Meshomasic State Forest
Managed by Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
3,570 acres35.2 mi of trail
Shenipsit TrailPine Woods Path
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Artsistra · CC BY-SA 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Portland
Portland has 63 miles of mapped trails, 2.7 for every square mile of land
34% of Portland’s land is conserved, about 5,122 acres. The biggest trail networks: Meshomasic State Forest (35.2 mi), Portland Reservoir (3.1 mi), Rattlesnake Brook Preserve (2.7 mi). 297 acres are parks and preserves, 32 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 90% of U.S. towns · #40 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it
Conserved land
34%
5,122 acres · of 23.4 sq mi of land
Trails
63 mi
2.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
297 ac
32 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
52%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
2.7 mi
2.7 mi paths
Highest peak
869 ft
Meshomasic Mountain
Lakes & rivers
18
4 beaches · 5 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Portland?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Portland have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Portland is ahead of 90% of U.S. towns, #40 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 Portland’s overall grade.
Conserved land34% of the land · typical CT town 15% · U.S. 4%A+Trails2.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (63 mi) · CT 1.4 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land32 acres of park per 1,000 residents (297 acres) · CT 22 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home52% 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 90%
LessMore
Connecticut towns of 2,500+ (155)Ahead of 75%
Connecticut towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 15%; the U.S., 4%), so Portland’s 34% is ahead of 95% of Connecticut towns, while its trails per square mile lead 90% of them.
Water is 6% of Portland’s area (2 of 25 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 32%.
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 Meshomasic State Forest, with 35.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Portland Reservoir
Managed by Town of Portland
256 acres3.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Rattlesnake Brook Preserve
Managed by Middlesex Land Trust
158 acres2.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Portland Recreational Complex
Managed by Town of Portland
25 acres1.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Portland Riverfront Park
Managed by Town of Portland
44 acres1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Wangunk Meadows Wildlife Management Area
Managed by State of Connecticut
636 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Oak Ledges Preserve
Managed by Middlesex Land Trust
8 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Roy Huse Collins Preserve
Managed by Middlesex Land Trust
12 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 38 parks & preserves
Meshomasic State Forest3,570 acres · 35.2 mi of trail · Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
DirectionsPortland Reservoir256 acres · 3.1 mi of trail · Town of Portland
DirectionsRattlesnake Brook Preserve158 acres · 2.7 mi of trail · Middlesex Land Trust
DirectionsPortland Recreational Complex25 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Town of Portland
Portland Riverfront Park44 acres · 1 mi of trail · Town of Portland
Wangunk Meadows Wildlife Management Area636 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · State of Connecticut
DirectionsOak Ledges Preserve8 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Middlesex Land Trust
DirectionsRoy Huse Collins Preserve12 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Middlesex Land Trust
DirectionsBransfield Park23 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Town of Portland
DirectionsHelen Carlson Wildlife Sanctuary18 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Mattabeseck Audubon Society, Inc.
DirectionsBrownstone Exploration and Discovery Park35 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Town of Portland
DirectionsPortland Air Line Trail Spur26 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Town of Portland
DirectionsPortland Farmers Fish and Game Club134 acres · Portland Farmers Fish and Game Club, Inc.
Palmer Taylor Preserve95 acres · Middlesex Land Trust
Brownstone Park56 acres · Town of Portland
Abe Tempkin Preserve35 acres · Middlesex Land Trust
Cedar Meadow Preserve31 acres · Middlesex Land Trust
Stuart Brook Preserve23 acres · Middlesex Land Trust
Pecausett Johnson Kalinowsky Preserve18 acres · Middlesex Land Trust
Town Open Space17 acres · Town of Portland
Carlson Preserve15 acres · Middlesex Land Trust
Bowers Preserve12 acres · Middlesex Land Trust
Taylor–Edgewood Open Space10 acres · Town of Portland
Oakwood Soccer Park9 acres · Oakwood Sports Center of Glastonbury, LLC
Middlesex Land Trust7 acres
Okumsett Preserve6 acres · Middlesex Land Trust
DirectionsAgogliati Field6 acres · Town of Portland
DirectionsBill Nolan Field6 acres · Town of Portland
Town Open Space (Old Stage Road)4 acres · Town of Portland
Culver Lane Open Space4 acres · Town of Portland
Pecausett Harper Preserve3 acres · Middlesex Land Trust
Tomasso Ballfield3 acres · Tilcon, Inc.
General John Hoar Preserve3 acres · Middlesex Land Trust
Bartlett Hill Preserve2 acres · Middlesex Land Trust
Bell Aire Terrace Open Space2 acres · Town of Portland
Community Center1 acres
DirectionsWildwood Road Open Space1 acres · Town of Portland
Bartlett Street Open Space1 acres · Town of Portland
Who protects it
5,122 conserved acres
34% of Portland’s land. Water is left out: Portland has 23.4 square miles of land and 1.5 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Portland’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Other state land141 ac
Town or city44 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)32 ac
Not recorded4,909 ac
State Resource Management Area · 3,303 acState Conservation Area · 644 acPrivate Conservation · 450 acWatershed Protection Area · 236 acUnknown Easement · 141 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 173 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 139 of 150 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meshomasic State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 2,351 | Unknown |
| Meshomasic State Forest (Old Forest Management Area) State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 952 | Unknown |
| Wangunk Meadows Wildlife Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 649 | Unknown |
| Unknown Private Conservation | Not recorded | 437 | Unknown |
| Portland Reservoir Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 236 | Unknown |
| Camp Ingersoll Private Conservation | Not recorded | 80 | Unknown |
| Great Hill Pond State Recreation Area | Not recorded | 76 | Unknown |
| Portland Riverfront Park Local Park | Not recorded | 42 | Unknown |
| Town Open Space Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 34 | Open |
| Brownstone Exploration Park Local Park | Not recorded | 34 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
32 places to go in Portland
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Portland
4 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Portland
4 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Portland
5 boat launches without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Portland
Carr Brook Falls
DirectionsGlen Falls
DirectionsScenic views in Portland
3 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Portland
Meshomasic Mountain869 ft elevation · In Meshomasic State Forest
DirectionsRaccoon Hill748 ft elevation · In Meshomasic State Forest
DirectionsGulf Hill577 ft elevation · In Meshomasic State Forest
DirectionsLarson Hill522 ft elevation · In Rattlesnake Brook Preserve
DirectionsPenfield Hill515 ft elevation
DirectionsStrickland Hill358 ft elevation
DirectionsCrow Hill348 ft elevation
DirectionsCollins Hill341 ft elevation
Directions3 more peaks
Straits Hill312 ft elevation
DirectionsBlueberry HillIn Oak Ledges Preserve
DirectionsJouncer HillIn Oak Ledges Preserve
DirectionsPicnic areas in Portland
1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Campgrounds in Portland
Shepherd's NineNoyes School of Rhythm
DirectionsYMCA Camp Ingersoll
DirectionsTrails & water
2 named trails and 18 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 15.4 miHorses · 1.8 miUnpaved · 27.2 mi
Shenipsit Trail0.4 mi
Pine Woods Path0.2 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Brazos Quarry PondBreezy Corner Road PondpondCranberry BogGreat Hill PondlakeHales PondlakeHallocks PondpondHedstroms Pond No 1pondHedstroms Pond No 2pondJobs PondlakeKelseys PondMill PondPecausett PondpondPortland ReservoirreservoirSupples PondWilcox Mill PondBuck BrookConnecticut RiverReservoir Brook
Biking & sports
2.7 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.7 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
12Soccer
8Baseball
6Tennis
3Basketball
2Pickleball
2Multi-sport
1Volleyball
1Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →6 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.
Williams and Stancliff Octagon HousesBuilding · listed 1976
About itIndian Hill Avenue Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1983
About itDaniel and Mary Lee HouseBuilding · listed 1991
About itMarlborough Street Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2012
About itWhite-Overton-Callander HouseBuilding · listed 2014
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Portland: 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 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 37 | 40 | 48 | 60 | 71 | 79 | 85 | 83 | 76 | 64 | 52 | 42 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 4.6 | 3.8 | 4.2 |
February is the driest month (3.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 4.6 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Portland →
Next door
Portland 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland | 34% | 2.7 | 32 | 52% | A |
| Cromwell | 16% | 2.2 | 25 | 65% | A |
| East Hampton | 24% | 2.1 | 83 | 43% | A |
| Middletown | 13% | 2.0 | 19 | 62% | A− |
| Glastonbury | 29% | 3.4 | 72 | 99%+ | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Portland
Where can I hike in Portland?
The longest trail networks: Meshomasic State Forest, 35.2 miles; Portland Reservoir, 3.1 miles; Rattlesnake Brook Preserve, 2.7 miles; Portland Recreational Complex, 1.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Portland is conserved land?
34% 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 Portland’s trails?
Meshomasic State Forest and Portland Reservoir don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Portland?
2.7 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.7 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Portland?
16,118 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Portland or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 297 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Portland have?
Ahead of 90% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #40 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 Portland 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 →