Champlain South Open Space
Managed by Town of Old Lyme
204 acres5.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Florence Griswold House and Museum · Photo: Pi.1415926535 · CC BY-SA 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Old Lyme
Old Lyme has 51 miles of mapped trails, 2.2 for every square mile of land
22% of Old Lyme’s land is conserved, about 3,213 acres. 643 acres are parks and preserves, 84 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Champlain South Open Space (5.7 mi), Ames Family Open Space (4.6 mi), Lay-Allen Preserve (4.6 mi).
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns · #24 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it
Conserved land
22%
3,213 acres · of 23.0 sq mi of land
Trails
51 mi
2.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
643 ac
84 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
55%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
0.9 mi
0.5 mi paths
Highest peak
210 ft
Myer Hill
Lakes & rivers
23
15 beaches · 6 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Old Lyme?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Old Lyme have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Old Lyme is ahead of 92% of U.S. towns, #24 of 155 in Connecticut. Trail miles hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Old Lyme’s overall grade.
Conserved land22% of the land · typical CT town 15% · U.S. 4%ATrails2.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (51 mi) · CT 1.4 · U.S. 0.4APark land84 acres of park per 1,000 residents (643 acres) · CT 22 · U.S. 13AParks close to home55% 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 92%
LessMore
Connecticut towns of 2,500+ (155)Ahead of 85%
Connecticut towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 15%; the U.S., 4%), so Old Lyme’s 22% is ahead of 71% of Connecticut towns, while its trails per square mile lead 81% of them.
Water is 20% of Old Lyme’s area (6 of 29 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 18%.
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 Champlain South Open Space, with 5.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Ames Family Open Space
Managed by Town of Old Lyme
213 acres4.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Lay-Allen Preserve
Managed by Old Lyme Land Trust
211 acres4.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
McCulloch Family Open Space
Managed by Town of Old Lyme
315 acres4.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Griswold Preserve
Managed by Old Lyme Land Trust
51 acres2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Upper Three Mile River Preserve
Managed by Old Lyme Land Trust
131 acres1.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Champlain North Open Space
Managed by Town of Old Lyme
64 acres1.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Hatchetts Hill Preserve
Managed by Old Lyme Land Trust
44 acres1.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 26 parks & preserves
Champlain South Open Space204 acres · 5.7 mi of trail · Town of Old Lyme
Ames Family Open Space213 acres · 4.6 mi of trail · Town of Old Lyme
Lay-Allen Preserve211 acres · 4.6 mi of trail · Old Lyme Land Trust
McCulloch Family Open Space315 acres · 4.1 mi of trail · Town of Old Lyme
DirectionsGriswold Preserve51 acres · 2 mi of trail · Old Lyme Land Trust
DirectionsUpper Three Mile River Preserve131 acres · 1.9 mi of trail · Old Lyme Land Trust
DirectionsChamplain North Open Space64 acres · 1.8 mi of trail · Town of Old Lyme
DirectionsHatchetts Hill Preserve44 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · Old Lyme Land Trust
DirectionsJohn Lohmann Connecticut River Preserve42 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · Old Lyme Land Trust
DirectionsHoffman-Matthiessen-DeGerenday Preserve40 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · Old Lyme Land Trust
DirectionsLohmann-Buck-Twining Preserve41 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · Old Lyme Land Trust
DirectionsGoberis Chadwick Preserve26 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · Old Lyme Land Trust
DirectionsNehantic State Forest111 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
DirectionsMile Creek Preserve45 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · Old Lyme Land Trust
DirectionsBoggy Hole Preserve44 acres · 1 mi of trail · Old Lyme Land Trust
Watch Rock Preserve26 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Old Lyme Land Trust
DirectionsJericho Preserve45 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Old Lyme Land Trust
DirectionsBartholomew Open Space104 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Town of Old Lyme
Bob & Esther Heller Preserve10 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Old Lyme Land Trust
DirectionsFerry Landing State Park22 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection
DirectionsUpper Three Mile River Open Space30 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Town of Old Lyme
Belton Copp Preserve4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Old Lyme Land Trust
DirectionsGreat Island Marshes77 acres · The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy Griswold Point (Owned)24 acres · The Nature Conservancy
Rocky Neck State Park7 acres
DirectionsLord Cove Natural Area Preserve7 acres · Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Who protects it
3,213 conserved acres
22% of Old Lyme’s land. Water is left out: Old Lyme has 23.0 square miles of land and 5.8 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Old Lyme’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits1,452 ac
Private owners264 ac
State conservation230 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service110 ac
Other state land86 ac
Town or city68 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)1 ac
Conservation Easement · 1,544 acPrivate Conservation · 627 acState Conservation Area · 539 acLocal Other or Unknown · 348 acUnknown Easement · 272 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,143 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 101 of 130 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 1,249 | Unknown |
| Great Island Wildlife Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 536 | Unknown |
| Silvio O. Conte National Fish And Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 110 | Restricted |
| The Nature Conservancy Great Island Marshes (Owned) Local Conservation Area | Land trusts & nonprofits | 61 | Open |
| Town Open Space (Town Woods Road) Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 48 | Open |
| Great Island Marshes Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 35 | Unknown |
| Watch Rock Private Conservation | Not recorded | 26 | Unknown |
| Cross Lane Recreation Area Local Park | Town or city | 25 | Open |
| Marine District Headquarters State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 12 | Unknown |
| Fourmile River Water Access State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 7 | Unknown |
4 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
40 places to go in Old Lyme
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Old Lyme
Miami Beach
DirectionsPoverty Island BeachIn Great Island Marshes
DirectionsSoundview Beach
DirectionsWhite Sand Beach
DirectionsPlus 11 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Old Lyme
4 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Old Lyme
Four Mile River Boat Launch
DirectionsGreat Island Boat Launch
DirectionsRogers Lake Boat Launch
DirectionsRogers Lake Boat Launch
DirectionsPlus 2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Old Lyme
10 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Old Lyme
Myer Hill210 ft elevation
DirectionsJohnnycake Hill157 ft elevation
DirectionsAmon Hill141 ft elevation
DirectionsQuarry Hill102 ft elevation
DirectionsMeeting House Hill30 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
6 named trails and 23 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 44.2 mi
White Trail0.9 mi
Blue Trail0.8 mi
Ben Franklin Road (Former)0.5 mi
Green Trail0.4 mi
Green Trail (needs verifying)0.2 mi
Red Trail0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Big PondBlack Hall PondpondBoston Post Road PondDuck PondHigh School PondJimmy's PondpondLily PondLittle PondLower MillpondPings PondRogers LakereservoirSwan PondpondTinker PondTroopers PondUpper MillpondWhippoorwill PondBack RiverBlack Hall RiverConnecticut RiverDuck RiverFourmile RiverLieutenant RiverMill Brook
Biking & sports
0.9 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.5 mi
off-road bike paths
0.4 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
19Tennis
7Basketball
3Baseball
2Equestrian
1Pickleball
1Soccer
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →5 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
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 Old Lyme: 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 | 41 | 47 | 58 | 68 | 76 | 82 | 81 | 74 | 64 | 53 | 44 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 3.0 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 4.6 | 3.8 | 4.3 |
February is the driest month (3.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.6 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Old Lyme →
Next door
Old Lyme 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old Lyme | 22% | 2.2 | 84 | 55% | A |
| East Lyme | 25% | 1.7 | 41 | 70% | A |
| Lyme | 51% | 2.8 | 409 | 23% | A |
| Old Saybrook | 23% | 2.4 | 22 | 60% | A |
| Old Saybrook Center | — 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 Old Lyme
Where can I hike in Old Lyme?
The longest trail networks: Champlain South Open Space, 5.7 miles; Ames Family Open Space, 4.6 miles; Lay-Allen Preserve, 4.6 miles; McCulloch Family Open Space, 4.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Old Lyme is conserved land?
22% 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 Old Lyme’s trails?
Champlain South Open Space and Ames Family Open Space don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Old Lyme?
0.9 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.5 of off-road paths and 0.4 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Old Lyme?
6,132 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Old Lyme or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 643 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Old Lyme have?
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #24 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 Old Lyme 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 →