Shenipsit State Forest
Managed by Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
878 acres14.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: John Phelan · CC BY-SA 4.0BOutdoors
Outdoors in Somers
22% of Somers’ land is conserved: 4,054 acres
39 miles of mapped trail cross Somers, 1.4 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Shenipsit State Forest (14.6 mi), Whitaker Woods (4.3 mi), Camp Aya-Po (3.7 mi). 21% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 58% of U.S. towns · #145 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it
Conserved land
22%
4,054 acres · of 28.5 sq mi of land
Trails
39 mi
1.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
34 ac
3.3 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
21%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
1,060 ft
Rattlesnake Hill
Lakes & rivers
10
2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Somers?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Somers have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Somers is ahead of 58% of U.S. towns, #145 of 155 in Connecticut. Conserved land holds the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
B
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Somers’ overall grade.
Conserved land22% of the land · typical CT town 15% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (39 mi) · CT 1.4 · U.S. 0.4APark land3.3 acres of park per 1,000 residents (34 acres) · CT 22 · U.S. 13C−Parks close to home21% 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 58%
LessMore
Connecticut towns of 2,500+ (155)Ahead of 6%
Connecticut towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 15%; the U.S., 4%), so Somers’ 22% is ahead of 71% of Connecticut towns, while its trails per square mile lead 49% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to B+. 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 Shenipsit State Forest, with 14.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Whitaker Woods
Managed by Northern Connecticut Land Trust
264 acres4.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Camp Aya-Po
Managed by Town of Somers
187 acres3.7 mi of trail
Lakeside TrailPerkins Mtn TrailOld Shenipsit TrailLower Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
McCann Family Farm Preserve
Managed by Northern Connecticut Land Trust
91 acres3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Skyline Scenic Area
Managed by Northern Connecticut Land Trust
65 acres2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Bald Mountain Preserve
Managed by Northern Connecticut Land Trust
224 acres1.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Scantic River State Park
Nature preserve
82 acres1.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
County Road Open Space
Managed by Town of Somers
87 acres1.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 19 parks & preserves
Shenipsit State Forest878 acres · 14.6 mi of trail · Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
DirectionsWhitaker Woods264 acres · 4.3 mi of trail · Northern Connecticut Land Trust
DirectionsCamp Aya-Po187 acres · 3.7 mi of trail · Town of Somers
DirectionsMcCann Family Farm Preserve91 acres · 3 mi of trail · Northern Connecticut Land Trust
DirectionsSkyline Scenic Area65 acres · 2 mi of trail · Northern Connecticut Land Trust
DirectionsBald Mountain Preserve224 acres · 1.9 mi of trail · Northern Connecticut Land Trust
DirectionsScantic River State Park82 acres · 1.6 mi of trail
DirectionsCounty Road Open Space87 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · Town of Somers
DirectionsSomers Sportsmen's Association56 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Somers Sportsmen Association
Scantic Riparian Area57 acres · Northern Connecticut Land Trust
Schlaf Farm Preserve39 acres · Northern Connecticut Land Trust
DirectionsStevenson Woodlands27 acres · Northern Connecticut Land Trust
Battle Street Open Space11 acres · Town of Somers
DirectionsKibbe Grove Road Open Space9 acres · Town of Somers
Mountain View Road Open Space7 acres · Town of Somers
Somers Common5 acres · Town of Somers
DirectionsBilton Road Open Space1 acres · Town of Somers
Colorado Drive Preserve1 acres · Northern Connecticut Land Trust
Gulf Road Preserve1 acres · Northern Connecticut Land Trust
Who protects it
4,054 conserved acres
22% of Somers’ land. Who manages Somers’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Other state land1,899 ac
State conservation429 ac
Private owners50 ac
Town or city5 ac
Not recorded2,170 ac
Unknown Easement · 2,299 acState Resource Management Area · 891 acPrivate Conservation · 610 acLocal Other or Unknown · 442 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 203 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,831 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 52 of 78 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 1,175 | Unknown |
| Shenipsit State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 885 | Unknown |
| McCann Farm Private Conservation | Not recorded | 91 | Unknown |
| Somers Fairgrounds Private Conservation | Not recorded | 57 | Unknown |
| Shenipsit State Forest (Old Forest Management Area) State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 6 | Unknown |
| Unknown Park Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| Somersville Pond State Recreation Area | Not recorded | 3 | Unknown |
| Mill Pond Recreation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 3 | Unknown |
Things to do
14 places to go in Somers
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Somers
Sonny's The Lagoon
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Somers
3 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Somers
2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Somers
2 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Somers
Rattlesnake Hill1,060 ft elevation
DirectionsBald Mountain1,056 ft elevation · In County Road Open Space
DirectionsSoapstone Mountain1,033 ft elevation · In Shenipsit State Forest
DirectionsPerkins Mountain978 ft elevation · In Camp Aya-Po
DirectionsThe Pinnacle896 ft elevation · In Shenipsit State Forest
DirectionsHall Hill322 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
5 named trails and 10 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 2.1 miUnpaved · 18.2 mi
Lakeside Trail0.9 mi
Perkins Mtn Trail0.9 mi
Old Shenipsit Trail0.7 mi
Lower Trail0.3 mi
Algonquin Trail0.1 mi
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
7Soccer
5Baseball
4Softball
4Pickleball
4Tennis
2Beach volleyball
2Volleyball
2Basketball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →2 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 Somers: 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) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 36 | 39 | 47 | 60 | 71 | 79 | 84 | 82 | 75 | 63 | 51 | 41 |
| Rain (in) | 3.3 | 2.9 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.6 | 3.6 | 4.1 |
February is the driest month (2.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.6 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Somers →
Next door
Somers 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Somers | 22% | 1.4 | 3 | 21% | B |
| Enfield | 13% | 0.5 | 14 | 55% | B+ |
| Ellington | 18% | 1.2 | 5 | 34% | B |
| Stafford | 26% | 1.3 | 14 | 40% | A− |
| Hazardville | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Crystal Lake | — 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 Somers
Where can I hike in Somers?
The longest trail networks: Shenipsit State Forest, 14.6 miles; Whitaker Woods, 4.3 miles; Camp Aya-Po, 3.7 miles; McCann Family Farm Preserve, 3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Somers is conserved land?
22% 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 Somers’ trails?
Shenipsit State Forest and Whitaker Woods don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Somers?
23,335 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Somers or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 34 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Somers have?
Ahead of 58% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #145 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 Somers 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 →