Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center
Managed by Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center, Inc
90 acres2.4 mi of trail
Forest Loop TrailLedge TrailMeadow Loop TrailAvalonia Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Mystic
Few parks or trails are on the map in Mystic
The biggest trail networks: Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center (2.4 mi), Pequotsepos Preserve (0.5 mi). 20% of Mystic’s land is conserved, about 454 acres. 51 acres are parks and preserves, 11 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
20%
454 acres · of 3.6 sq mi of land
Trails
5.7 mi
1.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
51 ac
11 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
83%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
0.7 mi
Lakes & rivers
7
5 beaches · 3 boat launches
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 Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center, with 2.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Pequotsepos Preserve
Managed by Avalonia Land Conservancy
19 acres0.5 mi of trail
Avalonia Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Pequotsepos Brook Preserve
Managed by Avalonia Land Conservancy
44 acres0.4 mi of trail
Stone Bridges Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Coogan Farm & Nature Center
Nature preserve
18 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 15 parks & preserves
Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center90 acres · 2.4 mi of trail · Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center, Inc
DirectionsPequotsepos Preserve19 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Avalonia Land Conservancy
Pequotsepos Brook Preserve44 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Avalonia Land Conservancy
Coogan Farm & Nature Center18 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Mystic River Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCottrell Marsh27 acres · Avalonia Land Conservancy
Willams Beach Park22 acres
DirectionsMistuxet Hill Preserve (Avalonia Land Conservancy)20 acres
Knox Preserve17 acres · Avalonia Land Conservancy
DirectionsLambs Way Preserve17 acres · Avalonia Land Conservancy
Mystic Little League Field6 acres
DirectionsPerkins Wildlife Corridor4 acres · Avalonia Land Conservancy
Mystic River Boathouse Park1 acres
DirectionsMystic Academy Park1 acres · Town of Groton
Mystic River Park Playground1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
454 conserved acres
20% of Mystic’s land. Water is left out: Mystic has 3.6 square miles of land and 0.4 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Mystic’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits111 ac
Private owners81 ac
State conservation24 ac
Town or city6 ac
Not recorded315 ac
Private Other or Unknown · 251 acPrivate Conservation · 208 acAgricultural Easement · 24 acConservation Easement · 23 acLocal Park · 21 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 3 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 17 of 23 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 399 | Unknown |
| Avalonia Land Conservancy, Inc. 1 Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 44 | Closed |
| Cottrell Marsh Private Conservation | Not recorded | 28 | Unknown |
| Williams Beach Park Local Park | Land trusts & nonprofits | 20 | Open |
| Knox Preserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 17 | Unknown |
| Steamboat Wharf (Beaches) Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 3 | Open |
| Mystic River Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
Things to do
18 places to go in Mystic
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Mystic
Austrailia Beach
DirectionsWilliams BeachIn Willams Beach Park
DirectionsPlus 3 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Mystic
4 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Mystic
3 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Mystic
3 scenic views without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Mystic
3 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Trails & water
5 named trails and 7 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 4.8 mi
Avalonia Trail0.9 mi
Ledge Trail0.7 mi
Forest Loop Trail0.7 mi
Stone Bridges Trail0.7 mi
Meadow Loop Trail0.4 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.7 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.7 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
7Baseball
3Tennis
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Mystic: 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) | 39 | 40 | 47 | 57 | 66 | 75 | 81 | 80 | 74 | 64 | 53 | 44 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 3.0 | 4.4 | 4.1 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 4.0 | 4.4 | 3.6 | 4.3 |
February is the driest month (3.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 4.4 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Mystic →
Next door
Mystic 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mystic | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Stonington | 18% | 1.0 | 18 | 58% | A− |
| Groton | 25% | 2.6 | 60 | 82% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Mystic
Where can I hike in Mystic?
The longest trail networks: Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center, 2.4 miles; Pequotsepos Preserve, 0.5 miles; Pequotsepos Brook Preserve, 0.4 miles; Coogan Farm & Nature Center, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Mystic’s trails?
Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center and Pequotsepos Preserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Mystic?
0.7 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.7 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Mystic?
5,908 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Mystic or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 51 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Mystic 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 →