Lake Mohegan Recreation Area
Park
171 acres7.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Aab254 · CC BY-SA 4.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Fairfield
Fairfield has 48 miles of mapped trails, 1.6 for every square mile of land
The biggest trail networks: Lake Mohegan Recreation Area (7.6 mi), Roy & Margot Larsen Sanctuary (5.9 mi), Brett Woods Open Space (4.3 mi). 85% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 4% of Fairfield’s land is conserved, about 848 acres.
Ahead of 76% of U.S. towns · #105 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it
Conserved land
4%
848 acres · of 29.9 sq mi of land
Trails
48 mi
1.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
734 ac
12 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
85%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
440 ft
Hoyden Hill
Lakes & rivers
30
16 beaches · 3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Fairfield?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Fairfield have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Fairfield is ahead of 76% of U.S. towns, #105 of 155 in Connecticut. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Fairfield’s overall grade.
Conserved land4% of the land · typical CT town 15% · U.S. 4%BTrails1.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (48 mi) · CT 1.4 · U.S. 0.4APark land12 acres of park per 1,000 residents (734 acres) · CT 22 · U.S. 13B−Parks close to home85% 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 32%
Connecticut towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 15%; the U.S., 4%), so Fairfield’s 4% is ahead of 3% of Connecticut towns, while its trails per square mile lead 64% 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 Lake Mohegan Recreation Area, with 7.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Roy & Margot Larsen Sanctuary
Managed by Connecticut Audubon Society
156 acres5.9 mi of trail
Dear Meadow LoopEdna Strub Chiboucas Special Use TrailDirty Swamp TrailChipmunk Run+1
Dogs usually not allowed
Directionsto the parking lot
Brett Woods Open Space
Park
191 acres4.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Grace Richardson Conservation Area Open Space
Nature preserve
86 acres2.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Springer Glen
Nature preserve
37 acres1.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Mountain Laurel Park Open Space Area
Nature preserve
25 acres1.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 77 parks & preserves
Lake Mohegan Recreation Area171 acres · 7.6 mi of trail
DirectionsRoy & Margot Larsen Sanctuary156 acres · 5.9 mi of trail · Connecticut Audubon Society
DirectionsBrett Woods Open Space191 acres · 4.3 mi of trail
DirectionsGrace Richardson Conservation Area Open Space86 acres · 2.7 mi of trail
DirectionsHoydens Hill Open Space60 acres · 2 mi of trail
DirectionsSpringer Glen37 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsMountain Laurel Park Open Space Area25 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsAsh Creek Open Space25 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsTunxis Hill Park25 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
DirectionsDrew Park10 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsFairfield Village Green19 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsOld Dam Road Marsh Open Space34 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsErnest Hillman Jr. Nature Preserve11 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Aspetuck Land Trust
Acorn Lane Uplands Preserve6 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Aspetuck Land Trust
Pine Creek Marsh67 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsPutnam Preserve8 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Aspetuck Land Trust
Riverside Park5 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsButkus Pond Preserve4 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Aspetuck Land Trust
DirectionsOwen Fish Park11 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsSamp Mortar Rock10 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Burroughs Park5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsOld Field Marsh Open Space33 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Gould Manor Park13 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsGould Manor Walking Paths6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsGypsy Springs Open Space4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMelville Playground4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Mary A. Katona Open Space2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Audubon Center at Fairfield2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Audubon
DirectionsFairfield Town Gazebo1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsPerrys Millponds Open Space56 acres
Municipal Open Space (Hoydens Lane)26 acres
DirectionsWelch Terrace Marsh Open Space24 acres
DirectionsSouthport Park14 acres
DirectionsMill Hollow Park13 acres
Morehouse Highway12 acres
DirectionsL. A. Sturges Park9 acres
DirectionsVeterans Park9 acres
Denise A. D. Dougiello Park8 acres
DirectionsMunicipal Open Space (Blue Bell Lane)8 acres
Sturges Ponds Open Space7 acres
Tanaka Park7 acres
Birdcraft Museum & Sanctuary6 acres · CT Audubon Society
DirectionsHulls Highway-Arbor Drive Open Space6 acres
Wakeman Boys & Girls Club5 acres
DirectionsHenry Rowland Memorial Playground4 acres
DirectionsHighwood Park4 acres
Sasco River-Kirik Open Space3 acres
Lobdell Calf Pond Preserve3 acres · Aspetuck Land Trust
Veres Park3 acres
DirectionsKnapps Green3 acres
DirectionsTrillium Road Open Space3 acres
Sasco Creek Marsh Open Space3 acres
DirectionsDover Park2 acres
Jennings Park2 acres
DirectionsMill Plain Green2 acres
DirectionsTimothy Dwight Park2 acres
Westway Road Open Space2 acres
Nutmeg Lane2 acres
Mill River Open Space2 acres
Old Fording Place2 acres
DirectionsWoodside Circle Open Space1 acres
DirectionsSunnie Holm Park1 acres
DirectionsLincoln Park1 acres
DirectionsPalmers Neck Park1 acres
DirectionsCongress Place1 acres
New England Avenue Playground1 acres
DirectionsFlower House Drive Open Space1 acres
Rugby Park1 acres
DirectionsWhitewood Knoll1 acres
DirectionsHorse Tavern Brook Open Space1 acres
Perry"s Green1 acres
Ludlowe Road Community Park1 acres · Ludlow Park Association
DirectionsGreenfield Hill Village Green1 acres
Sargent Murphy Memorial Plaground1 acres
DirectionsBirchbrook Park1 acres
Pine Creek Avenue Playground1 acres
Windmill Open Space1 acres
Who protects it
848 conserved acres
4% of Fairfield’s land. Who manages Fairfield’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city219 ac
State conservation36 ac
Not recorded603 ac
Local Other or Unknown · 246 acLocal Park · 240 acPrivate Conservation · 226 acWatershed Protection Area · 91 acUnknown Easement · 36 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 36 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 40 of 60 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 | 299 | Unknown |
| Lake Mohegan Recreation Area Local Park | Town or city | 112 | Open |
| The State Of Connecticut Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 89 | Unknown |
| Old Dam Road--marsh Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 51 | Unknown |
| Brett Woods Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 40 | Unknown |
| Springer Green Local Park | Town or city | 36 | Open |
| Mount Laurel Park Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 23 | Unknown |
| South Pine Creek Park Local Park | Town or city | 21 | Open |
| Perry's Mill Ponds Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 17 | Unknown |
| Southport Park Local Park | Not recorded | 16 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
93 places to go in Fairfield
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Fairfield
Fairfield Beach
DirectionsFairfield Beach
DirectionsFairfield Public Beach
DirectionsJennings Beach
DirectionsLake Mohegan BeachIn Lake Mohegan Recreation Area
DirectionsPenfield Beach
DirectionsSasco Hill Beach
DirectionsSouth Pine Creek Beach
Directions1 more beach
Southport Beach
DirectionsPlus 7 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Fairfield
Our Back Yard Play PlaceHours: Mon closed; Tue–Fri 12 pm – 6 pm; Sat–Sun 10 am – 6 pm
Directions60 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Boat launches in Fairfield
3 boat launches without a name on the map.
Fishing spots in Fairfield
1 fishing spot without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Fairfield
3 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Fairfield
Hoyden Hill440 ft elevation · In Hoydens Hill Open Space
DirectionsPavement Hill394 ft elevation
DirectionsCatamount Hill308 ft elevation
DirectionsMerwins Hill203 ft elevation
DirectionsOrchard Hill184 ft elevation
DirectionsMill Hill167 ft elevation
DirectionsOsborne Hill167 ft elevation
DirectionsTunxis Hill161 ft elevation
Directions2 more peaks
Round Hill157 ft elevation
DirectionsSasco Hill85 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
21 named trails and 30 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Horses · 0.5 miUnpaved · 16.1 mi
Dear Meadow Loop0.8 mi
Edna Strub Chiboucas Special Use Trail0.7 mi
Dirty Swamp Trail0.5 mi
Saint Timothy's Loop0.3 mi
Chipmunk Run0.3 mi
Serenity Loop0.3 mi
Muskrat Hollow0.3 mi
West Woods Trail0.3 mi
Ox Cart Trail0.2 mi
Sturges Pond Trail0.2 mi
11 more trails
Ash Creek Path
0.2 miRock Ledge Trail
0.2 miDear Meadow Trail
0.2 miFragrance Loop
0.2 miAzalea Trail
0.2 miStreamside Trail
0.1 miTrillium Trail
0.1 miCottontail Cutoff
0.1 miStream Side Trail
0.1 miOld Farm Trail
0.1 miSturges End Trail
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Arms PondBanks PondBellarmine PondpondBishop PondBrowns Brook DamBuckely PondreservoirClub PondDelevett PondpondDirty Swamp PondFairfield PondFarm PondGould Manor PondlakeGreat Brook PondHillside Road PondHirschs PondHoyt PondpondLake MoheganLower Stony Brook PondMoodys Mill PondNovista PondOwen Fish PondpondPerrys MillpondPutnam PondpondRoad PondSamp Mortar ReservoirreservoirSherwood MillpondreservoirStill PondSturges PondpondWildlife PondMill River
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
87Tennis
25Baseball
21Soccer
14Basketball
6Softball
6Football
6Pickleball
3Lacrosse
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →13 places on the National Register, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 9 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Greenfield Hill Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1971
About itFairfield Historic DistrictBuilding · listed 1971
About itSouthport Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1971
About itBronson WindmillStructure · listed 1971
About itDavid Ogden HouseBuilding · listed 1979
About itJohn Osborne HouseBuilding · listed 1987
About itFairfield Railroad StationsBuilding · listed 1989
About itSouthport Railroad StationsBuilding · listed 1989
About itPine Creek Park BridgeStructure · listed 1992
About itGreenfield Hill Grange #133Building · listed 2008
About it1 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Fairfield: 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 | 15.1 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 38 | 41 | 48 | 60 | 70 | 79 | 84 | 82 | 75 | 64 | 53 | 43 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 3.1 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 3.9 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 3.8 | 4.4 |
February is the driest month (3.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.5 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Fairfield →
Next door
Fairfield and its neighbors
Fairfield has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Fairfield48 miEaston34 miWeston33 miBridgeport22 miWestport13 miGreens Farms6.6 miStaples0.1 miSouthport0.1 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfield | 4% | 1.6 | 12 | 85% | A− |
| Bridgeport | 7% | 1.4 | 5 | 90% | B+ |
| Westport | 7% | 0.7 | 26 | 72% | A− |
| Easton | 20% | 1.3 | 24 | 35% | A− |
| Staples | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Weston | 13% | 1.7 | 19 | 66% | A− |
| Southport | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Greens Farms | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Fairfield
Where can I hike in Fairfield?
The longest trail networks: Lake Mohegan Recreation Area, 7.6 miles; Roy & Margot Larsen Sanctuary, 5.9 miles; Brett Woods Open Space, 4.3 miles; Grace Richardson Conservation Area Open Space, 2.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Fairfield is conserved land?
4% 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 Fairfield’s trails?
Lake Mohegan Recreation Area and Roy & Margot Larsen Sanctuary don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Fairfield?
9,535 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Fairfield or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 734 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Fairfield have?
Ahead of 76% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #105 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 Fairfield 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 →