35 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
Edith Toomey Clark Property51 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
Freja Park18 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Town of Bolton
DirectionsCastlerock Lane28 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Bolton Land Trust
DirectionsBlackledge Marsh Preserve20 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Bolton Land Trust
DirectionsTown of Bolton Land40 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Hop River State Park Trail90 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsAndover Sportsmens Club58 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Gorton Family Preserve59 acres · Bolton Land Trust
Bolton Open Space46 acres · Town of Bolton
DirectionsIndian Notch Park31 acres
Bolton Meadows/Tumblebrook Drive19 acres · Bolton Land Trust
Duhaime Preserve8 acres · Bolton Land Trust
Bolton Lake Boat Launch & Dam8 acres
DirectionsLydall Watershed Land3 acres · Town of Manchester
DirectionsWho protects it
1,077 conserved acres
12% of Bolton’s land. Who manages Bolton’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State conservation98 ac
Town or city48 ac
Not recorded1,027 ac
State Park · 316 acPrivate Conservation · 244 acLocal Other or Unknown · 235 acState Recreation Area · 188 acAgricultural Easement · 86 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 37 of 40 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown Private Conservation | Not recorded | 288 | Unknown |
| Gay City State Park State Park | Not recorded | 177 | Unknown |
| Bolton Lake Lower State Recreation Area | Not recorded | 153 | Unknown |
| Rose Farm Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 103 | Unknown |
| John and Frederica Johnson Memorial Camp Private Conservation | Not recorded | 53 | Unknown |
| Bolton Notch State Park Scenic Reserve State Park | Not recorded | 52 | Unknown |
| Notch Pond Rear State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 44 | Unknown |
| Hop River State Park Trail State Park | Not recorded | 44 | Unknown |
| Hop River State Park State Park | Not recorded | 43 | Unknown |
| Indian Notch Park Local Park | Town or city | 29 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
14 places to go in Bolton
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Bolton
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Bolton
2 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Bolton
Lower Bolton Pond Boat LaunchIn Bolton Lake Boat Launch & Dam
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Bolton
7 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Bolton
Whites Hill758 ft elevation
DirectionsCampgrounds in Bolton
John and Frederica Johnson Memorial CampBoy Scouts
DirectionsTrails & water
5 named trails and 11 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 5.8 miUnpaved · 20.6 mi
Yellow Blazes2.8 mi
Old Bailey Trail0.4 mi
Orange Blazes0.3 mi
Bestway Trail0.2 mi
Bolton Heritage Farm Connector0.2 mi
Biking & sports
5.6 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
5.6 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
5Tennis
4Softball
4Soccer
4Pickleball
3Basketball
3Baseball
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 Bolton: 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 | 10.5 | 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 | 59 | 70 | 77 | 82 | 81 | 74 | 62 | 51 | 40 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 2.9 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 4.0 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.7 | 3.9 | 4.4 |
February is the driest month (2.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.7 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Bolton →
Next door
Bolton and its neighbors
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bolton | 12% | 2.6 | 115 | 47% | A |
| Manchester | 18% | 3.7 | 22 | 97% | A+ |
| Vernon | 19% | 1.7 | 22 | 96% | A |
| Andover | 23% | 1.0 | 23 | 21% | B+ |
| Hebron | 24% | 2.1 | 81 | 52% | A |
| Glastonbury | 29% | 3.4 | 72 | 99%+ | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Bolton
Where can I hike in Bolton?
The longest trail networks: US-6 Corridor, 4.6 miles; Bolton Notch State Park, 2.8 miles; Lombardi Ridge Preserve, 2.4 miles; Gay City State Park, 2.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Bolton is conserved land?
12% 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 Bolton’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at John S. Risley Memorial Park (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Bolton?
5.6 miles of bike routes are on the map: 5.6 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Bolton?
10,767 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Bolton or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 558 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Bolton have?
Ahead of 89% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #46 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 Bolton 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 →