Eisenhower Park
Managed by City of Milford
228 acres5.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Photo: makemake · CC BY-SA 3.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Milford
Milford has 22 miles of mapped trails, 1.0 for every square mile of land
The biggest trail networks: Eisenhower Park (5.3 mi), Silver Sands State Park (2.5 mi), Solomon Woods (2.5 mi). 9% of Milford’s land is conserved, about 1,290 acres. 85% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 85% of U.S. towns · #62 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it
Conserved land
9%
1,290 acres · of 22.2 sq mi of land
Trails
22 mi
1.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,172 ac
22 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
85%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
3.5 mi
1.4 mi lanes · 1.1 mi paths
Highest peak
157 ft
Clark Hill
Lakes & rivers
20
19 beaches · 4 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Milford?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Milford have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Milford is ahead of 85% of U.S. towns, #62 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 Milford’s overall grade.
Conserved land9% of the land · typical CT town 15% · U.S. 4%B+Trails1.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (22 mi) · CT 1.4 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land22 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,172 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 85%
LessMore
Connecticut towns of 2,500+ (155)Ahead of 60%
Connecticut towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 15%; the U.S., 4%), so Milford’s 9% is ahead of 18% of Connecticut towns, while its trails per square mile lead 34% of them.
Water is 15% of Milford’s area (4 of 26 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 8%.
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 Eisenhower Park, with 5.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Silver Sands State Park
Nature preserve
320 acres2.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Solomon Woods
Managed by City of Milford
99 acres2.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Beaver Brook Trails
Managed by City of Milford
57 acres1.2 mi of trail
Beaver Brook Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Mondo Ponds Nature Preserve
Managed by City of Milford
35 acres1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Walnut Beach Park
Managed by City of Milford
24 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 29 parks & preserves
Eisenhower Park228 acres · 5.3 mi of trail · City of Milford
DirectionsSilver Sands State Park320 acres · 2.5 mi of trail
DirectionsSolomon Woods99 acres · 2.5 mi of trail · City of Milford
DirectionsBeaver Brook Trails57 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · City of Milford
DirectionsMondo Ponds Nature Preserve35 acres · 1 mi of trail · City of Milford
DirectionsWilcox Park21 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsWalnut Beach Park24 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of Milford
DirectionsSmith-Hubbell Wildlife Refuge and Bird Sanctuary9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Connecticut Audubon Society
DirectionsUpper Duck Pond5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMilford Green5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsPoint Beach Playground4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Milford
DirectionsMeadowside Playground3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsLower Duck Pond3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsLinwood Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Milford
Liberty Rock Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCharles E Wheeler Wildlife Area662 acres
DirectionsStewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge10 acres · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
DirectionsGulf Beach8 acres
DirectionsBrewster Field6 acres · City of Milford
DirectionsMargaret Egan Center Park5 acres
DirectionsDelacorte/Hubbard Preserve4 acres · The Nature Conservancy
DirectionsAnderson Avenue Playground3 acres
Grove Circle Neighborhood Park3 acres
DirectionsFannie Beach Community Center2 acres · City of Milford
DirectionsEric Zimmerman Playground2 acres · City of Milford
Trubee Doolittle Park2 acres · City of Milford
DirectionsThe Point Park past Caswell Cove1 acres
DirectionsHazelwood Playground1 acres
DirectionsBorough Hall Park1 acres · Borough of Woodmont
DirectionsWho protects it
1,290 conserved acres
9% of Milford’s land. Water is left out: Milford has 22.2 square miles of land and 3.9 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Milford’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city166 ac
State conservation83 ac
Other state land64 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service36 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits9 ac
Not recorded984 ac
State Conservation Area · 501 acLocal Other or Unknown · 367 acLocal Park · 150 acPrivate Conservation · 116 acUnknown Easement · 68 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 55 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 27 of 51 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 467 | Unknown |
| Charles E. Wheeler Wildlife Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 456 | Unknown |
| Welchs Point Park Local Park | Town or city | 44 | Open |
| Baldwin Marsh Wildlife Area State Conservation Area | Other state land | 37 | Restricted |
| Stewart B. Mckinney National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 36 | Restricted |
| Mondo Ponds Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 35 | Unknown |
| Devon Park Local Park | Town or city | 32 | Open |
| Wilcox Park Local Park | Town or city | 23 | Open |
| Charles Island State Park | Other state land | 19 | Open |
| Walnut Beach Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 18 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
72 places to go in Milford
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Milford
Anchor Beach
DirectionsBurwells Beach
DirectionsCenter Beach
DirectionsDixson St. Beach
DirectionsFarview Beach
DirectionsFort Trumbull Beach
DirectionsHawley Ave. Beach
DirectionsSilver Beach
Directions4 more beaches
Silver SandsIn Silver Sands State Park
DirectionsSwift St. Beach
DirectionsVilla Rosa Terrace Beach
DirectionsWalnut BeachIn Walnut Beach Park
DirectionsPlus 7 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Public pools in Milford
Milford Yacht Club
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Milford
Bodie’s PlaceIn Eisenhower Park
DirectionsMcDonald's PlayPlace
Directions34 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Milford
Eisenhower Dog ParkIn Eisenhower Park
DirectionsPlus 3 dog parks without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Milford
Housatonic River Boat Launch
DirectionsMilford Municipal Boat Launch
DirectionsPlus 2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Milford
3 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Milford
Clark Hill157 ft elevation
DirectionsBryan Hill135 ft elevation
DirectionsEels Hill135 ft elevation
DirectionsBurwell Hill118 ft elevation
DirectionsMerwin Hill95 ft elevation
DirectionsKnobb Hill49 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Milford
Gulf Beach Picnic TablesIn Gulf Beach
DirectionsTrails & water
1 named trail and 20 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 10.0 mi
Beaver Brook Trail1.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Beaver Brook PondsreservoirBristols Ice PondClark PondGirl Scout PondpondGroin and Drainage outfallHerbert PondpondLily PondpondMilford HarborMilford ReservoirreservoirMondo PondpondNew PondQuirks PondRose Mill PondpondWalker's PondpondWepawaug PondWest PondpondHousatonic RiverIndian RiverMinuteman PressWepawaug River
Biking & sports
3.5 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.4 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
1.1 mi
off-road bike paths
1.0 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
33Tennis
21Baseball
19Basketball
16Pickleball
7Soccer
5Softball
3Multi-sport
2Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →11 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 7 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Eells-Stow HouseBuilding · listed 1977
About itBuckingham HouseBuilding · listed 1977
About itSt. Peter's Episcopal ChurchBuilding · listed 1979
About itTaylor Memorial LibraryBuilding · listed 1979
About itRiver Park Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1986
About itUS Post Office-Milford MainBuilding · listed 1986
About itMilford Point HotelBuilding · listed 1988
About itHebrew Congregation of WoodmontBuilding · listed 1995
About itWashington BridgeStructure · listed 2004
About itAcademy of Our Lady of Mercy at Lauralton HallDistrict · listed 2011
About itLaurel Beach CasinoBuilding · listed 2018
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Milford: 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) | 39 | 41 | 48 | 60 | 69 | 78 | 84 | 82 | 75 | 64 | 53 | 44 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 3.2 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 3.8 | 4.4 |
February is the driest month (3.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.5 inches fall in September, the wettest month. The climate in Milford →
Next door
Milford and its neighbors
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milford | 9% | 1.0 | 22 | 85% | A− |
| West Haven | 8% | 0.9 | 3 | 82% | B+ |
| Stratford | 15% | 0.7 | 9 | 98% | A− |
| Orange | 11% | 1.8 | 15 | 44% | B+ |
| Woodmont | 4% | 0.4 | 6 | 99%+ | B+ |
| Shelton | 21% | 1.5 | 14 | 56% | A− |
| Oronoque | — 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 Milford
Where can I hike in Milford?
The longest trail networks: Eisenhower Park, 5.3 miles; Silver Sands State Park, 2.5 miles; Solomon Woods, 2.5 miles; Beaver Brook Trails, 1.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Milford is conserved land?
9% 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 Milford’s trails?
Eisenhower Park and Silver Sands State Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Milford?
3.5 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.4 of painted or protected lanes, 1.1 of off-road paths and 1.0 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Milford?
8,785 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Milford or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,179 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Milford have?
Ahead of 85% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #62 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 Milford 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 →