Keney Park
Managed by City of Hartford
553 acres5.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Hartford
12% of Hartford’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 28 miles of mapped trail cross Hartford, 1.6 per square mile of land. 12% of Hartford’s land is conserved, about 1,338 acres.
Ahead of 91% of U.S. towns · #35 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it
Conserved land
12%
1,338 acres · of 17.4 sq mi of land
Trails
28 mi
1.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,362 ac
11 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
32 mi
24 mi lanes · 6.0 mi paths
Highest peak
157 ft
Rocky Hill
Lakes & rivers
15
4 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Hartford?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Land that stays wild12% of the land is conserved; a typical Connecticut town, 15%.Parks close to homeVirtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park.A trail town1.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 90% of U.S. towns.History along the way146 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Hartford have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Hartford is ahead of 91% of U.S. towns, #35 of 155 in Connecticut. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Hartford’s overall grade.
Conserved land12% of the land · typical CT town 15% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (28 mi) · CT 1.4 · U.S. 0.4APark land11 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,362 acres) · CT 22 · U.S. 13B−Parks close to homeVirtually all residents within a half mile of a park · CT 57% · U.S. 72%A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 91%
LessMore
Connecticut towns of 2,500+ (155)Ahead of 78%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Hartford ranks #71 on Outdoors.
Connecticut towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 15%; the U.S., 4%), so Hartford’s 12% is ahead of 34% of Connecticut towns, while its trails per square mile lead 61% 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 Keney Park, with 5.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Riverside Park
Managed by Riverfront Recapture Inc.
61 acres1.2 mi of trail
Riverview Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Charter Oak Landing
Managed by Riverfront Recapture Inc.
29 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Goodwin Park
Managed by City of Hartford
124 acres0.8 mi of trail
Lower Park Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Elizabeth Park
Managed by City of Hartford
20 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Thomas J. Hyland Memorial Park
Managed by City of Hartford
19 acres0.6 mi of trail
Upper Ridge Klunk
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 34 parks & preserves
Keney Park553 acres · 5.9 mi of trail · City of Hartford
DirectionsBushnell Park36 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
DirectionsRiverside Park61 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · Riverfront Recapture Inc.
DirectionsCharter Oak Landing29 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Riverfront Recapture Inc.
DirectionsGoodwin Park124 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · City of Hartford
DirectionsElizabeth Park20 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · City of Hartford
DirectionsThomas J. Hyland Memorial Park19 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · City of Hartford
DirectionsJoseph V. Cronin Park10 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsConnecticut State Capitol Park11 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsPope Park76 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · City of Hartford
DirectionsMortensen Riverfront Plaza2 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Riverfront Recapture Inc.
DirectionsColt Park97 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Hartford
DirectionsFolly Brook Natural Area13 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Hartford
Columbus Park9 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Hartford
DirectionsForster Heights Playground3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Hartford
Pulaski Mall1 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Hartford
DirectionsRocky Ridge Park22 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Hartford
DirectionsJulio Lozada Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWexford Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Hartford
DirectionsDominick Delucco Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Hartford
DirectionsWillie Ware Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Hartford Office For Recreation and Family Services
Minuteman Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsThomas Hooker Square1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsConnecticut Square1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsPorter Memorial Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Hartford
DirectionsUniversity of Hartford Open Space9 acres · University of Hartford
DirectionsLiam E. McGee Memorial Park8 acres
DirectionsHarbison Playground4 acres · City of Hartford
Pope Park North3 acres · City of Hartford
DirectionsSigourney Square Park3 acres
DirectionsGully Green1 acres
South Green Barnard Park1 acres · City of Hartford
DirectionsKeney Memorial Tower1 acres
DirectionsCharter Oak Tree Memorial Park1 acres · City of Hartford
DirectionsWho protects it
1,338 conserved acres
12% of Hartford’s land. Who manages Hartford’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city617 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits3 ac
Not recorded712 ac
Local Park · 1,094 acLocal Other or Unknown · 187 acLocal Recreation Area · 46 acConservation Easement · 3 acPrivate Conservation · 1 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 25 of 69 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keney Park Local Park | Not recorded | 538 | Unknown |
| Town of Hartford 3 Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 128 | Open |
| Goodwin Park Local Park | Town or city | 124 | Open |
| Colt Park Local Park | Town or city | 106 | Open |
| Pope Park Local Park | Town or city | 76 | Open |
| Charter Oak Landing Local Park | Town or city | 56 | Open |
| Unknown Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 55 | Unknown |
| Riverside Park Local Park | Not recorded | 46 | Unknown |
| Bushnell Park Local Park | Not recorded | 33 | Unknown |
| Rocky Ridge Park Local Park | Not recorded | 21 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
73 places to go in Hartford
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Hartford
1 public pool without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Hartford
Ana Grace Love Wins PlaygroundIn Elizabeth Park
Directions56 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Boat launches in Hartford
4 boat launches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Scenic views in Hartford
1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Peaks in Hartford
Rocky Hill157 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Hartford
5 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Hartford
Hudson Street Community GardenKnox
DirectionsHuntington Community GardenKNOX, Inc.
DirectionsTrinity College Community GardenTrinity College
DirectionsPlus 2 community gardens without a name on the map.
Trails & water
3 named trails and 15 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 5.3 miHorses · 1.2 miUnpaved · 9.5 mi
Riverview Trail1.3 mi
Upper Ridge Klunk0.3 mi
Lower Park Trail0.2 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
32 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
24 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
6.0 mi
off-road bike paths
2.1 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
40Tennis
33Basketball
27Baseball
9Tracks
8Soccer
4Multi-sport
4Football
3Softball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →146 places on the National Register, 8 of them National Historic Landmarks
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 49 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Amos Bull HouseBuilding · listed 1968
About itCheney BuildingBuilding · listed 1970
About itWadsworth AtheneumBuilding · listed 1970
About itBushnell ParkSite · listed 1970
About it134 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Hartford: 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 | 61 | 72 | 80 | 85 | 83 | 76 | 64 | 52 | 42 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.6 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.9 | 3.7 | 4.2 |
February is the driest month (3.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 4.9 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Hartford →
Next door
Hartford and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Bloomfield66 miWest Hartford56 miWindsor41 miHartford28 miEast Hartford12 miNewington11 miWethersfield7.6 miBlue Hills0.8 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hartford | 12% | 1.6 | 11 | 99%+ | A |
| West Hartford | 23% | 2.6 | 43 | 91% | A+ |
| Windsor | 11% | 1.4 | 50 | 94% | A |
| East Hartford | 6% | 0.7 | 6 | 96% | B+ |
| Wethersfield | 13% | 0.6 | 18 | 96% | A |
| Blue Hills | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Bloomfield | 13% | 2.5 | 38 | 86% | A |
| Newington | 5% | 0.8 | 9 | 82% | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Hartford
Where can I hike in Hartford?
The longest trail networks: Keney Park, 5.9 miles; Bushnell Park, 1.5 miles; Riverside Park, 1.2 miles; Charter Oak Landing, 0.9 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Hartford is conserved land?
12% 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 Hartford’s trails?
Keney Park and Bushnell Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Hartford?
32 miles of bike routes are on the map: 24 of painted or protected lanes, 6.0 of off-road paths and 2.1 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Hartford?
20,799 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Hartford or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,362 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Hartford have?
Ahead of 91% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #35 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 Hartford 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 →