River Highlands State Park
Nature preserve
184 acres8.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: John Phelan · CC BY-SA 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Cromwell
Cromwell has 27 miles of mapped trails, 2.2 for every square mile of land
16% of Cromwell’s land is conserved, about 1,305 acres. The biggest trail networks: River Highlands State Park (8.8 mi), Watrous Park (2.6 mi), Pierson Park (0.5 mi). 361 acres are parks and preserves, 25 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 88% of U.S. towns · #49 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it
Conserved land
16%
1,305 acres · of 12.5 sq mi of land
Trails
27 mi
2.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
361 ac
25 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
65%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
0.8 mi
0.8 mi paths
Highest peak
197 ft
Nooks Hill
Lakes & rivers
8
1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Cromwell?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Cromwell have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Cromwell is ahead of 88% of U.S. towns, #49 of 155 in Connecticut. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Cromwell’s overall grade.
Conserved land16% of the land · typical CT town 15% · U.S. 4%ATrails2.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (27 mi) · CT 1.4 · U.S. 0.4APark land25 acres of park per 1,000 residents (361 acres) · CT 22 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home65% 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 88%
LessMore
Connecticut towns of 2,500+ (155)Ahead of 69%
Connecticut towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 15%; the U.S., 4%), so Cromwell’s 16% is ahead of 54% of Connecticut towns, while its trails per square mile lead 79% 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 River Highlands State Park, with 8.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Watrous Park
Park
53 acres2.6 mi of trail
Push Bike DelightPipe LineMedusaMr. Smooothie+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Riverport Park at Frisbee Landing
Park
9 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 11 parks & preserves
River Highlands State Park184 acres · 8.8 mi of trail
DirectionsWatrous Park53 acres · 2.6 mi of trail
DirectionsPierson Park15 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsRiverport Park at Frisbee Landing9 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsEvergreen Hill36 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Town of Cromwell
DirectionsCromwell Landing2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Town of Cromwell
DirectionsCromwell Fish & Game Club59 acres
Cromwell Fire District Open Space33 acres
Town Of Cromwell Open Space21 acres
DirectionsValour Memorial Green3 acres
DirectionsDividend Pond Open Space1 acres
Who protects it
1,305 conserved acres
16% of Cromwell’s land. Who manages Cromwell’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State conservation225 ac
Town or city132 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service61 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)48 ac
Not recorded958 ac
State Other or Unknown · 508 acLocal Other or Unknown · 263 acPrivate Conservation · 187 acState Park · 172 acLocal Conservation Area · 132 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 48 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 24 of 33 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 757 | Unknown |
| Blow Hole State Park State Park | State conservation | 172 | Open |
| Dead Swamp Private Conservation | Not recorded | 158 | Unknown |
| Watrous Park Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 63 | Open |
| Silvio O. Conte National Fish And Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 61 | Restricted |
| Cromwell Fire District Open Space Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 32 | Open |
| Summerwind Subdivision Private Conservation | Not recorded | 22 | Unknown |
| Town Of Cromwell Open Space Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 21 | Open |
| Community Field Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 16 | Open |
| Millenium Subdivision Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 15 | Unknown |
1 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
17 places to go in Cromwell
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Cromwell
Cromwell Hills Community Pool
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Cromwell
10 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Cromwell
Cromwell Dog Park
DirectionsBoat launches in Cromwell
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Cromwell
2 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Cromwell
Nooks Hill197 ft elevation
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Cromwell
Cromwell Community Garden
DirectionsTrails & water
7 named trails and 8 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Push Bike Delight0.7 mi
Children of the Corn0.5 mi
Pipe Line0.3 mi
Medusa0.3 mi
Mr. Smooothie0.2 mi
Whoop-De-Doo0.2 mi
Salamander Twist0.1 mi
Biking & sports
0.8 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.8 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
15Tennis
12Pickleball
10Soccer
9Baseball
5Basketball
3Football
1Multi-sport
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →3 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 Cromwell: 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) | 37 | 40 | 48 | 60 | 71 | 80 | 85 | 83 | 76 | 64 | 52 | 42 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 2.9 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 3.7 | 4.2 |
February is the driest month (2.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 4.5 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Cromwell →
Next door
Cromwell 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cromwell | 16% | 2.2 | 25 | 65% | A |
| Middletown | 13% | 2.0 | 19 | 62% | A− |
| Portland | 34% | 2.7 | 32 | 52% | A |
| Berlin | 26% | 2.8 | 81 | 84% | A+ |
| Rocky Hill | 11% | 1.5 | 8 | 74% | 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 Cromwell
Where can I hike in Cromwell?
The longest trail networks: River Highlands State Park, 8.8 miles; Watrous Park, 2.6 miles; Pierson Park, 0.5 miles; Riverport Park at Frisbee Landing, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Cromwell is conserved land?
16% 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 Cromwell’s trails?
River Highlands State Park and Watrous Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Cromwell?
0.8 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.8 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Cromwell?
15,794 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Cromwell or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 361 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Cromwell have?
Ahead of 88% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #49 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 Cromwell 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 →