Rockhouse Hill Sanctuary
Managed by Oxford Land Trust
554 acres15.7 mi of trail
Woverine TrailMellow Yellow TrailThe Valley TrailOn The Rocks+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Stevenson Dam Hydroelectric Plant · Photo: Rootology · CC BY-SA 3.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Oxford
Oxford has 51 miles of mapped trails, 1.6 for every square mile of land
15% of Oxford’s land is conserved, about 3,083 acres. 498 acres are parks and preserves, 38 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Rockhouse Hill Sanctuary (15.7 mi), Naugatuck State Forest (11.5 mi), Kettletown State Park (3.1 mi).
Ahead of 78% of U.S. towns · #91 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it
Conserved land
15%
3,083 acres · of 32.7 sq mi of land
Trails
51 mi
1.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
498 ac
38 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
20%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
2.8 mi
0.5 mi paths
Highest peak
807 ft
Hunters Mountain
Lakes & rivers
17
2 beaches · 1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Oxford?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Oxford have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Oxford is ahead of 78% of U.S. towns, #91 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 Oxford’s overall grade.
Conserved land15% of the land · typical CT town 15% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (51 mi) · CT 1.4 · U.S. 0.4APark land38 acres of park per 1,000 residents (498 acres) · CT 22 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home20% 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 78%
LessMore
Connecticut towns of 2,500+ (155)Ahead of 42%
Connecticut towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 15%; the U.S., 4%), so Oxford’s 15% is ahead of 50% of Connecticut towns, while its trails per square mile lead 60% 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 Rockhouse Hill Sanctuary, with 15.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Naugatuck State Forest
Managed by Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
901 acres11.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Kettletown State Park
Managed by Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
239 acres3.1 mi of trail
Pomparaug TrailCreat Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Southford Falls State Park
Managed by Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
141 acres2.6 mi of trail
Red TrailYellow TrailBlue Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Larkin State Park Trail
Nature preserve
46 acres2.3 mi of trail
Larkin State Park Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Matthies Preserve
Managed by Oxford Land Trust
37 acres1.7 mi of trail
Red TrailBlue TrailPurple Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Jackson Cove Park
Managed by Town of Oxford
135 acres1.5 mi of trail
Pomparaug TrailOxford Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Matthies Memorial Park
Managed by Town of Beacon Falls
153 acres1.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 14 parks & preserves
Rockhouse Hill Sanctuary554 acres · 15.7 mi of trail · Oxford Land Trust
DirectionsNaugatuck State Forest901 acres · 11.5 mi of trail · Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
DirectionsKettletown State Park239 acres · 3.1 mi of trail · Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
DirectionsSouthford Falls State Park141 acres · 2.6 mi of trail · Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
DirectionsLarkin State Park Trail46 acres · 2.3 mi of trail
DirectionsMatthies Preserve37 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · Oxford Land Trust
DirectionsJackson Cove Park135 acres · 1.5 mi of trail · Town of Oxford
Matthies Memorial Park153 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · Town of Beacon Falls
DirectionsAggie Park10 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsKeith Mitchell Forest10 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Town of Seymour
DirectionsLittle River Nature Preserve19 acres · Town of Oxford
DirectionsPosy Panko Park15 acres
DirectionsVictory Memorial Park1 acres
Lily Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
3,083 conserved acres
15% of Oxford’s land. Who manages Oxford’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State conservation565 ac
Other state land142 ac
Not recorded2,857 ac
Local Other or Unknown · 1,428 acState Resource Management Area · 894 acUnknown Easement · 494 acState Park · 390 acPrivate Conservation · 154 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 84 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 57 of 59 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 | 1,512 | Unknown |
| Naugatuck State Forestt State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 708 | Unknown |
| Kettletown State Park State Park | Not recorded | 248 | Unknown |
| Naugatuck State Forest (Old Forest Management Area) State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 186 | Unknown |
| Southford Falls State Park State Park | Other state land | 142 | Open |
| Aggie Park Local Park | Not recorded | 105 | Unknown |
| Jackson Cove Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 61 | Unknown |
| Seymour Fish and Game Club Private Conservation | Not recorded | 19 | Unknown |
| Five Mile Hill Private Conservation | Not recorded | 17 | Unknown |
| Victory Park Local Park | Not recorded | 1 | Unknown |
Things to do
32 places to go in Oxford
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Oxford
Jackson Cove BeachIn Jackson Cove Park
DirectionsPlus 1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Oxford
Oxford Commons PlaygroundHours: Open 24 hours
DirectionsPlus 11 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Oxford
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Oxford
Southford FallsIn Southford Falls State Park
DirectionsScenic views in Oxford
4 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Oxford
Hunters Mountain807 ft elevation · In Naugatuck State Forest
DirectionsMoose Hill758 ft elevation
DirectionsFivemile Hill732 ft elevation
DirectionsTowantic Hill719 ft elevation
DirectionsJacks Hill699 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Pisgah673 ft elevation
DirectionsChestnut Hill640 ft elevation
DirectionsRockhouse Hill630 ft elevation
Directions4 more peaks
Good Hill617 ft elevation
DirectionsSanford Hill584 ft elevation
DirectionsHulls Hill486 ft elevation
DirectionsBowers Hill420 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
18 named trails and 17 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 9.7 miHorses · 1.2 miUnpaved · 18.0 mi
Pomparaug Trail3.9 mi
Red Trail2.2 mi
Woverine Trail2.1 mi
Larkin State Park Trail1.5 mi
Creat Trail1.2 mi
Mellow Yellow Trail1.0 mi
The Valley Trail0.9 mi
Blue Trail0.9 mi
On The Rocks0.5 mi
Glen/Rt. 34 Trail0.5 mi
8 more trails
Oxford Trail
0.4 miBird Watching Trail
0.4 miOverlook Trail
0.4 miLemon Squeezer Trail
0.3 miEager Beaver Trail
0.3 miYellow Trail
0.2 miWith A Twist
0.1 miPurple Trail
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Chanko PondpondChurch Hill PondreservoirCristenson Brook PondpondKeiser DamMisty PondNichols PondpondReservoir Number 1reservoirReservoir Number 2reservoirReservoir Number 3reservoirSeymour Reservoir Number 4reservoirStoddard DampondSwan LakereservoirTowantic PondpondTurner PondVon Wettberg PondpondEightmile BrookLittle River
Biking & sports
2.8 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
2.3 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Larkin State Park TrailBike route
2.5 miCourts & fields
8Baseball
7Tennis
3Soccer
1Basketball
1Football
1Equestrian
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 Oxford: 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 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 36 | 38 | 47 | 59 | 70 | 78 | 83 | 81 | 74 | 62 | 51 | 40 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 3.2 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 4.0 | 4.3 |
February is the driest month (3.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.8 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Oxford →
Next door
Oxford and its neighbors
Oxford has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Oxford51 miSouthbury45 miBeacon Falls32 miSandy Hook29 miNaugatuck24 miMonroe23 miSeymour18 miEast Village11 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oxford | 15% | 1.6 | 38 | 20% | A− |
| Southbury | 17% | 1.2 | 87 | 60% | A |
| Seymour | 11% | 1.3 | 6 | 53% | B+ |
| Beacon Falls | 27% | 3.3 | 24 | 26% | A− |
| East Village | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Monroe | 13% | 0.9 | 43 | 32% | A− |
| Naugatuck | 11% | 1.5 | 13 | 74% | A− |
| Sandy Hook | — 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 Oxford
Where can I hike in Oxford?
The longest trail networks: Rockhouse Hill Sanctuary, 15.7 miles; Naugatuck State Forest, 11.5 miles; Kettletown State Park, 3.1 miles; Southford Falls State Park, 2.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Oxford is conserved land?
15% 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 Oxford’s trails?
Rockhouse Hill Sanctuary and Naugatuck State Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Oxford?
2.8 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.5 of off-road paths and 2.3 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: Larkin State Park Trail.
Is there public land near Oxford?
11,301 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Oxford or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 498 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Oxford have?
Ahead of 78% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #91 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 Oxford 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 →