Paugussett State Forest
Managed by Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
1,153 acres20.7 mi of trail
Zoar Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Schzmo · CC BY-SA 3.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Sandy Hook
Few parks or trails are on the map in Sandy Hook
The biggest trail networks: Paugussett State Forest (20.7 mi), Rocky Glen State Park Scenic Reserve (1.1 mi), The Nature Conservancy Shepaug Dam (Owned) (0.6 mi). 21% of Sandy Hook’s land is conserved, about 2,151 acres. 124 acres are parks and preserves, 13 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
21%
2,151 acres · of 16.1 sq mi of land
Trails
29 mi
1.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
124 ac
13 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
22%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
5.1 mi
Highest peak
676 ft
Osborn Hill
Lakes & rivers
8
2 beaches · 1 boat launch
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 Paugussett State Forest, with 20.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Rocky Glen State Park Scenic Reserve
Nature preserve
55 acres1.1 mi of trail
White Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
The Nature Conservancy Shepaug Dam (Owned)
Managed by The Nature Conservancy
68 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dogs usually not allowed
No trailhead mapped yet
Treadwell Memorial Park
Park
48 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Sandy Hook Permanent Memorial
Park
4 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 25 parks & preserves
Paugussett State Forest1,153 acres · 20.7 mi of trail · Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
DirectionsRocky Glen State Park Scenic Reserve55 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
DirectionsThe Nature Conservancy Shepaug Dam (Owned)68 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · The Nature Conservancy
Treadwell Memorial Park48 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsSandy Hook Permanent Memorial4 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsNewtown Forest Association, Inc (Myertin)2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Town Open Space56 acres
Town Open Space (Riverside Road)26 acres
Town Open Space (Pole Bridge Road)25 acres
Town Open Space (Thunder Ridge Road)20 acres
Town Open Space (Bennetts Bridge Road)18 acres
Town Open Space (Old Farm Road)13 acres
Town Open Space (Osbourne Hill Road)10 acres
DirectionsNewtown Forest Association, Inc (Milliken)9 acres
Town Open Space (Woodbine Lane)8 acres
Town Open Space (Mountain Mannor Road)7 acres
Town Open Space (Bristol Lane)5 acres
Town Open Space (Jeremiah Road)4 acres
Town Open Space (Chestnut Knoll Drive)4 acres
Town Open Space (Antler Pine Road)4 acres
Town Open Space (Great Quarter Road)3 acres
Town Open Space (Elana Lane)3 acres
Town Open Space (Edgewood Drive)3 acres
Town Open Space (Walnut Tree Hill Road)3 acres
Town Open Space (High Rock Road)2 acres
Who protects it
2,151 conserved acres
21% of Sandy Hook’s land. Who manages Sandy Hook’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits58 ac
State conservation38 ac
Town or city17 ac
Not recorded2,058 ac
State Resource Management Area · 1,052 acPrivate Conservation · 506 acLocal Other or Unknown · 490 acState Recreation Area · 60 acUnknown Easement · 38 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 18 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 74 of 75 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paugussett State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 1,052 | Unknown |
| Unknown Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 895 | Unknown |
| Wamer Pond Water Access State Recreation Area | Not recorded | 60 | Unknown |
| Shepaug Dam Site Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 58 | Unknown |
| Cavanaugh Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 34 | Unknown |
| Treadwell Memorial Park Local Park | Town or city | 17 | Open |
| Milliken Private Conservation | Not recorded | 9 | Unknown |
| Rocky Glen State Park Scenic Reserve State Park | Not recorded | 8 | Unknown |
Things to do
14 places to go in Sandy Hook
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Sandy Hook
2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Sandy Hook
5 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Sandy Hook
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Waterfalls in Sandy Hook
Prydden Brook FallsIn Paugussett State Forest
DirectionsPlus 2 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Sandy Hook
2 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Sandy Hook
Osborn Hill676 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
3 named trails and 8 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 3.1 miUnpaved · 1.4 mi
Zoar Trail6.3 mi
Stone Bridge Trail0.4 mi
White Trail0.2 mi
Biking & sports
5.1 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
5.1 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
4Tennis
3Baseball
3Basketball
2Soccer
1Volleyball
1Field hockey
1Lacrosse
1Pickleball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Sandy Hook: 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 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 36 | 39 | 47 | 59 | 70 | 78 | 84 | 81 | 74 | 63 | 51 | 41 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 3.1 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.6 | 4.8 | 4.0 | 4.3 |
February is the driest month (3.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.8 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Sandy Hook →
Next door
Sandy Hook 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandy Hook | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Newtown | 17% | 1.1 | 13 | 19% | B+ |
| Monroe | 13% | 0.9 | 43 | 32% | A− |
| Southbury | 17% | 1.2 | 87 | 60% | A |
| East Village | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Oxford | 15% | 1.6 | 38 | 20% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Sandy Hook
Where can I hike in Sandy Hook?
The longest trail networks: Paugussett State Forest, 20.7 miles; Rocky Glen State Park Scenic Reserve, 1.1 miles; The Nature Conservancy Shepaug Dam (Owned), 0.6 miles; Treadwell Memorial Park, 0.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Sandy Hook’s trails?
Paugussett State Forest and Rocky Glen State Park Scenic Reserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Sandy Hook?
5.1 miles of bike routes are on the map: 5.1 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Sandy Hook?
11,531 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Sandy Hook or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 124 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Sandy Hook 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 →