Rockland Preserve
Nature preserve
665 acres31.3 mi of trail
EraticaRockland LoopThunderdomeNew England Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Léo Schmitt · CC BY-SA 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Madison
Madison has 108 miles of mapped trails, 3.0 for every square mile of land
37% of Madison’s land is conserved, about 8,558 acres. 1,055 acres are parks and preserves, 60 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Rockland Preserve (31.3 mi), Cockaponset State Forest (8.9 mi), Hammonasset Beach State Park (5.3 mi).
Ahead of 91% of U.S. towns · #31 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it
Conserved land
37%
8,558 acres · of 36.1 sq mi of land
Trails
108 mi
3.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,055 ac
60 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
41%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
1.7 mi
1.3 mi paths
Highest peak
318 ft
Cranberry Hill
Lakes & rivers
27
12 beaches · 2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Madison?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Madison have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Madison is ahead of 91% of U.S. towns, #31 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 Madison’s overall grade.
Conserved land37% of the land · typical CT town 15% · U.S. 4%A+Trails3.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (108 mi) · CT 1.4 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land60 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,055 acres) · CT 22 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home41% 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 91%
LessMore
Connecticut towns of 2,500+ (155)Ahead of 81%
Connecticut towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 15%; the U.S., 4%), so Madison’s 37% is ahead of 97% of Connecticut towns, while its trails per square mile lead 94% 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 Rockland Preserve, with 31.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Cockaponset State Forest
Managed by Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
547 acres8.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Hammonasset Beach State Park
Park
569 acres5.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Neck River Uplands
Managed by Madison Land Conservation Trust
128 acres3.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Ironwoods Preserve
Managed by Madison Land Conservation Trust
110 acres3.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Lowry Woods
Nature preserve
82 acres1.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Salt Meadow Park
Park
36 acres1.3 mi of trail
Griswold Coastal Forest Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 56 parks & preserves
Rockland Preserve665 acres · 31.3 mi of trail
DirectionsCockaponset State Forest547 acres · 8.9 mi of trail · Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
DirectionsHammonasset Beach State Park569 acres · 5.3 mi of trail
DirectionsNeck River Uplands128 acres · 3.9 mi of trail · Madison Land Conservation Trust
DirectionsIronwoods Preserve110 acres · 3.4 mi of trail · Madison Land Conservation Trust
DirectionsLowry Woods82 acres · 1.8 mi of trail
DirectionsSalt Meadow Park36 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
DirectionsBauer Park28 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsSt. Francis Woods22 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Madison Land Conservation Trust
DirectionsTwin Hollow21 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Madison Land Conservation Trust
Town Open Space (Scotland Avenue)5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Donnelly Memorial5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Madison Land Conservation Trust
DirectionsCedar Island153 acres
DirectionsGuilford Sportsman Association84 acres
Madison Town Land59 acres
DirectionsTown Open Space (Durham Road)25 acres
DirectionsFence Creek Meadow24 acres · Madison Land Conservation Trust, Inc.
DirectionsKingswood18 acres · Madison Land Conservation Trust
Squire Glen15 acres · Madison Land Conservation Trust
DirectionsColt Manor15 acres · Madison Land Conservation Trust
Mancheski Meadow14 acres · Madison Land Conservation Trust, Inc.
Oakwood14 acres · Madison Land Conservation Trust
Rettich Preserve11 acres · Madison Land Trust
DirectionsMilestone9 acres · Madison Land Conservation Trust, Inc.
Village Pond9 acres · Madison Land Conservation Trust
Tuxis Pond-A8 acres · Madison Land Conservation Trust, Inc.
DirectionsShadow Valley8 acres · Madison Land Conservation Trust
Tuxis-Gull Rock8 acres · Madison Land Conservation Trust, Inc.
DirectionsTown Open Space (Horse Pond Road)7 acres
Hercules Hill7 acres · Madison Land Conservation Trust
DirectionsLake Hammonasset Public Watershed Land6 acres · South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority
Gesner Hill6 acres · Madison Land Conservation Trust
Timberlands5 acres
DirectionsMeadow's Edge5 acres · Madison Land Conservation Trust, Inc.
DirectionsMlct (Canaday Lane)5 acres
DirectionsFairfield Acres5 acres · Clinton Land Conservation Trust, Inc.
Antler Ridge4 acres · Madison Land Conservation Trust
Madison Springs4 acres · Madison Land Conservation Trust, Inc.
Borg Meadow4 acres · Madison Land Conservation Trust, Inc.
DirectionsWhitman Woods4 acres · Madison Land Conservation Trust
DirectionsForest Corners4 acres · Madison Land Conservation Trust
Cornish Woods3 acres · Madison Land Conservation Trust
Horner3 acres · Madison Land Conservation Trust
Stepping Stone3 acres · Madison Land Conservation Trust, Inc.
East River Woodland2 acres · Guilford Land Conservation Trust
Deepwood2 acres · Madison Land Conservation Trust
Maple Ridge2 acres · Madison Land Conservation Trust
DirectionsTown Open Space (Wildcat Springs Drive)2 acres
Hammonasset Fishing Association Lands1 acres · Hammonasset Fishing Association
Town Open Space (Fort Path Road)1 acres
Carlson Meadow1 acres · Madison Land Conservation Trust, Inc.
DirectionsTown Open Space (Wildcat Road)1 acres
Loucks Meadow1 acres · Madison Land Conservation Trust, Inc.
Town of Madison Canoe/Kayak Launch1 acres
Town Dock1 acres · Town of Madison
Town Land1 acres
Who protects it
8,558 conserved acres
37% of Madison’s land. Who manages Madison’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits2,036 ac
State conservation244 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)224 ac
Town or city9 ac
Not recorded7,594 ac
Watershed Protection Area · 3,910 acConservation Easement · 1,898 acPrivate Conservation · 1,666 acLocal Other or Unknown · 887 acState Conservation Area · 870 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 949 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 190 of 212 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 | 5,448 | Unknown |
| Hammonasset Natural Area Preserve State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 859 | Unknown |
| Cockaponset State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 397 | Unknown |
| Madison Land Conservation Trust 1 Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 287 | Closed |
| Madison Land Conservation Trust 4 Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 111 | Closed |
| Heatherwood Private Conservation | Not recorded | 50 | Unknown |
| West Wharf Beach & Surf Club Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 44 | Unknown |
| Stone Farm- Private Conservation | Not recorded | 40 | Unknown |
| Town Open Space (ridge Road) Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 38 | Unknown |
| School Mead Private Conservation | Not recorded | 37 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
47 places to go in Madison
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Madison
Circle Beach
DirectionsEast Rive Beach
DirectionsPlus 10 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Madison
Madison Town Campus Playground
DirectionsPlus 10 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks in Madison
Madison Dog ParkIn Salt Meadow Park
DirectionsBoat launches in Madison
2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Madison
Nineveh Falls
DirectionsPeaks in Madison
Cranberry Hill318 ft elevation
DirectionsRace Hill285 ft elevation
DirectionsHuzzle Guzzle Hill112 ft elevation
DirectionsGreen Hill108 ft elevation
DirectionsCamp Hill66 ft elevation · In Hammonasset Beach State Park
DirectionsCedar Knoll10 ft elevation · In Hammonasset Beach State Park
DirectionsWalnut Hill
DirectionsPicnic areas in Madison
1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Campgrounds in Madison
Camp Laurelwood
DirectionsGroup CampsiteIn Rockland Preserve
DirectionsGroup CampsiteIn Rockland Preserve
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Madison
Madison Community GardensIn Bauer Park
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 27 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 3.7 miUnpaved · 23.6 mi
New England Trail2.9 mi
Eratica2.6 mi
Rockland Loop2.5 mi
Thunderdome2.0 mi
Mag-51.9 mi
Summit Belt1.7 mi
East Loop1.5 mi
Bee Line1.1 mi
Rishy1.0 mi
The Darkside1.0 mi
15 more trails
Beyond Thunderdome
0.9 miDirt Church
0.9 miDirt Churh
0.8 miEastern Loop
0.8 miGoat Boy
0.7 miBambi
0.7 miCoan Pond Loop
0.7 miGracie
0.6 miDave Houston Trail
0.6 miMaria Schmidt Trail
0.5 miLower Hammonasset Trail
0.4 miGriswold Coastal Forest Trail
0.3 miBoundary Trail
0.2 miLone Pine Trail
0.1 miCold Feet
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
CCC Fire PoolreservoirDream LakereservoirDudley PondEast PondFire PondFire PoolFriendship PondpondGame Farm PondGreist PondpondHorse PondLake HammonassetreservoirLaurelwood PondpondLost PondMadison LakesNathan PondNorth PondSchumanns PondpondShelley Lakes No 2pondSouth PondStannard PondpondSummer Hill PondpondSunset LakeTuxis PondpondWest PondWestside Cemetery DamWhedons PondpondHammonasset River
Biking & sports
1.7 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.3 mi
off-road bike paths
0.5 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
27Tennis
10Baseball
9Soccer
6Basketball
1Football
1Multi-sport
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →7 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 12 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Allis-Bushnell HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itJonathan Murray HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itMadison Green Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1982
About itState Park Supply YardBuilding · listed 1986
About itMeigs-Bishop HouseBuilding · listed 1988
About itShelley HouseBuilding · listed 1989
About itWiley-Tremaine HouseBuilding · listed 2026
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Madison: May 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 | 40 | 47 | 59 | 69 | 78 | 83 | 81 | 74 | 63 | 52 | 43 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 3.1 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 4.3 |
February is the driest month (3.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.4 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Madison →
Next door
Madison and its neighbors
Madison has the second most mapped trails of the 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison | 37% | 3.0 | 60 | 41% | A |
| Killingworth | 26% | 2.1 | 5 | 9% | B |
| Guilford | 26% | 3.3 | 152 | 79% | A+ |
| Madison Center | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Clinton | 12% | 1.6 | 16 | 50% | A− |
| Durham | 24% | 2.1 | 104 | 51% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Madison
Where can I hike in Madison?
The longest trail networks: Rockland Preserve, 31.3 miles; Cockaponset State Forest, 8.9 miles; Hammonasset Beach State Park, 5.3 miles; Neck River Uplands, 3.9 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Madison is conserved land?
37% 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 Madison’s trails?
Rockland Preserve and Cockaponset State Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Madison?
1.7 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.3 of off-road paths and 0.5 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Madison?
13,594 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Madison or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,064 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Madison have?
Ahead of 91% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #31 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 Madison 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 →