Great Mountain Forest
Nature preserve
4,317 acres13.1 mi of trail
Number 4 TrailCharcoal Pit TrailGoodnow TrailTobey Bog Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Elisa.rolle · CC BY-SA 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Norfolk
50% of Norfolk’s land is conserved: 14,359 acres
1,728 acres are parks and preserves, 1,003 per 1,000 residents. 50 miles of mapped trail cross Norfolk, 1.1 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Great Mountain Forest (13.1 mi), Pine Mountain Preserve (4.6 mi), Haystack Mountain State Park (4 mi).
Ahead of 93% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Conserved land
50%
14,359 acres · of 45.3 sq mi of land
Trails
50 mi
1.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,728 ac
1,003 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
53%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
1,768 ft
Bald Mountain
Lakes & rivers
27
1 beach · 2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Norfolk?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Land that stays wild50% of the land is conserved; a typical Connecticut town, 15%.Room to roam1,003 acres of park per 1,000 residents; the typical U.S. town has 13.A trail town1.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 83% of U.S. towns.History along the way25 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Norfolk have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Norfolk is ahead of 93% of U.S. towns. Conserved land holds the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Norfolk’s overall grade.
Conserved land50% of the land · typical CT town 15% · U.S. 4%A+Trails1.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (50 mi) · CT 1.4 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land1,003 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,728 acres) · CT 22 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home53% of residents within a half mile of a park · CT 57% · U.S. 72%C+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 93%
LessMore
Connecticut towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 15%; the U.S., 4%), so Norfolk’s 50% is ahead of 99% of Connecticut towns, while its trails per square mile lead 39% of them.
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 Great Mountain Forest, with 13.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Pine Mountain Preserve
Managed by Norfolk Land Trust
368 acres4.6 mi of trail
Billings Trail-Tait Section
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Haystack Mountain State Park
Nature preserve
385 acres4 mi of trail
Billings TrailOld Carriage Road TrailTower TrailStoney Lonesome Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Dennis Hill State Park
Nature preserve
237 acres1.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Campbell Falls State Park Reserve
Nature preserve
133 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Norfolk Meadow
Nature preserve
5 acres0.3 mi of trail
Norfolk Meadow Boardwalk
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 12 parks & preserves
Great Mountain Forest4,317 acres · 13.1 mi of trail
DirectionsPine Mountain Preserve368 acres · 4.6 mi of trail · Norfolk Land Trust
DirectionsHaystack Mountain State Park385 acres · 4 mi of trail
DirectionsDennis Hill State Park237 acres · 1.6 mi of trail
DirectionsCampbell Falls State Park Reserve133 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsNorfolk Meadow5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsTown Open Space (Dutton Mountain)4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Norbrook Farm3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Farm Credit East ACA
DirectionsHousatonic State Forest592 acres · Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Wolcott Preserve469 acres · The Nature Conservancy
Town Open Space (Town Farm)157 acres
The Nature Conservancy Zweig (Easement)53 acres
Who protects it
14,359 conserved acres
50% of Norfolk’s land. Who manages Norfolk’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Other state land5,357 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits2,343 ac
Private owners1,229 ac
Other or Unknown Federal Land576 ac
State conservation331 ac
Town or city1 ac
Not recorded10,873 ac
Forest Stewardship Easement · 6,214 acPrivate Conservation · 5,453 acUnknown · 3,663 acUnknown Easement · 1,981 acConservation Easement · 992 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 2,835 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 120 of 143 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown Unknown | Not recorded | 4,984 | Unknown |
| Aton Forest Private Conservation | Not recorded | 1,239 | Unknown |
| Great Mountain Forest Unknown | Not recorded | 966 | Unknown |
| Mt. Riga Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 730 | Closed |
| Old Newgate Coon Club Private Conservation | Not recorded | 564 | Unknown |
| Vagliano State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 400 | Unknown |
| Camp Iwakta Private Conservation | Not recorded | 388 | Unknown |
| Haystack Mountain State Park State Park | Not recorded | 348 | Unknown |
| Barbour Woods Private Conservation | Not recorded | 284 | Unknown |
| Dennis Hill State Park State Park | Not recorded | 240 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
23 places to go in Norfolk
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Norfolk
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Norfolk
Wood Creek Pond Boat Launch
DirectionsWood Creek Pond Boat Launch
DirectionsWaterfalls in Norfolk
Buttermilk Falls
DirectionsScenic views in Norfolk
Haystack Mountain TowerIn Haystack Mountain State Park
DirectionsPlus 2 scenic views without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Peaks in Norfolk
Bald Mountain1,768 ft elevation
DirectionsEast Bald Mountain1,703 ft elevation
DirectionsHaystack Mountain1,673 ft elevation · In Haystack Mountain State Park
DirectionsDutton Mountain1,660 ft elevation
DirectionsBrown Mountain1,637 ft elevation
DirectionsDennis Hill1,627 ft elevation · In Dennis Hill State Park
DirectionsPine Mountain1,588 ft elevation · In Pine Mountain Preserve
DirectionsRiggs Hill1,575 ft elevation
Directions7 more peaks
Chestnut Hill1,542 ft elevation
DirectionsFlagg Hill1,542 ft elevation · In Wolcott Preserve
DirectionsCollege Hill1,529 ft elevation
DirectionsGrant Hill1,450 ft elevation
DirectionsFox Hill1,447 ft elevation
DirectionsParker Hill1,417 ft elevation
DirectionsEast SummitIn Pine Mountain Preserve
DirectionsCampgrounds in Norfolk
Long Rivers Council (Boy Scouts Of America)
DirectionsTrails & water
22 named trails and 27 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 8.4 miUnpaved · 26.8 mi
Number 4 Trail3.5 mi
Billings Trail1.8 mi
Botelle Nature Trail1.5 mi
Billings Trail-Tait Section1.5 mi
Stoney Lonesome Trail1.3 mi
Charcoal Pit Trail1.3 mi
Old Carriage Trail1.2 mi
North Dam Trail0.9 mi
Ells Crane Trail0.7 mi
Goodnow Trail0.7 mi
12 more trails
Old Carriage Road Trail
0.7 miTower Trail
0.6 miTobey Bog Trail
0.5 miSunset Trail
0.5 miSouth Dam Trail
0.5 miSwamp Trail
0.4 miNorfolk Meadow Boardwalk
0.3 miBeech Hill Loop Trail
0.3 miBrook Trail
0.2 miHemlock Trail
0.1 miFord's Folley
0.1 miCrissey Trail
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Bear Swamp PondpondBeckley PondpondBenedict PondpondBigelow PondreservoirBuckley PondCamp's PondpondCase PondpondCrissey PondDolphin PondDoolittle LakereservoirGhilds PondpondGoose PondHaystack Park PondlakeMead PondNorfolk Brook ReservoirreservoirOld Man McMullen PondPond Hill PondpondPupins PondpondSmith PondreservoirSpaulding PondreservoirStill PondStoeckels PondpondTobey PondreservoirWampee PondpondWapato PondpondWood Creek PondBlackberry River
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
10Tennis
1Baseball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →25 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Tamarack Lodge BungalowBuilding · listed 1977
About itNorfolk Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1979
About itChilds, Starling, CampBuilding · listed 1982
About itFarnum HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itGould HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itHillsideBuilding · listed 1982
About itJohn Shepard HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itMoss HillBuilding · listed 1982
About itNorfolk Country Club HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itRectory and Church of the Immaculate ConceptionBuilding · listed 1982
About itRobbins Stoeckel HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itRockwell HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About it13 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Norfolk: 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) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 32 | 35 | 43 | 56 | 67 | 75 | 80 | 78 | 71 | 59 | 47 | 36 |
| Rain (in) | 3.8 | 3.2 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.6 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 4.6 |
February is the driest month (3.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 80 °F). 5.0 inches fall in September, the wettest month. The climate in Norfolk →
Next door
Norfolk and its neighbors
Norfolk has the most mapped trails of the 5 towns around it. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norfolk | 50% | 1.1 | 1,003 | 53% | A |
| Canaan | 51% | 0.8 | 1,205 | 60% | A |
| Goshen | 23% | 0.5 | 145 | 30% | A− |
| Colebrook | 25% | 1.5 | 9 | 15% | B+ |
| North Canaan | 21% | 0.5 | 4 | 30% | B− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Norfolk
Where can I hike in Norfolk?
The longest trail networks: Great Mountain Forest, 13.1 miles; Pine Mountain Preserve, 4.6 miles; Haystack Mountain State Park, 4 miles; Dennis Hill State Park, 1.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Norfolk is conserved land?
50% 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 Norfolk’s trails?
Great Mountain Forest and Pine Mountain Preserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Norfolk?
44,000 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Norfolk or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,728 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Norfolk have?
Ahead of 93% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade. 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 Norfolk 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 →