Gurski Farm Open Space
Nature preserve
100 acres3.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Brookfield Center Historic District · Photo: The original uploader was Polaron at English Wikipedia. · CC BY 2.5A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Brookfield
12% of Brookfield’s land is conserved: 1,492 acres
20 miles of mapped trail cross Brookfield, 1.0 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Gurski Farm Open Space (3.7 mi), School Park (2.9 mi), Happy Landings Protected Open Space (2.2 mi). 314 acres are parks and preserves, 18 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 76% of U.S. towns · #99 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it
Conserved land
12%
1,492 acres · of 19.7 sq mi of land
Trails
20 mi
1.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
314 ac
18 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
57%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
8.8 mi
0.5 mi lanes · 1.6 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
11
10 beaches · 3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Brookfield?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Brookfield have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Brookfield is ahead of 76% of U.S. towns, #99 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 Brookfield’s overall grade.
Conserved land12% of the land · typical CT town 15% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (20 mi) · CT 1.4 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land18 acres of park per 1,000 residents (314 acres) · CT 22 · U.S. 13BParks close to home57% of residents within a half mile of a park · CT 57% · U.S. 72%B−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 76%
LessMore
Connecticut towns of 2,500+ (155)Ahead of 36%
Connecticut towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 15%; the U.S., 4%), so Brookfield’s 12% is ahead of 32% of Connecticut towns, while its trails per square mile lead 32% 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 Gurski Farm Open Space, with 3.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
School Park
Nature preserve
102 acres2.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Happy Landings Protected Open Space
Nature preserve
46 acres2.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Burr Farm Open Space
Nature preserve
33 acres1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Burr Farm Open Space Parking
Williams Park
Managed by Town of Brookfield
34 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Brookfield Municipal Center
Park
45 acres0.5 mi of trail
Arthur A. Harris Linear Park
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Eriksen Farm Open Space
Park
10 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 20 parks & preserves
Gurski Farm Open Space100 acres · 3.7 mi of trail
DirectionsSchool Park102 acres · 2.9 mi of trail
DirectionsHappy Landings Protected Open Space46 acres · 2.2 mi of trail
DirectionsBurr Farm Open Space33 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsWilliams Park34 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Town of Brookfield
DirectionsCadigan Park13 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsBrookfield Municipal Center45 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsEriksen Farm Open Space10 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsTown Open Space (Obtuse Rocks Road)71 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsOld Bridge Park35 acres
Birnham Wood Development (2 Parcels)31 acres
Town Open Space (Long Meadow Hill Road)24 acres
DirectionsTown Open Space (Federal Road)12 acres
DirectionsTown Open Space (High Meadow Road, Rear)10 acres
Town Open Space (Rocky Road)9 acres
Town Open Space (Secor Road)3 acres
Brookfield Town Beach3 acres
DirectionsTown Open Space (Obtuse Hill Road)2 acres
Town Open Space (Pleasant Rise Drive)1 acres
Town Open Space (Old Gray's Bridge Road)1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
1,492 conserved acres
12% of Brookfield’s land. Who manages Brookfield’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city99 ac
Not recorded1,468 ac
Private Conservation · 694 acLocal Other or Unknown · 617 acLocal Park · 216 acLocal Conservation Area · 25 acLocal Recreation Area · 15 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 112 of 118 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 | 751 | Unknown |
| Arthur H. Harris Linear Park Local Park | Not recorded | 133 | Unknown |
| Lillinonah Woods Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 66 | Unknown |
| Miller- Gerstein Parcel Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 54 | Unknown |
| Happy Landings Farm Local Park | Town or city | 48 | Open |
| Hop Brook Sanctuary Private Conservation | Not recorded | 43 | Unknown |
| Greenknoll Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 39 | Unknown |
| Burr Farm Open Space Local Park | Town or city | 33 | Open |
| Brookfield Crossing Private Conservation | Not recorded | 31 | Unknown |
| Barkwood Falls Private Conservation | Not recorded | 26 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
25 places to go in Brookfield
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Brookfield
10 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Brookfield
Kid's Kingdom PlaygroundIn Brookfield Municipal Center
DirectionsPlus 8 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Brookfield
3 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Brookfield
1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in Brookfield
Huckleberry Hill
DirectionsPicnic areas in Brookfield
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Trails & water
1 named trail and 11 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 3.3 miUnpaved · 1.8 mi
Arthur A. Harris Linear Park0.1 mi
Biking & sports
8.8 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.5 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
1.6 mi
off-road bike paths
6.7 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
36Tennis
11Baseball
9Soccer
7Basketball
3Football
2Beach volleyball
2Lacrosse
1Volleyball
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).
Brookfield Center Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1991
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Brookfield: April 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 | 39 | 47 | 60 | 71 | 79 | 84 | 82 | 74 | 63 | 51 | 41 |
| Rain (in) | 3.3 | 2.9 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 4.6 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 3.8 | 4.1 |
February is the driest month (2.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.6 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Brookfield →
Next door
Brookfield and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Newtown64 miDanbury48 miNew Milford45 miBethel27 miBridgewater20 miBrookfield20 miNew Fairfield12 miCandlewood Shores0.1 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brookfield | 12% | 1.0 | 18 | 57% | A− |
| New Fairfield | 15% | 0.6 | 21 | 57% | A− |
| Candlewood Shores | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Bridgewater | 16% | 1.2 | 214 | 40% | A |
| New Milford | 18% | 0.7 | 26 | 48% | A− |
| Newtown | 17% | 1.1 | 13 | 19% | B+ |
| Danbury | 15% | 1.1 | 15 | 69% | A− |
| Bethel | 14% | 1.6 | 10 | 62% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Brookfield
Where can I hike in Brookfield?
The longest trail networks: Gurski Farm Open Space, 3.7 miles; School Park, 2.9 miles; Happy Landings Protected Open Space, 2.2 miles; Burr Farm Open Space, 1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Brookfield 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 Brookfield’s trails?
Gurski Farm Open Space and School Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Brookfield?
8.8 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.5 of painted or protected lanes, 1.6 of off-road paths and 6.7 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Brookfield?
14,226 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Brookfield or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 314 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Brookfield have?
Ahead of 76% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #99 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 Brookfield 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 →