Shenipsit State Forest
Managed by Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
1,545 acres24.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Knesseth Israel Synagogue · Photo: Elipongo · Public domainBOutdoors
Outdoors in Ellington
18% of Ellington’s land is conserved: 3,861 acres
43 miles of mapped trail cross Ellington, 1.2 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Shenipsit State Forest (24.8 mi), Pinney Street Open Space (1.2 mi), Ernie Boothroyd Nature Preserve (1.2 mi). 77 acres are parks and preserves, 4.7 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 62% of U.S. towns · #140 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it
Conserved land
18%
3,861 acres · of 34.0 sq mi of land
Trails
43 mi
1.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
77 ac
4.7 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
34%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
866 ft
Newell Hill
Lakes & rivers
12
1 beach · 1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Ellington?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Ellington have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Ellington is ahead of 62% of U.S. towns, #140 of 155 in Connecticut. Conserved land holds the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
B
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Ellington’s overall grade.
Conserved land18% of the land · typical CT town 15% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (43 mi) · CT 1.4 · U.S. 0.4APark land4.7 acres of park per 1,000 residents (77 acres) · CT 22 · U.S. 13CParks close to home34% 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 62%
LessMore
Connecticut towns of 2,500+ (155)Ahead of 10%
Connecticut towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 15%; the U.S., 4%), so Ellington’s 18% is ahead of 58% of Connecticut towns, while its trails per square mile lead 44% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ 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 Shenipsit State Forest, with 24.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Pinney Street Open Space
Managed by Town of Ellington
69 acres1.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Ernie Boothroyd Nature Preserve
Managed by Northern Connecticut Land Trust
57 acres1.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Shenipsit Street Open Space
Managed by Town of Ellington
63 acres1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail sign
Ellington Highlands
Managed by Town of Ellington
30 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Kimball Forest
Managed by Town of Ellington
63 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Shenipsit Lake Watershed Reserve Land
Managed by Connecticut Water Company
312 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Shenipsit Woods Preserve
Managed by Northern Connecticut Land Trust
39 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 48 parks & preserves
Shenipsit State Forest1,545 acres · 24.8 mi of trail · Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
DirectionsPinney Street Open Space69 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · Town of Ellington
DirectionsErnie Boothroyd Nature Preserve57 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · Northern Connecticut Land Trust
DirectionsShenipsit Street Open Space63 acres · 1 mi of trail · Town of Ellington
DirectionsEllington Highlands30 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Town of Ellington
DirectionsKimball Forest63 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Town of Ellington
DirectionsShenipsit Lake Watershed Reserve Land312 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Connecticut Water Company
Shenipsit Woods Preserve39 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Northern Connecticut Land Trust
Arbor Park5 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Town of Ellington
DirectionsMeyers Farm Preserve73 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Northern Connecticut Land Trust
Bellante Preserve36 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Northern Connecticut Land Trust
DirectionsSunset Hill Preserve14 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Northern Connecticut Land Trust
DirectionsWraight Bird Field Conservation Area116 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Northern Connecticut Land Trust
Bradway Reservoir Watershed Reserve Land81 acres · State of Connecticut
Middle Road Open Space80 acres · Town of Ellington
Swann Farm Preserve56 acres · Northern Connecticut Land Trust
Sandy Beach Road Open Space55 acres · Town of Ellington
Grassy Hill Road Open Space36 acres · Town of Ellington
Bridge Street Open Space34 acres · Town of Ellington
Windermere Avenue Open Space32 acres · Town of Vernon
DirectionsCedarwood Drive Open Space16 acres · Town of Ellington
Crystal Lake Road Open Space11 acres · Town of Ellington
Maple Street Open Space11 acres · Town of Ellington
Somers Road Open Space10 acres · Town of Ellington
Edgewood Road Open Space10 acres · Town of Ellington
Eagle Drive Open Space9 acres · Town of Ellington
West Road Open Space9 acres · Town of Ellington
Joy Property7 acres · Northern Connecticut Land Trust
Ladd Road Open Space5 acres · Town of Ellington
Stafford Road Open Space4 acres · State of Connecticut
Wells Road Open Space4 acres · Town of Ellington
Aborn Subdivision Open Space4 acres · Aborn Subdivision Homeowners Association Inc.
Wendell Road Open Space4 acres · Town of Ellington
Highland Avenue Open Space3 acres · Town of Ellington
Hare Road Open Space3 acres · Town of Ellington
Ellington Congregational Church Open Space2 acres · Ellington Congregational Church
Buff Cap Road Open Space2 acres · Town of Ellington
Jonathan Drive Open Space2 acres · Town of Ellington
Lookout Landing Open Space1 acres · Town of Ellington
Chamberlain Street Open Space1 acres · Town of Vernon
Abbott Road Open Space1 acres · Town of Ellington
Mountain Street Open Space1 acres · Town of Ellington
Foster Drive Open Space1 acres · Town of Ellington
DirectionsWebster Road Open Space1 acres · Town of Ellington
West Shore Road Open Space1 acres · Town of Ellington
Windsorville Road Open Space1 acres · Town of Ellington
Veterans Memorial Park1 acres · Town of Ellington
Laurel Road Open Space1 acres · Town of Ellington
Who protects it
3,861 conserved acres
18% of Ellington’s land. Who manages Ellington’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Private owners765 ac
Other state land681 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)240 ac
State conservation142 ac
County46 ac
Not recorded2,953 ac
State Resource Management Area · 1,850 acConservation Easement · 765 acUnknown Easement · 737 acLocal Other or Unknown · 404 acPrivate Conservation · 324 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 862 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 86 of 113 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shenipsit State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 1,846 | Unknown |
| Unknown State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 767 | Unknown |
| Crystal Lake Private Conservation | Not recorded | 177 | Unknown |
| Furnace Brook-Middle River Flood Control Site 4 State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 81 | Unknown |
| Brookside Park Local Park | County | 43 | Open |
| Kimball State Forest Local Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 41 | Unknown |
| Metcalf Nature Trail Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 16 | Unknown |
| Kimball Forest Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 8 | Unknown |
| Sandy Beach Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 7 | Unknown |
| Shenipsit State Forest (Old Forest Management Area) State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 7 | Unknown |
3 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
5 places to go in Ellington
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Ellington
Sandy Beach
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Ellington
2 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Ellington
Crystal Lake Boat LaunchIn Crystal Lake State Boat Launch (Ellington)
DirectionsPeaks in Ellington
Newell Hill866 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
12 lakes & rivers
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
11Soccer
10Tennis
7Baseball
5Basketball
4Softball
3Football
2Lacrosse
1Volleyball
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).
When to get out
The best walking months in Ellington: 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) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 36 | 38 | 46 | 59 | 70 | 78 | 83 | 81 | 74 | 62 | 51 | 40 |
| Rain (in) | 3.3 | 2.9 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 3.7 | 4.4 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.6 | 3.7 | 4.2 |
February is the driest month (2.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.6 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Ellington →
Next door
Ellington and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Stafford74 miTolland59 miEllington43 miSomers39 miWillington35 miVernon31 miCrystal Lake15 miEast Windsor14 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ellington | 18% | 1.2 | 5 | 34% | B |
| Crystal Lake | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Tolland | 18% | 1.5 | 46 | 41% | A− |
| East Windsor | 11% | 0.5 | 32 | 50% | B+ |
| Willington | 11% | 1.1 | 77 | 29% | A− |
| Stafford | 26% | 1.3 | 14 | 40% | A− |
| Vernon | 19% | 1.7 | 22 | 96% | A |
| Somers | 22% | 1.4 | 3 | 21% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Ellington
Where can I hike in Ellington?
The longest trail networks: Shenipsit State Forest, 24.8 miles; Pinney Street Open Space, 1.2 miles; Ernie Boothroyd Nature Preserve, 1.2 miles; Shenipsit Street Open Space, 1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Ellington is conserved land?
18% 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 Ellington’s trails?
Shenipsit State Forest and Pinney Street Open Space don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Ellington?
18,822 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Ellington or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 77 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Ellington have?
Ahead of 62% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #140 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 Ellington 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 →