Bafflin Sanctuary
Managed by Connecticut Audubon Society Inc
693 acres7.7 mi of trail
Mashamoquet Meadow TrailDay Brook TrailField Trail
Dogs usually not allowed
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: John Phelan · CC BY 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Pomfret
33% of Pomfret’s land is conserved: 8,405 acres
1,078 acres are parks and preserves, 250 per 1,000 residents. 39 miles of mapped trail cross Pomfret, 1.0 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Bafflin Sanctuary (7.7 mi), Mashamoquet Brook State Park (7.2 mi), Nightingale Forest (2.5 mi).
Ahead of 87% of U.S. towns · #55 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it
Conserved land
33%
8,405 acres · of 40.3 sq mi of land
Trails
39 mi
1.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,078 ac
250 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
32%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
7.7 mi
7.7 mi paths
Highest peak
869 ft
Ragged Hill
Lakes & rivers
22
1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Pomfret?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Land that stays wild33% of the land is conserved; a typical Connecticut town, 15%.Room to roam250 acres of park per 1,000 residents; the typical U.S. town has 13.A trail town1.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 80% of U.S. towns.History along the way5 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Pomfret have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Pomfret is ahead of 87% of U.S. towns, #55 of 155 in Connecticut. Conserved land holds the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Pomfret’s overall grade.
Conserved land33% of the land · typical CT town 15% · U.S. 4%A+Trails1.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (39 mi) · CT 1.4 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land250 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,078 acres) · CT 22 · U.S. 13AParks close to home32% 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 87%
LessMore
Connecticut towns of 2,500+ (155)Ahead of 65%
Connecticut towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 15%; the U.S., 4%), so Pomfret’s 33% is ahead of 94% of Connecticut towns, while its trails per square mile lead 30% of them.
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 Bafflin Sanctuary, with 7.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Mashamoquet Brook State Park
Nature preserve
1,038 acres7.2 mi of trail
Blue TrailRed TrailYellow Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Nightingale Forest
Managed by Wyndham Land Trust
374 acres2.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Janice L. Bosworth Meadows
Managed by Wyndham Land Trust
150 acres1.1 mi of trail
Day Brook Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail sign
Natchaug State Forest
Managed by Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
1,251 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Chase and Mary Lee Evans Kimball Memorial Forest
Managed by New England Forestry Foundation
166 acres0.6 mi of trail
NEFF Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Airline State Park Trail (Northern Section)
Managed by Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
179 acres0.5 mi of trail
Vaughnted HollowSafety Third
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Theodore Gellert Preserve
Managed by Wyndham Land Trust
128 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
All 25 parks & preserves
Bafflin Sanctuary693 acres · 7.7 mi of trail · Connecticut Audubon Society Inc
DirectionsMashamoquet Brook State Park1,038 acres · 7.2 mi of trail
DirectionsNightingale Forest374 acres · 2.5 mi of trail · Wyndham Land Trust
DirectionsJanice L. Bosworth Meadows150 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Wyndham Land Trust
DirectionsNatchaug State Forest1,251 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Chase and Mary Lee Evans Kimball Memorial Forest166 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · New England Forestry Foundation
Airline State Park Trail (Northern Section)179 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Theodore Gellert Preserve128 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Wyndham Land Trust
Pomfret Little League Field4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Robert and Mary Valentine Preserve43 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Wyndham Land Trust
Dennis Farm Preserve448 acres · Nature Conservancy of Conn Inc
Pomfret Rod and Gun Club207 acres · Pomfret Rod and Gun Club
Aicher Preserve188 acres · Wyndham Land Trust
Duck Marsh Preserve145 acres · Wyndham Land Trust
Quinebaug Property96 acres · Eversource
Tucker Preserve94 acres · Wyndham Land Trust
Valentine Tract76 acres · Town of Pomfret
Lyon Preserve45 acres · Wyndham Land Trust
Ann A. Wright Preserve37 acres · Wyndham Land Trust
DirectionsHolzer Preserve19 acres · Wyndham Land Trust
Connecticut Waterfowlers Association12 acres · Connecticut Waterfowlers Association, Inc.
Cole Preserve10 acres · Wyndham Land Trust
Gallup Preserve8 acres · Wyndham Land Trust
Pomfret Green2 acres
DirectionsTownshend Preserve2 acres · Wyndham Land Trust
Who protects it
8,405 conserved acres
33% of Pomfret’s land. Who manages Pomfret’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Private owners2,099 ac
Other state land1,107 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)657 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits450 ac
State conservation98 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government94 ac
Town or city46 ac
Private Conservation · 2,059 acPrivate Agricultural · 1,441 acState Resource Management Area · 1,400 acState Park · 1,152 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 1,080 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 871 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 88 of 122 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown Conservation Easement | Not recorded | 4,290 | Unknown |
| Natchaug State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 1,266 | Unknown |
| Mashamoquet Brook State Park State Park | Not recorded | 976 | Unknown |
| Dennis Farm Preserve Site Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 450 | Unknown |
| Pomfret Rod and Gun Club Private Conservation | Not recorded | 206 | Unknown |
| Airline State Park Trail (Northern Section) State Park | Not recorded | 176 | Unknown |
| State Of Connecticut State Resource Management Area | Other state land | 135 | Open |
| The Vanentine Tract Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 76 | Unknown |
| Bosworth Meadows Private Conservation | Not recorded | 70 | Unknown |
| Storrs Wood Lot Private Conservation | Not recorded | 6 | Unknown |
1 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
18 places to go in Pomfret
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Pomfret
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Pomfret
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Peaks in Pomfret
Ragged Hill869 ft elevation
DirectionsWheaton Hill823 ft elevation
DirectionsProspect Hill751 ft elevation
DirectionsHamlet Hill741 ft elevation
DirectionsEaster Hill728 ft elevation
DirectionsLyon Hill715 ft elevation
DirectionsShaw Hill715 ft elevation
DirectionsTrowbridge Hill712 ft elevation
Directions6 more peaks
Allen Hill679 ft elevation
DirectionsPaine Hill673 ft elevation
DirectionsSharpe Hill659 ft elevation
DirectionsPomfret Hill627 ft elevation
DirectionsGolden Hill469 ft elevation · In Natchaug State Forest
DirectionsGrow Hill440 ft elevation
DirectionsCampgrounds in Pomfret
Windham County 4H Camp
DirectionsWolf Den CampgroundIn Mashamoquet Brook State Park · Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 22 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 5.9 mi
Blue Trail1.3 mi
Vaughnted Hollow1.1 mi
Loop de Loop0.9 mi
Rock and Roll0.7 mi
We-Li-Kit0.7 mi
Rooster Tail0.6 mi
Safety Third0.6 mi
NEFF Trail0.6 mi
PB&J0.5 mi
Day Brook Trail0.5 mi
15 more trails
Beg Forgiveness
0.5 miGhost Train
0.4 miSkid Row
0.4 miCat's Meow
0.4 miMashamoquet Meadow Trail
0.4 miBig Hickory
0.3 miHowling Wolf
0.3 miSpread Your Wings
0.3 miThrill Me
0.3 miWillow
0.3 miDirty Dancing
0.3 miAirline Distillery Trail
0.3 miRed Trail
0.3 miMud Slinger
0.3 miField Trail
0.2 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Abbott PondlakeAbington PondlakeBaker PondlakeBeaupres PondlakeBraytons PondBruce PondsreservoirDeflorez PondEddies Pond No. 2lakeFays PondKelly Pond No 1Kelly Pond No 2lakeLake BenjaminlakeMathewson Road PondMedbury PondNightingale PondreservoirPomfret 4-H Upper PondlakeRagged Hill PondSabin PondSmall PondTaft PondlakeWhites PondMashamoquet Brook
Biking & sports
7.7 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
7.7 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
15Tennis
5Baseball
4Lacrosse
3Basketball
3Soccer
3Multi-sport
1Volleyball
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →5 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 3 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Pomfret: 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) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 36 | 38 | 46 | 58 | 69 | 77 | 82 | 80 | 73 | 62 | 51 | 41 |
| Rain (in) | 3.8 | 3.2 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.8 | 4.0 | 4.6 |
February is the driest month (3.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.8 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Pomfret →
Next door
Pomfret and its neighbors
Pomfret has the second most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Eastford44 miPomfret39 miHampton39 miWoodstock30 miKillingly22 miPutnam9.3 miBrooklyn5.9 miSouth Woodstock2.7 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pomfret | 33% | 1.0 | 250 | 32% | A |
| Killingly | 11% | 0.5 | 52 | 46% | B+ |
| Putnam | 7% | 0.5 | 8 | 73% | B |
| Brooklyn | 9% | 0.2 | 14 | 39% | B− |
| Woodstock | 18% | 0.5 | 30 | 34% | B+ |
| South Woodstock | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Eastford | 49% | 1.5 | 52 | 13% | A− |
| Hampton | 29% | 1.6 | 97 | 51% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Pomfret
Where can I hike in Pomfret?
The longest trail networks: Bafflin Sanctuary, 7.7 miles; Mashamoquet Brook State Park, 7.2 miles; Nightingale Forest, 2.5 miles; Janice L. Bosworth Meadows, 1.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Pomfret is conserved land?
33% 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 Pomfret’s trails?
Bafflin Sanctuary and Mashamoquet Brook State Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Pomfret?
7.7 miles of bike routes are on the map: 7.7 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Pomfret?
7,729 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Pomfret or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,214 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Pomfret have?
Ahead of 87% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #55 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 Pomfret 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 →