Maltby Lakes
Managed by South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority
273 acres4.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Staib (please credit if used) · CC BY 3.0B+Outdoors
Outdoors in Orange
Orange has 30 miles of mapped trails, 1.8 for every square mile of land
11% of Orange’s land is conserved, about 1,196 acres. The biggest trail networks: Maltby Lakes (4.6 mi), Turkey Hill Preserve (4.1 mi), Racebrook Tract (2.2 mi). 44% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 74% of U.S. towns · #109 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it
Conserved land
11%
1,196 acres · of 17.2 sq mi of land
Trails
30 mi
1.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
209 ac
15 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
44%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
305 ft
Grassy Hill
Lakes & rivers
14
What kind of outdoors town is Orange?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Orange have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Orange is ahead of 74% of U.S. towns, #109 of 155 in Connecticut. Trail miles hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
B+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Orange’s overall grade.
Conserved land11% of the land · typical CT town 15% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.8 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (30 mi) · CT 1.4 · U.S. 0.4APark land15 acres of park per 1,000 residents (209 acres) · CT 22 · U.S. 13BParks close to home44% 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 74%
LessMore
Connecticut towns of 2,500+ (155)Ahead of 30%
Connecticut towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 15%; the U.S., 4%), so Orange’s 11% is ahead of 24% of Connecticut towns, while its trails per square mile lead 70% 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 Maltby Lakes, with 4.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Turkey Hill Preserve
Managed by Town of Orange
373 acres4.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Racebrook Tract
Nature preserve
256 acres2.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Housatonic Overlook
Managed by Town of Orange
64 acres1.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Wepawaug Conservation Area
Managed by Town of Orange
38 acres1.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Ewen Farm Preserve
Managed by Town of Orange
45 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Kowal Nature Preserve
Managed by Orange Land Trust
14 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 14 parks & preserves
Maltby Lakes273 acres · 4.6 mi of trail · South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority
DirectionsTurkey Hill Preserve373 acres · 4.1 mi of trail · Town of Orange
DirectionsRacebrook Tract256 acres · 2.2 mi of trail
DirectionsHousatonic Overlook64 acres · 1.5 mi of trail · Town of Orange
Wepawaug Conservation Area38 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Town of Orange
DirectionsEwen Farm Preserve45 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Town of Orange
DirectionsKowal Nature Preserve14 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Orange Land Trust
Old Tavern Road Recreation Area28 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsThe Ravine3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Orange Land Trust
Wright's Pond open space5 acres
DirectionsManley Heights5 acres · Orange Land Trust
DirectionsHawkins Acres4 acres · Orange Land Trust
Yale Nature Preserve3 acres · Yale University
Wepawaug Meadows3 acres · Orange Land Trust
Who protects it
1,196 conserved acres
11% of Orange’s land. Who manages Orange’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State conservation304 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government4 ac
Not recorded1,150 ac
Local Other or Unknown · 554 acWatershed Protection Area · 540 acUnknown Easement · 262 acPrivate Conservation · 48 acAgricultural Easement · 42 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 49 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 44 of 44 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 | 606 | Unknown |
| Racebrook Tract Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 231 | Unknown |
| Fred Wolfe Park Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 65 | Unknown |
| Housatonic Overlook Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 60 | Unknown |
| Howard Brooks Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 38 | Unknown |
| Wright's Farm & Pond Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 34 | Unknown |
| Paul Ode Trail Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 34 | Unknown |
| Paul Ode Trail Or High Plains Center Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 28 | Unknown |
| Kowal Nature Preserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 16 | Unknown |
| Town Open Space Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 11 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
17 places to go in Orange
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Orange
Fred Wolfe Park Playground
DirectionsPlus 8 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Waterfalls in Orange
CascadeIn The Ravine
DirectionsScenic views in Orange
1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in Orange
Grassy Hill305 ft elevation
DirectionsMarsh Hill236 ft elevation
DirectionsGeorges Cellar Hill210 ft elevation
DirectionsTurkey Hill203 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Orange
2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Trails & water
14 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
14Tennis
10Baseball
6Basketball
2Lacrosse
1Soccer
1Softball
1Multi-sport
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →4 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Orange: 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) | 38 | 40 | 48 | 59 | 70 | 79 | 84 | 82 | 75 | 64 | 53 | 43 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 3.2 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 3.9 | 4.4 |
February is the driest month (3.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.7 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Orange →
Next door
Orange 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange | 11% | 1.8 | 15 | 44% | B+ |
| West Haven | 8% | 0.9 | 3 | 82% | B+ |
| Milford | 9% | 1.0 | 22 | 85% | A− |
| Derby | 11% | 2.4 | 22 | 84% | A |
| Woodbridge | 10% | 2.9 | 1 | 15% | B− |
| Shelton | 21% | 1.5 | 14 | 56% | A− |
| New Haven | 9% | 2.9 | 9 | 99% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Orange
Where can I hike in Orange?
The longest trail networks: Maltby Lakes, 4.6 miles; Turkey Hill Preserve, 4.1 miles; Racebrook Tract, 2.2 miles; Housatonic Overlook, 1.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Orange is conserved land?
11% 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 Orange’s trails?
Maltby Lakes and Turkey Hill Preserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Orange?
9,376 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Orange or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 209 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Orange have?
Ahead of 74% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #109 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 Orange 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 →