Lake Windwing
Nature preserve
60 acres1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
–Not graded
Outdoors in Lakes West
8% of Lakes West’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. The biggest trail networks: Lake Windwing (1 mi). 8% of Lakes West’s land is conserved, about 68 acres.
Conserved land
8%
68 acres · of 1.3 sq mi of land
Trails
1.8 mi
1.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
58 ac
41 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
928 ft
Seth Low Mountain
Lakes & rivers
3
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 Windwing, with 1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Liebowitz-Knapp Open Space
Nature preserve
12 acres0.4 mi of trail
Knapp Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Ridgebury Slope
Nature preserve
14 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Peterson Gorge
Nature preserve
13 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 11 parks & preserves
Lake Windwing60 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsLiebowitz-Knapp Open Space12 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Leibowitz Section9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Ridgebury Slope14 acres
Peterson Gorge13 acres
Hemlock Hills5 acres
Land Cons. Of Ridgefield (Ridgebury Road)5 acres
Seth Low Pierrepont State Park Reserve4 acres
Town Open Space (Old Stagecoach Road)3 acres
Land Cons. Of Ridgefield (Bennetts Farm Road)2 acres
Land Cons. Of Ridgefield (Regan Road)2 acres
Who protects it
68 conserved acres
8% of Lakes West’s land. Who manages Lakes West’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city11 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits9 ac
State conservation4 ac
Not recorded43 ac
Local Park · 54 acConservation Easement · 9 acState Park · 4 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 9 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 8 of 10 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ridgebury Slope Local Park | Not recorded | 14 | Unknown |
| Peterson Gorge Local Park | Not recorded | 13 | Unknown |
| Fitzgerald Field Local Park | Town or city | 11 | Open |
| Leibowitz Section Local Park | Not recorded | 9 | Unknown |
| Hemlock Hills Local Park | Not recorded | 5 | Unknown |
| Seth Low Pierrepont State Park Scenic Reserve State Park | State conservation | 4 | Open |
| Town Open Space (old Stagecoach Road) Local Park | Not recorded | 3 | Unknown |
Things to do
1 places to go in Lakes West
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Peaks in Lakes West
Seth Low Mountain928 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
1 named trail and 3 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 0.6 miHorses · 1.0 miUnpaved · 1.5 mi
Knapp Trail0.4 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
2Baseball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Lakes West: 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) | 36 | 39 | 47 | 60 | 70 | 78 | 83 | 81 | 74 | 63 | 51 | 41 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 3.0 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 3.9 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 3.9 | 4.3 |
February is the driest month (3.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.7 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Lakes West →
Next door
Lakes West and its neighbors
Lakes West has the second most mapped trails of the 3 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakes West | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Ridgebury | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Lakes East | — 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 Lakes West
Where can I hike in Lakes West?
The longest trail networks: Lake Windwing, 1 miles; Liebowitz-Knapp Open Space, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Lakes West’s trails?
Lake Windwing and Liebowitz-Knapp Open Space don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Lakes West?
15,901 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Lakes West or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 58 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Lakes West 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 →