Merritt Family Forest
Managed by Groton Open Space Organization
76 acres2.3 mi of trail
Groton X-Town Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Jerry Dougherty · CC BY 2.5–Not graded
Outdoors in Noank
20% of Noank’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: Merritt Family Forest (2.3 mi), Mortimer Wright Nature Preserve (1.4 mi). 20% of Noank’s land is conserved, about 201 acres.
Conserved land
20%
201 acres · of 1.5 sq mi of land
Trails
4.5 mi
3.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
40 ac
21 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
2.6 mi
0.5 mi lanes
Highest peak
226 ft
Fort Hill
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 Merritt Family Forest, with 2.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Mortimer Wright Nature Preserve
Managed by Town of Groton
77 acres1.4 mi of trail
Groton X-Town Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Anderson Woodlands
Managed by Avalonia Land Conservancy Inc
11 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 11 parks & preserves
Merritt Family Forest76 acres · 2.3 mi of trail · Groton Open Space Organization
DirectionsMortimer Wright Nature Preserve77 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · Town of Groton
DirectionsAnderson Woodlands11 acres · Avalonia Land Conservancy Inc
Esker Point Beach10 acres
DirectionsSpicer House/Park6 acres
DirectionsNoank Community Park and Garden5 acres
DirectionsCrosswinds4 acres · Town of Groton
Tanglewood Park4 acres
DirectionsNoank Park1 acres
DirectionsMain Street Dock And Beach1 acres · Groton Parks & Recreation
DirectionsBeebe Cove Vista1 acres · Groton Open Space Association Inc
Who protects it
201 conserved acres
20% of Noank’s land. Water is left out: Noank has 1.5 square miles of land and 0.7 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Noank’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State conservation75 ac
Town or city33 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits10 ac
Not recorded186 ac
Local Other or Unknown · 114 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 75 acForest Stewardship Easement · 75 acPrivate Conservation · 21 acLocal Park · 19 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 8 of 15 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 | 115 | Unknown |
| Noank Realty Property Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 75 | Unknown |
| Esker Point Beach Local Park | Town or city | 11 | Open |
| Avalonia Land Conservancy, Inc. 1 Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 10 | Closed |
| Town of Groton 2 Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 9 | Open |
| Spicer Park Local Park | Town or city | 4 | Open |
| Tanglewood Play Area Local Park | Town or city | 4 | Open |
| Noank Play Area Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
Things to do
26 places to go in Noank
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Noank
Noank Town Dock BeachIn Main Street Dock And Beach
DirectionsPlus 8 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Noank
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Dog parks in Noank
1 dog park without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Noank
4 boat launches without a name on the map.
Peaks in Noank
Fort Hill226 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Noank
9 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Noank
1 community garden without a name on the map.
Trails & water
1 named trail
Named trails
Unpaved · 3.4 mi
Groton X-Town Trail1.7 mi
Biking & sports
2.6 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.5 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
2.1 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
8Beach volleyball
4Basketball
1Soccer
1Tennis
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Noank: 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 | 67 | 75 | 81 | 80 | 74 | 64 | 53 | 44 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 3.0 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.1 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 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 Noank →
Next door
Noank 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noank | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Poquonock Bridge | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Groton | 25% | 2.6 | 60 | 82% | A+ |
| Stonington | 18% | 1.0 | 18 | 58% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Noank
Where can I hike in Noank?
The longest trail networks: Merritt Family Forest, 2.3 miles; Mortimer Wright Nature Preserve, 1.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Noank’s trails?
Merritt Family Forest and Mortimer Wright Nature Preserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Noank?
2.6 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.5 of painted or protected lanes and 2.1 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Noank?
5,416 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Noank or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 40 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Noank 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 →