Mohegan Park
Managed by City of Norwich
475 acres3.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Hayden Soloviev · CC BY 4.0BOutdoors
Outdoors in Norwich
14% of Norwich’s land is conserved: 2,465 acres
The biggest trail networks: Mohegan Park (3.9 mi), Taftville Watershed Reserve Land (1.6 mi), Bog Meadow Watershed Reserve Land (1.3 mi). 18 miles of mapped trail cross Norwich, 0.7 per square mile of land. 178 acres are parks and preserves, 4.5 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 65% of U.S. towns · #137 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it
Conserved land
14%
2,465 acres · of 28.1 sq mi of land
Trails
18 mi
0.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
178 ac
4.5 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
72%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
0.7 mi
0.7 mi paths
Highest peak
502 ft
Wawecus Hill
Lakes & rivers
23
1 beach · 2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Norwich?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Norwich have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Norwich is ahead of 65% of U.S. towns, #137 of 155 in Connecticut. Conserved land holds the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
B
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Norwich’s overall grade.
Conserved land14% of the land · typical CT town 15% · U.S. 4%A−Trails0.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (18 mi) · CT 1.4 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land4.5 acres of park per 1,000 residents (178 acres) · CT 22 · U.S. 13CParks close to home72% 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 65%
LessMore
Connecticut towns of 2,500+ (155)Ahead of 12%
Connecticut towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 15%; the U.S., 4%), so Norwich’s 14% is ahead of 45% of Connecticut towns, while its trails per square mile lead 13% 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 Mohegan Park, with 3.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Taftville Watershed Reserve Land
Managed by City of Norwich
220 acres1.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Bog Meadow Watershed Reserve Land
Managed by City of Norwich
356 acres1.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Fairview Watershed Reserve Land
Managed by City of Norwich
265 acres1.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Lowthorpe Meadow Natural Area
Managed by Lowthorpe Association Inc.
20 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Rogers Road Open Space
Managed by City of Norwich
130 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Estelle Cohn Memorial Dog Park
Managed by City of Norwich
5 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 66 parks & preserves
Mohegan Park475 acres · 3.9 mi of trail · City of Norwich
DirectionsTaftville Watershed Reserve Land220 acres · 1.6 mi of trail · City of Norwich
DirectionsBog Meadow Watershed Reserve Land356 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · City of Norwich
Fairview Watershed Reserve Land265 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · City of Norwich
Lowthorpe Meadow Natural Area20 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Lowthorpe Association Inc.
Rogers Road Open Space130 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · City of Norwich
Estelle Cohn Memorial Dog Park5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of Norwich
DirectionsThe Marina at American Wharf5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Norwich
DirectionsCrandall Property14 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Norwich
Jennings Field11 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Norwich
R. "Red" McKeon Occum Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Norwich
Sachem Street Open Space2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Norwich
DirectionsElizabeth Street Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Norwich
Cedar Woods Preserve46 acres · Avalonia Land Conservancy
Hunters Road Open Space27 acres · City of Norwich
Raymond “Cit” Ouellet Park20 acres · City of Norwich
Lawler Lane Open Space19 acres · City of Norwich
Laurel Hill Road Open Space13 acres · State of Connecticut
F. W. Brown Tract10 acres · City of Norwich
Norwich Little League10 acres
DirectionsLucas Park9 acres · City of Norwich
Hamilton Avenue Park8 acres · City of Norwich
Laurel Circle Drive Open Space6 acres · City of Norwich
Howie Dickenman Field5 acres · City of Norwich
Canterbury Turnpike Open Space5 acres · City of Norwich
Washington Street Park5 acres · City of Norwich
DirectionsFiremen's Field4 acres · Yantic Fire Engine Co.
Jenkins Field4 acres
DirectionsCranberry Pond Road Open Space4 acres · City of Norwich
Stephen S. Armstrong Tenis Courts4 acres · City of Norwich
Heritage Trail Corridor4 acres · State of Connecticut
DirectionsGreat Plain Road Open Space3 acres · City of Norwich
Orchard Street Open Space3 acres · City of Norwich
Luis DePina Recreation Fields3 acres · City of Norwich
Upper Dam Heritage Park3 acres · City of Norwich
DirectionsRoyal Mohegan Burial Ground3 acres
DirectionsHoward T. Brown Memorial Park3 acres · City of Norwich
DirectionsHammond Avenue Open Space3 acres · City of Norwich
Taftville Playground3 acres · City of Norwich
DirectionsNorth Main Street Open Space3 acres · City of Norwich
DirectionsFernwood Playground3 acres · City of Norwich
Occum Playground3 acres · City of Norwich
Norwich Avenue Open Space3 acres · City of Norwich
DirectionsFranklin Park2 acres · City of Norwich
DirectionsUncas Leap Heritage Park2 acres · City of Norwich
DirectionsStoney Ridge Road Open Space2 acres · City of Norwich
Thamesville Playground2 acres · Thamesville Recreation Association;City of Norwich
Sturtevant Street Open Space2 acres · City of Norwich
Seventh Street Open Space2 acres · City of Norwich
Talman Street Open Space2 acres · City of Norwich
DirectionsBrook Street Park1 acres · City of Norwich
White Plains Road Open Space1 acres · City of Norwich
Robert W. Spayne Basketball Courts1 acres · City of Norwich
Kent Street Open Space1 acres · City of Norwich
DirectionsStewart Drive Open Space1 acres · City of Norwich
Columbus Park1 acres · City of Norwich
DirectionsSchiller Street Open Space1 acres · City of Norwich
Julian Terrace Open Space1 acres · City of Norwich
DirectionsPalmer Street Open Space1 acres · City of Norwich
Greeneville Playground1 acres · City of Norwich
Cherry Hill Road Open Space1 acres · City of Norwich
Julian Street Open Space1 acres · City of Norwich
Trading Cove Association1 acres · Trading Cove Association Inc.
Krodel Road Open Space1 acres · City of Norwich
Monsignor Joseph V. King Memorial Park1 acres · Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Norwich
Balawender Drive Open Space1 acres · City of Norwich
Who protects it
2,465 conserved acres
14% of Norwich’s land. Who manages Norwich’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city909 ac
Private owners402 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits379 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)160 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government142 ac
Other state land126 ac
State conservation41 ac
Local Other or Unknown · 1,677 acConservation Easement · 389 acForest Stewardship Easement · 379 acLocal Park · 369 acAgricultural Easement · 301 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 485 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 48 of 70 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 | 1,904 | Unknown |
| Mohegan Park Local Park | Town or city | 338 | Open |
| Crandall Property & Crouch Pond Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 14 | Unknown |
| The Solomon Lucas Memorial Woods Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 11 | Unknown |
| Hamilton Avenue Playground Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| Mechanic St Park Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| Upper Falls Park Local Park | Town or city | 3 | Open |
| Franklin Park Local Park | Town or city | 3 | Open |
| Fitzgerald Field Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 3 | Open |
| Washington Street Park Local Park | Town or city | 3 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
47 places to go in Norwich
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Norwich
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Norwich
31 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Norwich
2 dog parks without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Norwich
2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Norwich
Yantic Falls
DirectionsPeaks in Norwich
Wawecus Hill502 ft elevation
DirectionsOx Hill390 ft elevation
DirectionsJail Hill213 ft elevation
DirectionsLaurel Hill210 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Pleasant154 ft elevation
DirectionsFox Hill138 ft elevation
DirectionsCrown Hill125 ft elevation
DirectionsLong Rock16 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Norwich
2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Trails & water
23 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Bog Meadow ReservoirreservoirBrowning PondByron Brook PondCote PondpondCrouch PondpondEely PondpondFairview ReservoirreservoirFalls Mill Pond UpperreservoirFox Hill PondlakeHunters PondlakeOccum ReservoirreservoirPlain Hill PondlakeShetucket River ReservoirreservoirSpaulding PondlakeSpaulding Pond No. 2reservoirTaftville Reservoir No. 1reservoirTaftville Reservoir No. 3reservoirTrading Cove PondlakeTurnpike PondpondWilcox PondlakeShetucket RiverThames RiverYantic River
Biking & sports
0.7 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.7 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
17Basketball
15Tennis
6Soccer
5Baseball
3Football
2Softball
1Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →34 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 18 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Bradford-Huntington HouseBuilding · listed 1970
About itCarpenter, Joseph, Silversmith ShopBuilding · listed 1970
About itConverse House and BarnBuilding · listed 1970
About itGen. Jedidiah Huntington HouseBuilding · listed 1970
About itGov. Samuel Huntington HouseBuilding · listed 1970
About itNathaniel Backus HouseBuilding · listed 1970
About itCarpenter HouseBuilding · listed 1970
About itCapt. Richard Charlton HouseBuilding · listed 1970
About itDr. Philip Turner HouseBuilding · listed 1970
About itLittle Plain Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1970
About itEast District SchoolBuilding · listed 1970
About itDr. Joshua Lathrop HouseBuilding · listed 1970
About it22 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Norwich: 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) | 37 | 40 | 47 | 59 | 69 | 78 | 83 | 81 | 74 | 63 | 52 | 42 |
| Rain (in) | 3.7 | 3.0 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 3.9 | 4.5 |
February is the driest month (3.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.7 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Norwich →
Next door
Norwich 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norwich | 14% | 0.7 | 4 | 72% | B |
| Montville | 12% | 0.5 | 24 | 27% | B+ |
| Bozrah | 12% | 0.3 | 59 | 34% | B+ |
| Preston | 8% | 0.8 | 8 | 32% | B− |
| Lisbon | 3% | 0.3 | 14 | 17% | C+ |
| Sprague | 14% | 0.9 | 151 | 57% | A |
| Franklin | 26% | 1.0 | 35 | 27% | A− |
| Baltic | — 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 Norwich
Where can I hike in Norwich?
The longest trail networks: Mohegan Park, 3.9 miles; Taftville Watershed Reserve Land, 1.6 miles; Bog Meadow Watershed Reserve Land, 1.3 miles; Fairview Watershed Reserve Land, 1.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Norwich is conserved land?
14% 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 Norwich’s trails?
Mohegan Park and Taftville Watershed Reserve Land don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Norwich?
0.7 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.7 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Norwich?
7,400 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Norwich or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 178 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Norwich have?
Ahead of 65% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #137 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 Norwich 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 →