Cockaponset State Forest
Managed by Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
1,210 acres10.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Thomas Lyman House · Photo: Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Durham
Durham has 49 miles of mapped trails, 2.1 for every square mile of land
24% of Durham’s land is conserved, about 3,556 acres. 750 acres are parks and preserves, 104 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Cockaponset State Forest (10.1 mi), Mount Pisgah Open Space (8.8 mi), Millers Pond State Park (4.9 mi).
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns · #26 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it
Conserved land
24%
3,556 acres · of 23.7 sq mi of land
Trails
49 mi
2.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
750 ac
104 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
51%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
761 ft
Trimountain
Lakes & rivers
18
What kind of outdoors town is Durham?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Durham have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Durham is ahead of 92% of U.S. towns, #26 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 Durham’s overall grade.
Conserved land24% of the land · typical CT town 15% · U.S. 4%ATrails2.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (49 mi) · CT 1.4 · U.S. 0.4APark land104 acres of park per 1,000 residents (750 acres) · CT 22 · U.S. 13AParks close to home51% 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 92%
LessMore
Connecticut towns of 2,500+ (155)Ahead of 84%
Connecticut towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 15%; the U.S., 4%), so Durham’s 24% is ahead of 76% of Connecticut towns, while its trails per square mile lead 77% 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 Cockaponset State Forest, with 10.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Mount Pisgah Open Space
Managed by Town of Durham
186 acres8.8 mi of trail
Northern ExposureNew England TrailPisgah Road Connector
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Millers Pond State Park
Managed by State of Connecticut
179 acres4.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Mica Ledges
Managed by Middlesex Land Trust
71 acres1.7 mi of trail
Mica Ledges TrailSelectmen's PathNew England TrailMaria Schmidt Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail sign
Frederick White Farm
Managed by Town of Durham
110 acres1.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Curtis Woodland
Managed by Town of Durham
145 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Tri-Mountain State Park
Managed by Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
13 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Gulielmetti Open Space
Managed by Town of Durham
29 acres0.3 mi of trail
New England Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail sign
All 19 parks & preserves
Cockaponset State Forest1,210 acres · 10.1 mi of trail · Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
DirectionsMount Pisgah Open Space186 acres · 8.8 mi of trail · Town of Durham
DirectionsMillers Pond State Park179 acres · 4.9 mi of trail · State of Connecticut
DirectionsMica Ledges71 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · Middlesex Land Trust
DirectionsFrederick White Farm110 acres · 1.6 mi of trail · Town of Durham
DirectionsCurtis Woodland145 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Town of Durham
DirectionsTri-Mountain State Park13 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Gulielmetti Open Space29 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Town of Durham
DirectionsDurham Meadows Wildlife Management Area511 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
DirectionsAllyn Brook Park12 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsFriendly Acres Farm204 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Town of Durham
Otte Meadows Durham CT Open Space114 acres · Town of Durham
Durham Rod And Gun Club42 acres
Parmelee Brook Preserve7 acres · Middlesex Land Trust
Town Open Space (Tuttle Road)6 acres · Town of Durham
Pistapaug Pond Open Space2 acres · Town of Wallingford
Town Open Space (Allyn Brook)2 acres
DirectionsDurham Town Green2 acres
DirectionsOwned by City of Middletown1 acres
Who protects it
3,556 conserved acres
24% of Durham’s land. Who manages Durham’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State conservation998 ac
Other state land487 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits1 ac
Not recorded2,464 ac
State Resource Management Area · 1,180 acUnknown Easement · 1,108 acLocal Park · 551 acState Conservation Area · 533 acConservation Easement · 376 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,091 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 30 of 37 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cockaponset State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 1,180 | Unknown |
| Durham Meadows Wildlife Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 533 | Unknown |
| Town Open Space (trimountain & Gates Rds) Local Park | Not recorded | 197 | Unknown |
| Millers Pond State Park Scenic Reserve State Park | Not recorded | 178 | Unknown |
| Town Open Space (sawmill Brook) Local Park | Not recorded | 140 | Unknown |
| Fredrick White Farm Local Park | Not recorded | 93 | Unknown |
| Town Open Space (parmalee Brook) Local Park | Not recorded | 92 | Unknown |
| Trimountain State Park Scenic Reserve State Park | Not recorded | 17 | Unknown |
| Town Tennis Courts Local Park | Not recorded | 15 | Unknown |
| Town Open Space (tuttle Road) Local Park | Not recorded | 6 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
24 places to go in Durham
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Durham
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Waterfalls in Durham
3 waterfalls without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Scenic views in Durham
Bear RockIn Cockaponset State Forest
DirectionsPlus 10 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Durham
Trimountain761 ft elevation
DirectionsPistapaug Mountain689 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Pisgah643 ft elevation · In Mount Pisgah Open Space
DirectionsMeetinghouse Hill338 ft elevation
DirectionsStrawberry Hill285 ft elevation
DirectionsThree Notches
DirectionsPicnic areas in Durham
2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Durham
Camp Farnam
DirectionsTrails & water
8 named trails and 18 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 19.5 mi
New England Trail4.4 mi
Northern Exposure3.2 mi
Mica Ledges Trail0.7 mi
Selectmen's Path0.3 mi
Pisgah Road Connector0.1 mi
Maria Schmidt Trail0.1 mi
Old Trail0.1 mi
Alt Trail0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
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
8Baseball
4Pickleball
2Tennis
1Basketball
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →2 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 3 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Durham: 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 | 70 | 79 | 84 | 82 | 75 | 63 | 52 | 42 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 3.2 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 3.9 | 4.3 |
February is the driest month (3.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.7 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Durham →
Next door
Durham and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Guilford156 miHaddam103 miKillingworth73 miWallingford59 miNorth Branford56 miDurham49 miMiddlefield22 miNorthford7.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durham | 24% | 2.1 | 104 | 51% | A |
| Haddam | 30% | 2.3 | 132 | 35% | A |
| Guilford | 26% | 3.3 | 152 | 79% | A+ |
| Killingworth | 26% | 2.1 | 5 | 9% | B |
| Middlefield | 28% | 1.7 | 78 | 68% | A |
| Wallingford | 15% | 1.5 | 56 | 82% | A |
| Northford | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| North Branford | 39% | 2.3 | 13 | 42% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Durham
Where can I hike in Durham?
The longest trail networks: Cockaponset State Forest, 10.1 miles; Mount Pisgah Open Space, 8.8 miles; Millers Pond State Park, 4.9 miles; Mica Ledges, 1.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Durham is conserved land?
24% 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 Durham’s trails?
Cockaponset State Forest and Mount Pisgah Open Space don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Durham?
14,876 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Durham or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 750 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Durham have?
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #26 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 Durham 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 →