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OldTownHallShermanCTPhoto: Doug Kerr · CC BY-SA 2.0
A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Sherman

18% of Sherman’s land is conserved: 2,581 acres

30 miles of mapped trail cross Sherman, 1.4 per square mile of land. 193 acres are parks and preserves, 54 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Deer Pond Farm (6.7 mi), Appalachian Trail Scenic Open Space (3.3 mi), Mallory Preserve (2.3 mi).

Ahead of 83% of U.S. towns · #70 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it

Conserved land
18%
2,581 acres · of 21.9 sq mi of land
Trails
30 mi
1.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
193 ac
54 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
34%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
1,188 ft
Turner Mountain
Lakes & rivers
17
3 beaches · 3 boat launches

What kind of outdoors town is Sherman?

Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.

Land that stays wild18% of the land is conserved; a typical Connecticut town, 15%.A trail town1.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 87% of U.S. towns.A beach town3 named beaches on the map.
Outdoors grade

How much outdoors does Sherman have?

On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Sherman is ahead of 83% of U.S. towns, #70 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 Sherman’s overall grade.
Conserved land18% of the land · typical CT town 15% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (30 mi) · CT 1.4 · U.S. 0.4APark land54 acres of park per 1,000 residents (193 acres) · CT 22 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home34% 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 83%
LessMore
Connecticut towns of 2,500+ (155)Ahead of 55%

Connecticut towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 15%; the U.S., 4%), so Sherman’s 18% is ahead of 62% of Connecticut towns, while its trails per square mile lead 49% of them.

Water is 7% of Sherman’s area (2 of 23 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 17%.

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.

12345678
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 Deer Pond Farm, with 6.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.

Deer Pond Farm

Managed by Connecticut Audubon Society
388 acres6.7 mi of trail
Cathedral TrailFlat Top Mountain TrailAgneil TrailLady Bird Trail+1
Dogs usually not allowed
Directionsto the parking lot

Appalachian Trail Scenic Open Space

Managed by National Park Service
291 acres3.3 mi of trail
Appalachian Trail
Dogs usually limited
Directionsto Appalachian Trail Parking

Mallory Preserve

Managed by Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy
117 acres2.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot

Herrick Preserve

Managed by Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy
181 acres1.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot

Brookland and Josephson Preserves

Managed by Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy
94 acres1.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot

Towner Hill Preserve

Managed by Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy
83 acres1.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot

Mildred Strauss and James Morrissey Family Nature Preserves

Managed by Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy
80 acres1.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail sign

West Briggs Hill Preserve

Managed by Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy
82 acres1.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 19 parks & preserves
Deer Pond Farm388 acres · 6.7 mi of trail · Connecticut Audubon Society
Directions
Appalachian Trail Scenic Open Space291 acres · 3.3 mi of trail · National Park Service
Directions
Mallory Preserve117 acres · 2.3 mi of trail · Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy
Directions
Herrick Preserve181 acres · 1.9 mi of trail · Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy
Directions
Brookland and Josephson Preserves94 acres · 1.9 mi of trail · Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy
Directions
Towner Hill Preserve83 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy
Directions
Mildred Strauss and James Morrissey Family Nature Preserves80 acres · 1.6 mi of trail · Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy
Directions
West Briggs Hill Preserve82 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy
Directions
Irene's Woods Preserve55 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy
Directions
Veterans Memorial Park15 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Directions
Great Hollow41 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Directions
Wimisink Preserve58 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy
Directions
Colonial Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Directions
Town Meadows117 acres
Spring Lake Road37 acres · Naromi Land Trust, Inc.
Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy31 acres
Directions
Hubbell Mountain Farm30 acres · Naromi Land Trust, Inc.
Pootatuck State Forest5 acres · Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancey2 acres
Directions
Who protects it

2,581 conserved acres

18% of Sherman’s land. Water is left out: Sherman has 21.9 square miles of land and 1.5 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Sherman’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.

Land trusts & nonprofits518 ac
National Park Service289 ac
State conservation83 ac
Private owners70 ac
Town or city66 ac
Other state land45 ac
Not recorded2,139 ac
Private Conservation · 1,099 acLocal Conservation Area · 538 acUnknown Easement · 475 acConservation Easement · 339 acNational Scenic or Historic Trail · 287 ac
Good to know

Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 373 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 153 of 167 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.

The biggest protected parcels
Parcel (PAD-US)Managed byAcresPublic access
Unknown
Private Conservation
Not recorded1,643Unknown
Appalachian National Scenic Trail
National Scenic or Historic Trail
National Park Service287Open
Towner Hill Preserve
Private Conservation
Not recorded81Unknown
Upland Pastures
Private Agricultural
Land trusts & nonprofits77Restricted
Center Beach
Watershed Protection Area
Town or city66Closed
Pootatuck State Forest (Old Forest Management Area)
State Resource Management Area
Not recorded45Unknown
Pootatuck State Forest
State Resource Management Area
Other state land45Open
Chapel Hill
Local Conservation Area
Not recorded23Unknown
Wagon Wheel
Local Conservation Area
Not recorded19Unknown
Iroquois Gift
Private Conservation
Land trusts & nonprofits19Open

5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.

Things to do

23 places to go in Sherman

Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.

Beaches in Sherman
Holiday Point Community Beach
Directions
Pine LedgeIn Pootatuck State Forest
Directions
Sherman Town Beach
Directions
Trails & water

19 named trails and 17 lakes & rivers

Named trails
Unpaved · 1.1 mi
Appalachian Trail3.2 mi
Cathedral Trail1.0 mi
Flat Top Mountain Trail0.8 mi
Agneil Trail0.7 mi
Lady Bird Trail0.5 mi
Bobcat Trail0.4 mi
Bilberry Trail0.4 mi
Dealy Trail0.4 mi
Quail Trail0.4 mi
Oak Ledge Trail0.3 mi
9 more trails
Link Up Trail
0.3 mi
Laurel Trail
0.2 mi
Upper Brook Trail
0.2 mi
Highlands Trail
0.2 mi
White Oak Trail
0.2 mi
Historical Society Trail
0.2 mi
Upper Pines Trail
0.1 mi
Old Appletree Trail
0.1 mi
Lowlands Trail
0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Chapel PondDeer PondEdmonds PondGreen PondpondGreenwood PondHaviland MillpondJennings PondLake MauweehooreservoirPlatts PondreservoirQuaker PondRogers PondSpring LakereservoirTimber LakereservoirValley PondWimisink PondHousatonic RiverTenmile River
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
12Tennis
6Pickleball
2Baseball
2Softball
1Basketball
1Soccer

Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.

History along the way

1 place on the National Register

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.

History →
Sherman Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1991
About it
When to get out

The best walking months in Sherman: April to June, August and 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.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Daylight (h)9.510.511.813.314.515.214.913.812.411.09.89.2
High (°F)353846597078838173625040
Rain (in)3.42.93.93.93.84.54.74.44.54.83.84.1

February is the driest month (2.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.8 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Sherman →

Next door

Sherman and its neighbors

Tap a town to see its outdoors.

Kent66 miNew Milford45 miPawling40 miSherman30 miDover19 miNew Fairfield12 miGaylordsville0.0 mi
TownConserved
of land		Trail mi
per sq mi		Park acres
per 1,000		Near a park
½ mile		Outdoors
Sherman18%1.45434%A−
New Milford18%0.72648%A−
Gaylordsville— not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town
Kent46%1.495467%A+
New Fairfield15%0.62157%A−

The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.

Questions about parks and trails in Sherman

Where can I hike in Sherman?

The longest trail networks: Deer Pond Farm, 6.7 miles; Appalachian Trail Scenic Open Space, 3.3 miles; Mallory Preserve, 2.3 miles; Herrick Preserve, 1.9 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.

How much of Sherman is conserved land?

18% 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 Sherman’s trails?

Deer Pond Farm and Appalachian Trail Scenic Open Space don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.

Is there public land near Sherman?

24,501 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Sherman or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 475 of them inside the town line.

How much outdoors does Sherman have?

Ahead of 83% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #70 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 Sherman neighbors.

Town Square →
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 →