Sunrise Park
Managed by Town of Suffield
141 acres3.5 mi of trail
Fitness TrailBraille Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: User:Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0B+Outdoors
Outdoors in Suffield
14% of Suffield’s land is conserved: 3,677 acres
37 miles of mapped trail cross Suffield, 0.9 per square mile of land. 605 acres are parks and preserves, 39 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Sunrise Park (3.5 mi), Suffield Wildlife Management Area (3.1 mi), Lewis Farm Bird Sanctuary (3 mi).
Ahead of 74% of U.S. towns · #112 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it
Conserved land
14%
3,677 acres · of 42.3 sq mi of land
Trails
37 mi
0.9 per sq mi of land
Park land
605 ac
39 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
26%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
5.4 mi
5.4 mi paths
Highest peak
604 ft
West Suffield Mountain
Lakes & rivers
18
2 beaches
What kind of outdoors town is Suffield?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Suffield have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Suffield is ahead of 74% of U.S. towns, #112 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 Suffield’s overall grade.
Conserved land14% of the land · typical CT town 15% · U.S. 4%A−Trails0.9 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (37 mi) · CT 1.4 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land39 acres of park per 1,000 residents (605 acres) · CT 22 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home26% 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 74%
LessMore
Connecticut towns of 2,500+ (155)Ahead of 28%
Connecticut towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 15%; the U.S., 4%), so Suffield’s 14% is ahead of 44% of Connecticut towns, while its trails per square mile lead 25% 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 Sunrise Park, with 3.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Suffield Wildlife Management Area
Managed by Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
254 acres3.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Lewis Farm Bird Sanctuary
Managed by Hartford Audubon Society, Inc. (Hill Street)
83 acres3 mi of trail
Dogs usually not allowed
Directionsto the parking lot
Stony Brook Park
Nature preserve
69 acres1.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
The Spencer Woods Wildlife Preserve
Managed by Suffield Land Conservancy
52 acres1.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
John and Madeline McLean Outdoor Educational Preserve
Managed by Suffield Land Conservancy
27 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Bazin N. Bruce Memorial Park
Park
20 acres0.8 mi of trail
Patrick Dougherty Cross Country Trails
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Suffield Land Conservancy
Nature preserve
53 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 26 parks & preserves
Sunrise Park141 acres · 3.5 mi of trail · Town of Suffield
DirectionsSuffield Wildlife Management Area254 acres · 3.1 mi of trail · Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
DirectionsLewis Farm Bird Sanctuary83 acres · 3 mi of trail · Hartford Audubon Society, Inc. (Hill Street)
DirectionsStony Brook Park69 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
DirectionsThe Spencer Woods Wildlife Preserve52 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · Suffield Land Conservancy
DirectionsJohn and Madeline McLean Outdoor Educational Preserve27 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Suffield Land Conservancy
Bazin N. Bruce Memorial Park20 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsSuffield Land Conservancy53 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Alcorn Preserve24 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Suffield Land Conservancy
DirectionsGeorge A. Harmon Woodlot11 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Suffield Land Conservancy
Briarwood Subdivision (G&P Stewart)61 acres
Suffield Land Conservancy, Inc.(Remington Street)19 acres
Ara and Martha Dildilian Woodlot17 acres · Suffield Land Conservancy
Jesse F. Smith Town Forest13 acres
Daniel K. Christian Field8 acres
DirectionsBriarwood Subdivision (G&Pstewart)8 acres
Kent Farms Associates, Inc. (2 Parcels)7 acres
Halmar, Inc. (Partridge Meadow)6 acres
Town Of Suffield (Babb's Road)6 acres · Town of Suffield
Babb's Beach Recreation Area6 acres
Pine Manor Subdivision5 acres · Brookside Homeowners Association
DirectionsDale Inc. (Devine Road)4 acres
Town Of Suffield (Hill Street, Rear)3 acres
Stony Brook Estates (Diane Lane) 3 Parcels2 acres
Town Of Suffield (River View Drive)1 acres
Town Of Suffield (Hill Street & Russell Av.)1 acres
Who protects it
3,677 conserved acres
14% of Suffield’s land. Who manages Suffield’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
USDA easements (NRCS)1,049 ac
Other state land960 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits197 ac
State conservation149 ac
Town or city78 ac
Not recorded1,380 ac
Agricultural Easement · 1,088 acUnknown Easement · 995 acPrivate Conservation · 604 acLocal Other or Unknown · 359 acLocal Park · 231 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 2,033 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 69 of 115 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 967 | Unknown |
| Unspecified State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 193 | Unknown |
| Sunrise Park Local Park | Not recorded | 153 | Unknown |
| Lewis Bird Sanctuary Private Conservation | Not recorded | 82 | Unknown |
| Stony Brooke Park Local Park | Town or city | 68 | Open |
| Suffield Sportsman's Association Private Conservation | Not recorded | 57 | Unknown |
| Fox Hollow Gun Club, Inc. Private Conservation | Not recorded | 31 | Unknown |
| Connecticut River Water Access State Recreation Area | Not recorded | 30 | Unknown |
| Hugh M. Alcorn Wildlife Preserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 23 | Unknown |
| Jesse F. Smith Town Forest Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 13 | Unknown |
4 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
25 places to go in Suffield
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Suffield
2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Suffield
3 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks in Suffield
1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Suffield
4 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Suffield
West Suffield Mountain604 ft elevation · In Sunrise Park
DirectionsHuckleberry Mountain331 ft elevation
DirectionsKing Hill272 ft elevation
DirectionsStony Knoll269 ft elevation
DirectionsBuck Hill253 ft elevation
DirectionsHastings Hill236 ft elevation
DirectionsMeeting House Hill203 ft elevation
DirectionsProspect Hill197 ft elevation
Directions6 more peaks
Glovers Hill184 ft elevation
DirectionsPhilo Hill180 ft elevation
DirectionsTinker Hill174 ft elevation
DirectionsScott Hill141 ft elevation
DirectionsSherman Hill138 ft elevation
DirectionsTaintor Hill
DirectionsPicnic areas in Suffield
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Trails & water
2 named trails and 18 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 0.5 miUnpaved · 12.2 mi
Patrick Dougherty Cross Country Trails0.4 mi
Fitness Trail0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
5.4 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
5.4 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
26Tennis
15Soccer
8Basketball
7Tracks
6Baseball
5Softball
2Pickleball
1Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →12 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 6 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Hatheway HouseBuilding · listed 1975
About itEnfield CanalStructure · listed 1976
About itAlexander King HouseBuilding · listed 1976
About itHastings Hill Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1979
About itSuffield Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1979
About itGothic CottageBuilding · listed 1982
About itKing's Field HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itJohn Fuller HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itLewis-Zukowski HouseBuilding · listed 1990
About itBridge No. 455Structure · listed 2004
About itHilltop FarmDistrict · listed 2005
About itBabb's BeachBuilding · listed 2006
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Suffield: 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 | 61 | 72 | 80 | 85 | 83 | 76 | 63 | 52 | 41 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 3.1 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.4 | 4.9 | 3.8 | 4.2 |
February is the driest month (3.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 4.9 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Suffield →
Next door
Suffield and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Granby68 miAgawam Town49 miEast Granby39 miSuffield37 miSouthwick33 miEnfield18 miWindsor Locks6.3 miThompsonville0.1 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suffield | 14% | 0.9 | 39 | 26% | B+ |
| East Granby | 21% | 2.2 | 32 | 29% | A− |
| Enfield | 13% | 0.5 | 14 | 55% | B+ |
| Windsor Locks | 7% | 0.7 | 9 | 93% | B+ |
| Thompsonville | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Granby | 29% | 1.7 | 36 | 63% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Suffield
Where can I hike in Suffield?
The longest trail networks: Sunrise Park, 3.5 miles; Suffield Wildlife Management Area, 3.1 miles; Lewis Farm Bird Sanctuary, 3 miles; Stony Brook Park, 1.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Suffield is conserved land?
14% 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 Suffield’s trails?
Sunrise Park and Suffield Wildlife Management Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Suffield?
5.4 miles of bike routes are on the map: 5.4 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Suffield?
24,024 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Suffield or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 605 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Suffield have?
Ahead of 74% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #112 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 Suffield 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 →