Tarrywile Park
Nature preserve
554 acres9.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Danbury
15% of Danbury’s land is conserved: 4,165 acres
48 miles of mapped trail cross Danbury, 1.1 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Tarrywile Park (9.7 mi), Bear Mountain Reservation (4.6 mi), Wooster Mountain State Park (4 mi). 1,323 acres are parks and preserves, 15 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 81% of U.S. towns · #79 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it
Conserved land
15%
4,165 acres · of 42.0 sq mi of land
Trails
48 mi
1.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,323 ac
15 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
69%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
10 mi
0.3 mi lanes · 0.5 mi paths
Highest peak
971 ft
Moses Mountain
Lakes & rivers
41
8 beaches · 3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Danbury?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Danbury have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Danbury is ahead of 81% of U.S. towns, #79 of 155 in Connecticut. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; conserved land ranks highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Danbury’s overall grade.
Conserved land15% of the land · typical CT town 15% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (48 mi) · CT 1.4 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land15 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,323 acres) · CT 22 · U.S. 13BParks close to home69% 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 81%
LessMore
Connecticut towns of 2,500+ (155)Ahead of 49%
Connecticut towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 15%; the U.S., 4%), so Danbury’s 15% is ahead of 53% of Connecticut towns, while its trails per square mile lead 40% of them.
Water is 5% of Danbury’s area (2 of 44 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 15%.
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 Tarrywile Park, with 9.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Bear Mountain Reservation
Nature preserve
239 acres4.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Wooster Mountain State Park
Managed by Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
442 acres4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Farrington Woods
Managed by City of Danbury
187 acres1.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Farrington Woods Trailhead
Drska Property
Nature preserve
26 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Bennett's Pond State Park
Park
13 acres0.3 mi of trail
Green Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
All 25 parks & preserves
Tarrywile Park554 acres · 9.7 mi of trail
DirectionsBear Mountain Reservation239 acres · 4.6 mi of trail
DirectionsWooster Mountain State Park442 acres · 4 mi of trail · Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
DirectionsFarrington Woods187 acres · 1.6 mi of trail · City of Danbury
DirectionsRogers Park73 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsDrska Property26 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
Still River Greenway18 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsBennett's Pond State Park13 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Lake Kenosia Park32 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsFarrington Tract91 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Candlewood Town Park8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Elmwood Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsOld Lantern Road Tract23 acres
Barnum Property17 acres
Old Quarry Nature Center14 acres
Alder Preserve13 acres
Hatters Park12 acres
DirectionsBarnum Road Tract8 acres
Highland Avenue Park8 acres
DirectionsSykes Sanctuary7 acres
Pine Mountain3 acres
Bogus Brook Preserve3 acres · Redding Land Trust
Rowan Avenue Playground1 acres
DirectionsRogers Park Memorial Field1 acres
DirectionsKennedy Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
4,165 conserved acres
15% of Danbury’s land. Water is left out: Danbury has 42.0 square miles of land and 2.2 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Danbury’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits219 ac
Town or city212 ac
State conservation171 ac
Not recorded3,915 ac
Local Park · 1,171 acWatershed Protection Area · 886 acPrivate Conservation · 792 acLocal Other or Unknown · 761 acState Other or Unknown · 282 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 71 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 193 of 214 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 | 1,737 | Unknown |
| Tarrywile Park Local Park | Not recorded | 715 | Unknown |
| West Lake Reservoir Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 338 | Unknown |
| Margerie Reservoir Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 224 | Unknown |
| Wooster Mountain State Park Scenic Reserve State Park | State conservation | 192 | Open |
| Bear Mountain Park Local Park | Not recorded | 160 | Unknown |
| Eureka Reservoir Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 104 | Unknown |
| Farmington Woods Local Park | Town or city | 89 | Open |
| East Lake Reservoir Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 86 | Unknown |
| Harold P. and Isabelle T. Farrington Park Local Park | Not recorded | 80 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
46 places to go in Danbury
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Danbury
8 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Danbury
Highland Avenue PlaygroundIn Highland Avenue Park
DirectionsRogers Park PlaygroundIn Rogers Park
DirectionsPlus 15 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks in Danbury
1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Danbury
Lake Kenosia Boat Launch
DirectionsPlus 2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Danbury
2 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Danbury
Moses Mountain971 ft elevation · In Wooster Mountain State Park
DirectionsThomas Mountain938 ft elevation · In Tarrywile Park
DirectionsWooster Mountain902 ft elevation · In Wooster Mountain State Park
DirectionsSpruce Mountain892 ft elevation · In Wooster Mountain State Park
DirectionsTown Mountain866 ft elevation
DirectionsBear Mountain856 ft elevation · In Bear Mountain Reservation
DirectionsMiddle Mountain787 ft elevation · In Tarrywile Park
DirectionsMountain End659 ft elevation · In Tarrywile Park
Directions6 more peaks
Shelter Rock636 ft elevation
DirectionsBeaver Brook Mountain587 ft elevation
DirectionsStony Hill505 ft elevation
DirectionsDeer Hill482 ft elevation
DirectionsTown Hill427 ft elevation
DirectionsRound Mountain
DirectionsPicnic areas in Danbury
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Trails & water
3 named trails and 41 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 0.7 miUnpaved · 15.4 mi
Bromson Private Trail0.3 mi
Green Trail0.1 mi
Eureka Lake Access0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Back PondBeaver PondpondBoggs PondreservoirClapboard Ridge Pond No 1Clapboard Ridge Pond No 2Corner PondDickens PondpondDoyles PondEast Lake ReservoirreservoirEureka LakereservoirFarringtons PondFox Hills MillpondKellners PondLake KenosialakeLake WackawanapondLake WaubeekaLees PondLees Pond No 1Lower Kohanza LakeMercers PondreservoirMountain PondreservoirOil Mill PondPadanaram ReservoirreservoirParks PondRidgewood Country Club PondpondRobinsons PondRogers Park PondRogers PondSanfords PondSmall PondSmiths PondSperry PondStarrs Plain Road PondSterns PondSugar Hollow PondTarrywile LakeTurtle PondUpper Kohanza LakeWest Lake ReservoirreservoirPadanaram BrookStill River
Biking & sports
10 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.3 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
0.5 mi
off-road bike paths
9.2 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
38Tennis
21Baseball
8Soccer
4Volleyball
4Basketball
3Football
2Beach volleyball
2Softball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →12 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 7 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Octagon HouseBuilding · listed 1973
About itCharles Ives HouseBuilding · listed 1976
About itJohn Rider HouseBuilding · listed 1977
About itRobinson, P., Fur Cutting CompanyBuilding · listed 1982
About itMeeker's HardwareBuilding · listed 1983
About itMain Street Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1983
About itLocust Avenue SchoolBuilding · listed 1985
About itUnion StationBuilding · listed 1986
About itHearthstoneBuilding · listed 1987
About itTarrywileBuilding · listed 1988
About itBall and Roller Bearing CompanyBuilding · listed 1989
About itNew Haven Railroad Danbury TurntableStructure · listed 2005
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Danbury: 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 | 10.6 | 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 | 70 | 79 | 84 | 81 | 74 | 63 | 51 | 41 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 2.9 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 3.9 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.3 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 3.9 | 4.3 |
February is the driest month (2.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.7 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Danbury →
Next door
Danbury and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Redding71 miRidgefield57 miDanbury48 miBethel27 miBrookfield20 miSoutheast19 miNew Fairfield12 miRidgebury4.5 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Danbury | 15% | 1.1 | 15 | 69% | A− |
| Bethel | 14% | 1.6 | 10 | 62% | A− |
| New Fairfield | 15% | 0.6 | 21 | 57% | A− |
| Ridgefield | 18% | 1.6 | 93 | 97% | A+ |
| Ridgebury | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Brookfield | 12% | 1.0 | 18 | 57% | A− |
| Redding | 30% | 2.3 | 154 | 66% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Danbury
Where can I hike in Danbury?
The longest trail networks: Tarrywile Park, 9.7 miles; Bear Mountain Reservation, 4.6 miles; Wooster Mountain State Park, 4 miles; Farrington Woods, 1.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Danbury is conserved land?
15% 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 Danbury’s trails?
Tarrywile Park and Bear Mountain Reservation don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Danbury?
10 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.3 of painted or protected lanes, 0.5 of off-road paths and 9.2 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Danbury?
24,880 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Danbury or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,323 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Danbury have?
Ahead of 81% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #79 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 Danbury 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 →