Lake Windwing
Nature preserve
53 acres1.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
–Not graded
Outdoors in Ridgebury
14% of Ridgebury’s land is conserved, and 98% of residents live within a half mile of a park
The biggest trail networks: Lake Windwing (1.6 mi), Sarah Bishop (0.8 mi), Hemlock Hills (0.7 mi). 14% of Ridgebury’s land is conserved, about 504 acres. 268 acres are parks and preserves, 130 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
14%
504 acres · of 5.5 sq mi of land
Trails
4.5 mi
0.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
268 ac
130 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
98%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
932 ft
Ned Mountain
Lakes & rivers
5
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 Lake Windwing, with 1.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Sarah Bishop
Nature preserve
43 acres0.8 mi of trail
Red TrailYellow Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Hemlock Hills
Nature preserve
92 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Town Open Space (Shadow Lake Road)
Nature preserve
60 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 18 parks & preserves
Lake Windwing53 acres · 1.6 mi of trail
DirectionsSarah Bishop43 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
Hemlock Hills92 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsLand Conservancy of Ridgefield (Ned's Mountain Road) 4 Parcels24 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Land Conservancy of Ridgefield
Town Open Space (Shadow Lake Road)60 acres
Scodon39 acres
Ridgebury Farms (2 Parcels)26 acres
Land Cons. Of Ridgefield (Shadow Lake Road)20 acres
Land Cons. Of Ridgefield (Spring Valley Road)16 acres
Town Open Space (Keeler Drive)15 acres
DirectionsBerthier Equestrian Trail7 acres
Town Open Space (Chipmunk Lane)5 acres
McKeon Open Space5 acres · Town of Ridgefield
Town Open Space (Ned's Mountain Road)4 acres
Town Open Space (Chestnut Hill Road)3 acres
Town Open Space (Beaver Brook Road)2 acres
Town Open Space (Ridgebury Road)2 acres
Town Open Space (Briar Ridge Road, Rear)2 acres
Who protects it
504 conserved acres
14% of Ridgebury’s land. Who manages Ridgebury’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits107 ac
Town or city5 ac
Not recorded439 ac
Local Park · 436 acConservation Easement · 60 acUnknown Easement · 47 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 5 acLocal Other or Unknown · 3 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 60 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 25 of 28 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ridgefield Golf Course Local Park | Not recorded | 167 | Unknown |
| Hemlock Hills Local Park | Not recorded | 91 | Unknown |
| Sarah Bishop/chestnut Hill Local Park | Not recorded | 51 | Unknown |
| Scodon Local Park | Not recorded | 39 | Unknown |
| Ridgebury Farms (2 Parcels) Local Park | Not recorded | 26 | Unknown |
| Town Open Space (keeler Drive) Local Park | Not recorded | 15 | Unknown |
| Berthier Equestrian Trail Local Park | Not recorded | 9 | Unknown |
| Town Open Space (Ned'S Mountain Road) Local Park | Not recorded | 8 | Unknown |
| Town Open Space (sadow Lake Road) Local Park | Not recorded | 5 | Unknown |
| Town Open Space (chipmunk Lane) Local Park | Not recorded | 5 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
1 places to go in Ridgebury
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Peaks in Ridgebury
Ned Mountain932 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
3 named trails and 5 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 1.0 miHorses · 1.0 miUnpaved · 2.8 mi
Red Trail0.4 mi
Yellow Trail0.3 mi
Old Trolley Path0.2 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
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
4Tennis
1Softball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Ridgebury: 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) | 36 | 39 | 47 | 60 | 70 | 78 | 83 | 81 | 74 | 63 | 51 | 41 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 3.0 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 3.9 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 3.9 | 4.3 |
February is the driest month (3.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.7 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Ridgebury →
Next door
Ridgebury 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ridgebury | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Lakes West | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Ridgefield | 18% | 1.6 | 93 | 97% | A+ |
| Danbury | 15% | 1.1 | 15 | 69% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Ridgebury
Where can I hike in Ridgebury?
The longest trail networks: Lake Windwing, 1.6 miles; Sarah Bishop, 0.8 miles; Hemlock Hills, 0.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Ridgebury’s trails?
Lake Windwing and Sarah Bishop don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Ridgebury?
20,363 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Ridgebury or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 268 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Ridgebury 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 →