Crandall Park
Managed by Town of Tolland
415 acres11.4 mi of trail
Gravel Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Photograph by Greg O'Beirne · CC BY 2.5A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Tolland
Tolland has 59 miles of mapped trails, 1.5 for every square mile of land
18% of Tolland’s land is conserved, about 4,673 acres. 667 acres are parks and preserves, 46 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Crandall Park (11.4 mi), Paulk Hill Conservation Area (4.6 mi), Kollar Wildlife Management Area (4 mi).
Ahead of 85% of U.S. towns · #63 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it
Conserved land
18%
4,673 acres · of 39.6 sq mi of land
Trails
59 mi
1.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
667 ac
46 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
41%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
965 ft
Paulk Hill
Lakes & rivers
28
1 beach
What kind of outdoors town is Tolland?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Tolland have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Tolland is ahead of 85% of U.S. towns, #63 of 155 in Connecticut. Trail miles hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Tolland’s overall grade.
Conserved land18% of the land · typical CT town 15% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.5 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (59 mi) · CT 1.4 · U.S. 0.4APark land46 acres of park per 1,000 residents (667 acres) · CT 22 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home41% 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 85%
LessMore
Connecticut towns of 2,500+ (155)Ahead of 60%
Connecticut towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 15%; the U.S., 4%), so Tolland’s 18% is ahead of 62% of Connecticut towns, while its trails per square mile lead 54% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A− 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 Crandall Park, with 11.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Paulk Hill Conservation Area
Managed by Town of Tolland
52 acres4.6 mi of trail
Pedal PowerBeastThrushBoneyard+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Kollar Wildlife Management Area
Managed by Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
910 acres4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Shenipsit Lake Watershed Reserve Land
Managed by Connecticut Water Company
855 acres3.3 mi of trail
Connecticut Water Company Trolley Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Campbell Conservation Area
Managed by Town of Tolland
92 acres2.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Schindler-Schmidt Conservation Area
Managed by Town of Tolland
123 acres2.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Knofla Conservation Area
Managed by Town of Tolland
140 acres2.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Palmer Kendall Mountain Conservation Area
Managed by Town of Tolland
78 acres2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 76 parks & preserves
Crandall Park415 acres · 11.4 mi of trail · Town of Tolland
DirectionsPaulk Hill Conservation Area52 acres · 4.6 mi of trail · Town of Tolland
DirectionsKollar Wildlife Management Area910 acres · 4 mi of trail · Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
DirectionsShenipsit Lake Watershed Reserve Land855 acres · 3.3 mi of trail · Connecticut Water Company
Campbell Conservation Area92 acres · 2.6 mi of trail · Town of Tolland
DirectionsSchindler-Schmidt Conservation Area123 acres · 2.5 mi of trail · Town of Tolland
DirectionsKnofla Conservation Area140 acres · 2.3 mi of trail · Town of Tolland
DirectionsPalmer Kendall Mountain Conservation Area78 acres · 2 mi of trail · Town of Tolland
DirectionsShafran Conservation Area65 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · Town of Tolland
DirectionsJohn & Mary Parciak Conservation Area74 acres · 1.6 mi of trail · Town of Tolland
DirectionsKing Conservation Area172 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · Town of Tolland
DirectionsStoppleworth Conservation Area56 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · Town of Tolland
DirectionsTobiassen Memorial Forest83 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · Joshua's Tract Conservation and Historic Trust
Luce Conservation Area93 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Town of Tolland
Crystal Peat Conservation Area60 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Tolland Conservation Commission
DirectionsWeigold Conservation Area36 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Town of Tolland
DirectionsMadeline Regan Preserve27 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Joshua's Tract Conservation and Historic Trust
Becker Conservation Area30 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Town of Tolland
DirectionsNedwied Conservation Area18 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Nedwied Conservation Area
Heron Cove Park46 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Town of Tolland
DirectionsBonair Hill Road Open Space26 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Town of Tolland
Pepperwood Drive Open Space7 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Town of Tolland
Crystal Springs10 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Auperin Conservation Area28 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Town of Tolland
DirectionsRiver Park31 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Town of Tolland
DirectionsTolland Stage Road Open Space8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Town of Tolland
Charter Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary252 acres · Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Coventry Fish and Game Club136 acres · Coventry Game Club Inc.
DirectionsPlains Road Open Space101 acres · Town of Tolland
Kent South Nature Preserve83 acres · Northern Connecticut Land Trust
Skungamaug Conservation Area59 acres · Town of Tolland
Old Post Road Open Space55 acres · State of Connecticut
DirectionsRockville Fish and Game Club52 acres · Rockville Fish and Game Club
Neff Hill Road Open Space35 acres · Town of Tolland
Morgan Lane Open Space35 acres · Town of Tolland
Derek Drive Open Space34 acres · Town of Tolland
Baxter Street Conservation Area34 acres · Town of Tolland
Old Stafford Road Open Space29 acres · Town of Tolland
Skungamaug Meadows Preserve27 acres · Joshua's Tract Conservation and Historic Trust
Sage Meadow Conservation Area23 acres · Town of Tolland
Gerber Drive Open Space21 acres · Town of Tolland
South River Road Open Space20 acres · Town of Tolland
DirectionsSharon Drive Open Space20 acres · Town of Tolland
Benton Homestead19 acres · Tolland Historical Society
Timber Trail Park17 acres · Town of Tolland
Noah Lane Open Space15 acres · Town of Tolland
Crystal Lake Road Open Space14 acres · Town of Ellington
Wanat Park13 acres · Town of Tolland
Mile Hill Road Open Space12 acres · Town of Tolland
Dockerel Road Open Space12 acres · Town of Tolland
Kate Lane Open Space11 acres · Town of Tolland
Timber Trail Open Space11 acres · Town of Tolland
Autumn Lane Open Space11 acres · Town of Tolland
Robin Circle Open Space10 acres · Town of Tolland
Summit Drive Open Space9 acres · Town of Tolland
Josiah Lane Open Space9 acres · Town of Tolland
High Ridge Drive Open Space9 acres · Town of Tolland
Dunn Hill Road Open Space8 acres · Town of Tolland
Hoveland Conservation Area8 acres · Town of Tolland
Brookmoor Road Open Space7 acres · Town of Tolland
Torry Road Open Space6 acres · Connecticut Water Company
Valley View Drive Open Space6 acres · Town of Tolland
Elna Drive Open Space5 acres · Town of Tolland
Johnson Road Open Space5 acres · Town of Tolland
Charter Road Open Space5 acres · Town of Tolland
Lee Lane Open Space4 acres · Town of Tolland
Josephine Way Open Space4 acres · Town of Tolland
Sandy Drive Open Space4 acres · Town of Tolland
Alden Circle Open Space3 acres · Town of Tolland
Old Cathole Road South Open Space3 acres · Town of Tolland
Eaton Road Open Space3 acres · Town of Tolland
Avebury Lane Open Space3 acres · Town of Tolland
Shenipsit State Forest2 acres · Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
DirectionsFlorence Drive Open Space2 acres · Town of Tolland
Shanda Lane Open Space2 acres · Town of Tolland
Forest Lane Open Space2 acres · Town of Tolland
Who protects it
4,673 conserved acres
18% of Tolland’s land. Who manages Tolland’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State conservation797 ac
Town or city332 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)164 ac
Private owners80 ac
Not recorded4,300 ac
State Conservation Area · 1,153 acLocal Other or Unknown · 1,079 acConservation Easement · 768 acUnknown Easement · 627 acPrivate Conservation · 591 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 271 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 130 of 147 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown Conservation Easement | Not recorded | 1,953 | Unknown |
| Kollar Wildlife Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 901 | Unknown |
| Nye Holman State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 381 | Unknown |
| Charter Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 253 | Unknown |
| Crandall Park Local Park | Not recorded | 215 | Unknown |
| Coventry Game Club, Inc. Private Conservation | Not recorded | 131 | Unknown |
| Nye Holman State Forest (Old Forest Management Area) State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 122 | Unknown |
| Campbell's Peaceful Valley Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 86 | Unknown |
| Bolton Ponds State Recreation Area | Not recorded | 78 | Unknown |
| Shafran Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 65 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
22 places to go in Tolland
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Tolland
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Tolland
Adam's Adventure
DirectionsCrandall Park PlaygroundIn Crandall Park
DirectionsPlus 5 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Scenic views in Tolland
3 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Tolland
Paulk Hill965 ft elevation
DirectionsKendall Hill951 ft elevation · In Palmer Kendall Mountain Conservation Area
DirectionsSugar Hill925 ft elevation
DirectionsReed Hill902 ft elevation
DirectionsNeff Hill837 ft elevation
DirectionsBuff Cap Hill814 ft elevation
DirectionsCassidy Hill732 ft elevation
DirectionsPlus 1 peak without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Tolland
Camp Yankee TrailsGirl Scouts of Connecticut
DirectionsDel-Aire CompgroundB & B Property LLC
DirectionsDisc golf in Tolland
Cross Farms DGCHours: sunrise-sunset
DirectionsTrails & water
10 named trails and 28 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 7.5 miUnpaved · 19.2 mi
Connecticut Water Company Trolley Trail1.8 mi
Pedal Power1.5 mi
Beast0.9 mi
Thrush0.5 mi
Boneyard0.4 mi
Crystal Springs Trail0.3 mi
Gravel Trail0.3 mi
Snake0.2 mi
Beast East0.2 mi
Beast (return to top)0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Bentons PondBowlers PondBrooks PondCharter PondCrandall PondlakeEinsteins PondGages PondGreens PondKnofla's PondpondLadds PondLake BonairreservoirLibkamans Pond No 1Libkamans Pond No 2Metcalf PondMountain Springs Road DamPoehnerts PondreservoirPowell PondlakePrevis PondreservoirQuarry PondlakeReed Road DamShenipsit LakereservoirSkungamaug MarshSumner LakepondSweetheart LakelakeTolland Marsh PondpondTolland Water Supply PondSkungamaug RiverWillimantic 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
15Baseball
11Tennis
9Soccer
4Basketball
3Football
3Lacrosse
2Softball
1Volleyball
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). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Tolland: May 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) | 35 | 38 | 46 | 58 | 69 | 77 | 82 | 80 | 73 | 62 | 50 | 40 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 2.9 | 4.0 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 4.6 | 4.0 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 3.8 | 4.3 |
February is the driest month (2.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.8 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Tolland →
Next door
Tolland and its neighbors
Tolland has the most mapped trails of the 7 towns around it. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tolland | 18% | 1.5 | 46 | 41% | A− |
| Willington | 11% | 1.1 | 77 | 29% | A− |
| Ellington | 18% | 1.2 | 5 | 34% | B |
| Coventry | 18% | 0.8 | 13 | 33% | B+ |
| Crystal Lake | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Vernon | 19% | 1.7 | 22 | 96% | A |
| Rockville | — 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 Tolland
Where can I hike in Tolland?
The longest trail networks: Crandall Park, 11.4 miles; Paulk Hill Conservation Area, 4.6 miles; Kollar Wildlife Management Area, 4 miles; Shenipsit Lake Watershed Reserve Land, 3.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Tolland 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 Tolland’s trails?
Crandall Park and Paulk Hill Conservation Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Tolland?
13,548 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Tolland or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 667 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Tolland have?
Ahead of 85% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #63 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 Tolland 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 →