Peter's Rock Park
Managed by Peter's Rock Association
216 acres11.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Paperchaser29 · CC BY-SA 3.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in North Haven
North Haven has 29 miles of mapped trails, 1.4 for every square mile of land
The biggest trail networks: Peter's Rock Park (11.2 mi), Quinnipiac River State Park (2.6 mi), Julius M. Hansen Park (2.4 mi). 7% of North Haven’s land is conserved, about 956 acres. 354 acres are parks and preserves, 15 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 76% of U.S. towns · #106 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it
Conserved land
7%
956 acres · of 20.8 sq mi of land
Trails
29 mi
1.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
354 ac
15 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
65%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
328 ft
Peter's Rock
Lakes & rivers
16
1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is North Haven?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does North Haven have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, North Haven is ahead of 76% of U.S. towns, #106 of 155 in Connecticut. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of North Haven’s overall grade.
Conserved land7% of the land · typical CT town 15% · U.S. 4%B+Trails1.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (29 mi) · CT 1.4 · U.S. 0.4APark land15 acres of park per 1,000 residents (354 acres) · CT 22 · U.S. 13BParks close to home65% of residents within a half mile of a park · CT 57% · U.S. 72%B−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 76%
LessMore
Connecticut towns of 2,500+ (155)Ahead of 32%
Connecticut towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 15%; the U.S., 4%), so North Haven’s 7% is ahead of 11% of Connecticut towns, while its trails per square mile lead 51% of them.
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 Peter's Rock Park, with 11.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Quinnipiac River State Park
Nature preserve
277 acres2.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Julius M. Hansen Park
Managed by Town of North Haven
93 acres2.4 mi of trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lot
Chapman Sinoway Park
Managed by Town of North Haven
40 acres1.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Wharton Brook State Park
Park
26 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
North Haven Athletic Complex
Park
28 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Quinnipiac River Marsh Wildlife Area
Managed by State of Connecticut
226 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lot
All 17 parks & preserves
Peter's Rock Park216 acres · 11.2 mi of trail · Peter's Rock Association
DirectionsQuinnipiac River State Park277 acres · 2.6 mi of trail
DirectionsJulius M. Hansen Park93 acres · 2.4 mi of trail · Town of North Haven
DirectionsChapman Sinoway Park40 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Town of North Haven
DirectionsWharton Brook State Park26 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsNorth Haven Athletic Complex28 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsQuinnipiac River Marsh Wildlife Area226 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · State of Connecticut
DirectionsNorth Haven Town Green6 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsPitch Pines Park15 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Town of North Haven
DirectionsAll Saints Memorial Park76 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCarina Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Town of North Haven
Todd's Pond3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Forest Grove Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Montowese Park10 acres
DirectionsG.Carl Veith Memorial Park4 acres
DirectionsWharton Brook Natural Area Preserve3 acres
Cortina Park2 acres
Who protects it
956 conserved acres
7% of North Haven’s land. Who manages North Haven’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city146 ac
State conservation24 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits2 ac
Not recorded789 ac
State Conservation Area · 297 acLocal Other or Unknown · 226 acPrivate Conservation · 115 acLocal Park · 114 acWatershed Protection Area · 55 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 20 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 51 of 60 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 381 | Unknown |
| Quinnipiac River Marsh Wildlife Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 297 | Unknown |
| Julius M. Hansen Park Local Park | Town or city | 92 | Open |
| Quinnipiac River State Park State Park | Not recorded | 45 | Unknown |
| Bailey Road Field Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 26 | Open |
| Chapman-sinoway Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 26 | Unknown |
| Pitch Pines Park Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 15 | Unknown |
| Peters Rock Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 13 | Unknown |
| John Grover Wyman Park Local Park | Town or city | 7 | Open |
| Mill Road Field Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 6 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
14 places to go in North Haven
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in North Haven
3 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in North Haven
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Waterfalls in North Haven
1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Scenic views in North Haven
3 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in North Haven
Peter's Rock328 ft elevation · In Peter's Rock Park
DirectionsNorth Hill177 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in North Haven
2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Community gardens in North Haven
2 community gardens without a name on the map.
Trails & water
16 lakes & rivers
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
20Tennis
8Baseball
6Pickleball
6Soccer
3Basketball
1Lacrosse
1Football
1Softball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →2 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.
When to get out
The best walking months in North Haven: April 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) | 37 | 40 | 48 | 60 | 70 | 79 | 84 | 82 | 75 | 64 | 52 | 42 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 3.2 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 4.6 | 3.8 | 4.2 |
February is the driest month (3.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.6 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in North Haven →
Next door
North Haven and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Hamden123 miWallingford59 miNorth Branford56 miNew Haven53 miNorth Haven29 miEast Haven19 miWallingford Center9.4 miNorthford7.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Haven | 7% | 1.4 | 15 | 65% | A− |
| Wallingford | 15% | 1.5 | 56 | 82% | A |
| Wallingford Center | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Hamden | 16% | 3.8 | 13 | 49% | A− |
| East Haven | 14% | 1.5 | 5 | 88% | A− |
| New Haven | 9% | 2.9 | 9 | 99% | A |
| Northford | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| North Branford | 39% | 2.3 | 13 | 42% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in North Haven
Where can I hike in North Haven?
The longest trail networks: Peter's Rock Park, 11.2 miles; Quinnipiac River State Park, 2.6 miles; Julius M. Hansen Park, 2.4 miles; Chapman Sinoway Park, 1.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of North Haven is conserved land?
7% 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 North Haven’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Julius M. Hansen Park (on leash) and Quinnipiac River Marsh Wildlife Area (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near North Haven?
13,012 acres of parks and open public land lie inside North Haven or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 354 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does North Haven have?
Ahead of 76% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #106 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 North Haven 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 →