Connecticut College Arboretum
Managed by Connecticut College
95 acres2.9 mi of trail
Laurel Walk
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in New London
New London has 9.4 miles of mapped trails, 1.7 for every square mile of land
10% of New London’s land is conserved, about 365 acres. 92% of residents live within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: Connecticut College Arboretum (2.9 mi), Ocean Beach Park (2 mi), Bates Woods Park (1.5 mi).
Ahead of 83% of U.S. towns · #74 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it
Conserved land
10%
365 acres · of 5.6 sq mi of land
Trails
9.4 mi
1.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
227 ac
8.2 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
92%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
10 mi
3.3 mi lanes · 2.0 mi paths
Highest peak
203 ft
Soldier Hill
Lakes & rivers
7
14 beaches · 3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is New London?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does New London have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, New London is ahead of 83% of U.S. towns, #74 of 155 in Connecticut. Trail miles hold the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of New London’s overall grade.
Conserved land10% of the land · typical CT town 15% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (9 mi) · CT 1.4 · U.S. 0.4APark land8.2 acres of park per 1,000 residents (227 acres) · CT 22 · U.S. 13C+Parks close to home92% of residents within a half mile of a park · CT 57% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 83%
LessMore
Connecticut towns of 2,500+ (155)Ahead of 53%
Connecticut towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 15%; the U.S., 4%), so New London’s 10% is ahead of 20% of Connecticut towns, while its trails per square mile lead 66% of them.
Water is 47% of New London’s area (5 of 11 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 5%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ 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 Connecticut College Arboretum, with 2.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Ocean Beach Park
Managed by City of New London
30 acres2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Ocean Beach Parking LotWebsite ↗
Bates Woods Park
Nature preserve
92 acres1.5 mi of trail
Popsicle Peak TrailButtermilk LookBunny TrailBig Loop+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Fort Trumbull State Park
Park
16 acres0.3 mi of trail
Fort Trumbull Riverfront Walk
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Fort Trumbull ParkingWebsite ↗
Veterans Memorial Field
Park
5 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 17 parks & preserves
Connecticut College Arboretum95 acres · 2.9 mi of trail · Connecticut College
DirectionsOcean Beach Park30 acres · 2 mi of trail · City of New London
DirectionsBates Woods Park92 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
DirectionsCaulkins Park10 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsFort Trumbull State Park16 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsVeterans Memorial Field5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsNelson W. Nitchman Fields14 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · United State Coast Guard
Williams Memorial Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsRiverside Park18 acres
Robert Crown Park5 acres
Winthrop Cove Park4 acres
DirectionsGreen Harbor Park3 acres
DirectionsWaterfront Park2 acres
DirectionsWilliams Park2 acres
McKinley Park1 acres
Bartlett Park1 acres
DirectionsMahan Park1 acres · City of New London
DirectionsWho protects it
365 conserved acres
10% of New London’s land. Water is left out: New London has 5.6 square miles of land and 5.0 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages New London’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city131 ac
Private owners26 ac
Not recorded207 ac
Private Conservation · 161 acLocal Park · 100 acLocal Other or Unknown · 68 acLocal Recreation Area · 28 acState Park · 4 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 14 of 29 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut College Arboretum & Natural Area Private Conservation | Not recorded | 131 | Unknown |
| Bates Woods Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 49 | Unknown |
| Ocean Beach Park Local Park | Town or city | 43 | Open |
| Sport Complex Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 28 | Open |
| Alfred Mitchell Woods Private Conservation | Private owners | 26 | Closed |
| Unknown Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 19 | Unknown |
| Riverside Park Local Park | Town or city | 18 | Open |
| Calkins Park Local Park | Town or city | 10 | Open |
| Toby May Park Local Park | Town or city | 7 | Open |
| Veterans Field Local Park | Town or city | 4 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
45 places to go in New London
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in New London
Plus 10 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Public pools in New London
1 public pool without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in New London
15 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in New London
Thames River Boat Launch
DirectionsThames River Boat Launch (New London)
DirectionsU.S. Coast Guard - Station New London
DirectionsFishing spots in New London
1 fishing spot without a name on the map.
Peaks in New London
Soldier Hill203 ft elevation
DirectionsStarr Hill197 ft elevation
DirectionsProspect Hill164 ft elevation
DirectionsMeeting House Hill
DirectionsPicnic areas in New London
Powder House
DirectionsSkate HutIn Bates Woods Park
DirectionsPlus 5 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Trails & water
10 named trails and 7 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 1.2 miUnpaved · 2.8 mi
Popsicle Peak Trail0.3 mi
Buttermilk Look0.2 mi
Bunny Trail0.2 mi
Big Loop0.2 mi
Fort Trumbull Riverfront Walk0.2 mi
Boulder Trail0.2 mi
Wonderland Way Trail0.1 mi
Jack in the Pulpit Trail0.1 mi
Laurel Walk0.1 mi
Kale Trail0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
10 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
3.3 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
2.0 mi
off-road bike paths
4.8 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
21Tennis
17Basketball
13Tracks
11Baseball
10Soccer
3Softball
2Football
1Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →41 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 28 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Joshua Hempstead HouseBuilding · listed 1970
About itNew London County CourthouseBuilding · listed 1970
About itNew London CustomhouseBuilding · listed 1970
About itNew London Public LibraryBuilding · listed 1970
About itDeshon-Allyn HouseBuilding · listed 1970
About itNathaniel Hempsted HouseBuilding · listed 1970
About itShaw MansionBuilding · listed 1970
About itWhale Oil RowDistrict · listed 1970
About itNew London Railroad StationBuilding · listed 1971
About itFort TrumbullBuilding · listed 1972
About itThames ShipyardBuilding · listed 1975
About it29 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in New London: 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 | 41 | 47 | 57 | 67 | 76 | 81 | 80 | 74 | 64 | 53 | 44 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 2.9 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 3.1 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 3.6 | 4.3 |
February is the driest month (2.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 4.4 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in New London →
Next door
New London 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New London | 10% | 1.7 | 8 | 92% | A− |
| Waterford | 14% | 0.8 | 45 | 56% | A− |
| Groton | 25% | 2.6 | 60 | 82% | A+ |
| Groton | 6% | 0.3 | 10 | 85% | B |
| Conning Towers-Nautilus Park | — 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 New London
Where can I hike in New London?
The longest trail networks: Connecticut College Arboretum, 2.9 miles; Ocean Beach Park, 2 miles; Bates Woods Park, 1.5 miles; Caulkins Park, 0.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of New London is conserved land?
10% 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 New London’s trails?
Connecticut College Arboretum and Ocean Beach Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in New London?
10 miles of bike routes are on the map: 3.3 of painted or protected lanes, 2.0 of off-road paths and 4.8 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near New London?
6,729 acres of parks and open public land lie inside New London or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 227 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does New London have?
Ahead of 83% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #74 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 New London 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 →