Macricostas Preserve
Managed by Steep Rock Association
506 acres6.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
–Not graded
Outdoors in New Preston
Few parks or trails are on the map in New Preston
The biggest trail networks: Macricostas Preserve (6.8 mi). 34% of New Preston’s land is conserved, about 1,610 acres. 453 acres are parks and preserves, 395 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
34%
1,610 acres · of 7.3 sq mi of land
Trails
9.8 mi
1.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
453 ac
395 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
47%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
1,194 ft
Tinker Hill
Lakes & rivers
4
1 beach · 2 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 Macricostas Preserve, with 6.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Mount Bushnell State Park Scenic Reserve
Nature preserve
211 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Washington Public Beach
Nature preserve
1 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it
1,610 conserved acres
34% of New Preston’s land. Water is left out: New Preston has 7.3 square miles of land and 0.5 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages New Preston’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Private owners498 ac
State conservation223 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits121 ac
Other state land121 ac
Town or city12 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government3 ac
Not recorded1,052 ac
Unknown Easement · 966 acPrivate Conservation · 423 acLocal Recreation Area · 326 acState Park · 118 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 107 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 575 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 56 of 71 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown Unknown | Not recorded | 439 | Unknown |
| Lake Waramaug Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 326 | Unknown |
| Mount Bushnell State Park Scenic Reserve State Park | Not recorded | 118 | Unknown |
| Nickoll-Kinney Hill Conservation Easement (2007) Conservation Easement | Not recorded | 61 | Unknown |
| Macricostas Preserve Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 55 | Unknown |
| Steep Rock Association Property Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 26 | Closed |
| Macriscostas Preserve Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 26 | Unknown |
| Town of Washington Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 5 | Unknown |
| East Aspetuck River Water Access State Recreation Area | Not recorded | 4 | Unknown |
| Washington Public Beach Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
Things to do
15 places to go in New Preston
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in New Preston
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in New Preston
1 playground without a name on the map.
Boat launches in New Preston
Lake Waramaug Boat Ramp (Town of Washington)Fee
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in New Preston
New Preston Falls
DirectionsScenic views in New Preston
Waramaug's Rock
DirectionsPlus 2 scenic views without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Peaks in New Preston
Tinker Hill1,194 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Bushnell1,191 ft elevation
DirectionsTower Hill1,115 ft elevation
DirectionsBaldwin Hill1,033 ft elevation
DirectionsNew Preston Hill1,001 ft elevation
DirectionsWindy Hill
DirectionsCommunity gardens in New Preston
Judea GardenIn Macricostas Preserve
DirectionsTrails & water
4 lakes & rivers
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
4Tennis
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in New Preston: 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 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 34 | 37 | 45 | 58 | 69 | 77 | 82 | 80 | 73 | 61 | 49 | 39 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 2.9 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 3.8 | 4.2 |
February is the driest month (2.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.8 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in New Preston →
Next door
New Preston 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 Preston | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Washington | 30% | 1.7 | 638 | 44% | A |
| New Milford | 18% | 0.7 | 26 | 48% | A− |
| Warren | 21% | 0.6 | 582 | 68% | A |
| Kent | 46% | 1.4 | 954 | 67% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in New Preston
Where can I hike in New Preston?
The longest trail networks: Macricostas Preserve, 6.8 miles; Mount Bushnell State Park Scenic Reserve, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on New Preston’s trails?
Macricostas Preserve and Mount Bushnell State Park Scenic Reserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near New Preston?
12,877 acres of parks and open public land lie inside New Preston or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 453 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from New Preston 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 →