Shelton Lakes Greenway
Managed by City of Shelton
505 acres13.7 mi of trail
Shelton Lakes Recreation PathDog Paw PathTurkey Trot Cutoff (White Triangle)
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Делян Ковачев · CC BY-SA 3.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Shelton
21% of Shelton’s land is conserved: 4,067 acres
45 miles of mapped trail cross Shelton, 1.5 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Shelton Lakes Greenway (13.7 mi), Indian Well State Park (3.3 mi), Birchbank Mountain Open Space (3.3 mi). 580 acres are parks and preserves, 14 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 81% of U.S. towns · #81 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it
Conserved land
21%
4,067 acres · of 30.6 sq mi of land
Trails
45 mi
1.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
580 ac
14 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
56%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
0.1 mi
0.1 mi paths
Highest peak
630 ft
Israel Hill
Lakes & rivers
25
3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Shelton?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Shelton have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Shelton is ahead of 81% of U.S. towns, #81 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 Shelton’s overall grade.
Conserved land21% of the land · typical CT town 15% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.5 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (45 mi) · CT 1.4 · U.S. 0.4APark land14 acres of park per 1,000 residents (580 acres) · CT 22 · U.S. 13BParks close to home56% of residents within a half mile of a park · CT 57% · U.S. 72%B−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 81%
LessMore
Connecticut towns of 2,500+ (155)Ahead of 48%
Connecticut towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 15%; the U.S., 4%), so Shelton’s 21% is ahead of 68% of Connecticut towns, while its trails per square mile lead 55% 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 Shelton Lakes Greenway, with 13.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Indian Well State Park
Nature preserve
164 acres3.3 mi of trail
Well Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Birchbank Mountain Open Space
Managed by City of Shelton
152 acres3.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Nicholdale Farm
Managed by Shelton Land Conservaton Trust
59 acres2.6 mi of trail
Nichols Trail (Blue)
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
French's Hill Open Space
Managed by City of Shelton
107 acres1.5 mi of trail
French's Hill Trail (White)French's Hill Meadow Spur
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Shelton Open Space
Managed by City of Shelton
96 acres1.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Boehm Pond Open Space
Nature preserve
55 acres1.2 mi of trail
White TrailRed TrailYellow Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Tahmore Preserve
Managed by Shelton Land Conservation Trust
43 acres1.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 47 parks & preserves
Shelton Lakes Greenway505 acres · 13.7 mi of trail · City of Shelton
DirectionsIndian Well State Park164 acres · 3.3 mi of trail
DirectionsBirchbank Mountain Open Space152 acres · 3.3 mi of trail · City of Shelton
DirectionsNicholdale Farm59 acres · 2.6 mi of trail · Shelton Land Conservaton Trust
DirectionsFrench's Hill Open Space107 acres · 1.5 mi of trail · City of Shelton
DirectionsShelton Open Space96 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · City of Shelton
DirectionsBoehm Pond Open Space55 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
Tahmore Preserve43 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Shelton Land Conservation Trust
DirectionsShelton Town Open Space34 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsRiverview Park22 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsWiacek Open Space77 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · City of Shelton
Willis Woods26 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Shelton Land Conservation Trust
Mohegan Open Space35 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · City of Shelton
Trombetta Woods Open Space30 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Old Kings Highway Open Space22 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · City of Shelton
Veterans Memorial Park10 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsShelton Lakes Recreation Area51 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsNike Recreation Center25 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsGristmill Open Space10 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsTall Farm Open Space35 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Shelton
Town Open Space (Pine Tree Hill Rd.) 2 Parcels42 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Far Mill River Park15 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsLittle Knoll4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Shelton Land Conservation Trust
Bushinsky Arboretum2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Shelton Land Conservation Trust
DirectionsHuntington Green2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsTown Open Space (Canfield Drive)32 acres
East Village Park29 acres
DirectionsTown Open Space (Birdseye Road)16 acres
Sunnyside Park13 acres
DirectionsTown Open Space (Dexter Drive) 2 Parcels12 acres
Capewell Park11 acres
Town Open Space (Commodore Avenue)9 acres
Town Open Space (Coram Road, Rear) 2 Parcels9 acres
DirectionsPearmain Preserve6 acres · City of Shelton
DirectionsTown Open Space (Greenfield Drive)6 acres
Town Open Space (Kings Highway Ext., Rear)5 acres
Town Open Space (Ten Coat Lane, Rear)5 acres
Town Open Space (Maple Avenue)4 acres
Town Open Space (Bruce Drive)3 acres
Town Open Space (Cali Drive)3 acres
Town Open Space (Big Horn Road)3 acres
Pine Rock Parks2 acres
Town Open Space (Round Hill Road)2 acres
DirectionsSouthbank Open Space2 acres
DirectionsTown Open Space (Fairlane Drive, Rear)2 acres
Town Open Space (Suren Lane, Rear)1 acres
East Village Recreation Center1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
4,067 conserved acres
21% of Shelton’s land. Who manages Shelton’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State conservation365 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)250 ac
Town or city136 ac
Other state land79 ac
Not recorded3,416 ac
Private Conservation · 1,838 acLocal Other or Unknown · 1,536 acAgricultural Easement · 306 acUnknown Easement · 228 acState Park · 179 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 409 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 139 of 152 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 | 3,094 | Unknown |
| Indian Well State Park State Park | State conservation | 179 | Open |
| Frenches Hill Greenway Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 106 | Unknown |
| Housatonic River Greenway Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 83 | Unknown |
| Capewell Park Local Park | Town or city | 45 | Open |
| Nicholdale Farm Private Conservation | Not recorded | 45 | Unknown |
| Nike Recreation Fields Local Park | Town or city | 35 | Open |
| East Village Park Local Park | Town or city | 31 | Open |
| George Willis Woods Private Conservation | Not recorded | 31 | Unknown |
| Riverview Park Local Park | Not recorded | 17 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
32 places to go in Shelton
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Shelton
9 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Shelton
Shelton Dog ParkIn Shelton Lakes Greenway
DirectionsBoat launches in Shelton
3 boat launches without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Shelton
CascadeIn Shelton Lakes Greenway
DirectionsCascades
DirectionsFarmill River FallsIn Far Mill River Park
DirectionsIndian Well FallsIn Indian Well State Park
DirectionsPlus 1 waterfall without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Shelton
3 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Shelton
Israel Hill630 ft elevation
DirectionsUpper White Hills617 ft elevation
DirectionsWalnut Tree Hill561 ft elevation
DirectionsRound Hill505 ft elevation
DirectionsLower White Hills472 ft elevation
DirectionsCoram Hill427 ft elevation
DirectionsLong Hill407 ft elevation
DirectionsIsinglass Hill364 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Shelton
2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Shelton
1 community garden without a name on the map.
Trails & water
18 named trails and 25 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 14.3 miHorses · 11.9 miUnpaved · 26.9 mi
Shelton Lakes Recreation Path3.6 mi
Nichols Trail (Blue)1.3 mi
Stockmal Trail (White)0.7 mi
Pearmain Path (Yellow)0.6 mi
Poet Path0.6 mi
Bluff Walk0.6 mi
White Trail0.5 mi
Old Kings Highway0.5 mi
Red Trail0.5 mi
Yellow Trail0.3 mi
8 more trails
Willis Trail (Red)
0.3 miDog Paw Path
0.2 miFrench's Hill Trail (White)
0.1 miRiverview Park Walking Path
0.1 miWell Trail
0.1 miTurkey Trot Cutoff (White Triangle)
0.1 miLittle Pond Trail
0.1 miFrench's Hill Meadow Spur
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Barn Hill PondBig Horn PondpondCap PondChordas PondpondHope LakereservoirIsinglass ReservoirreservoirLittle PondMeans Brook DamMeans Brook ReservoirreservoirNelson Brook DampondNursery PondPark PondPine LakereservoirPine Rock Park PondpondRuss PondSawmill PondSharps Brook DamSilent WatersreservoirSkelton ReservoirreservoirSwamp PondTrap Falls ReservoirreservoirWalnut Avenue PondpondWebb PondFarmill RiverHousatonic River
Biking & sports
0.1 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.1 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
15Baseball
15Tennis
9Basketball
6Soccer
2Multi-sport
2Football
2Pickleball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →3 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
When to get out
The best walking months in Shelton: 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) | 37 | 39 | 47 | 59 | 70 | 78 | 83 | 81 | 74 | 63 | 52 | 42 |
| Rain (in) | 3.7 | 3.2 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 4.6 | 4.9 | 4.0 | 4.4 |
February is the driest month (3.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.9 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Shelton →
Next door
Shelton and its neighbors
Shelton has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Shelton45 miTrumbull43 miMonroe23 miDerby12 miStratford12 miEast Village11 miDaniels Farm6.6 miOronoque0.1 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelton | 21% | 1.5 | 14 | 56% | A− |
| Stratford | 15% | 0.7 | 9 | 98% | A− |
| Oronoque | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Trumbull | 11% | 1.9 | 36 | 92% | A |
| Monroe | 13% | 0.9 | 43 | 32% | A− |
| Daniels Farm | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Derby | 11% | 2.4 | 22 | 84% | A |
| East Village | — 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 Shelton
Where can I hike in Shelton?
The longest trail networks: Shelton Lakes Greenway, 13.7 miles; Indian Well State Park, 3.3 miles; Birchbank Mountain Open Space, 3.3 miles; Nicholdale Farm, 2.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Shelton is conserved land?
21% 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 Shelton’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Shelton Lakes Greenway (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Shelton?
0.1 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.1 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Shelton?
12,037 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Shelton or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 580 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Shelton have?
Ahead of 81% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #81 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 Shelton 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 →