Paugnut State Forest
Managed by Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
1,537 acres7.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Doncram · CC BY-SA 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Torrington
22% of Torrington’s land is conserved: 5,543 acres
1,687 acres are parks and preserves, 47 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Paugnut State Forest (7.9 mi), Burr Pond State Park (4.2 mi), Sunny Brook State Park (3.6 mi). 30 miles of mapped trail cross Torrington, 0.8 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 88% of U.S. towns · #53 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it
Conserved land
22%
5,543 acres · of 39.8 sq mi of land
Trails
30 mi
0.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,687 ac
47 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
69%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
3.4 mi
3.4 mi paths
Highest peak
1,312 ft
Walnut Mountain
Lakes & rivers
23
2 beaches · 2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Torrington?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Torrington have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Torrington is ahead of 88% of U.S. towns, #53 of 155 in Connecticut. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; conserved land ranks highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Torrington’s overall grade.
Conserved land22% of the land · typical CT town 15% · U.S. 4%ATrails0.8 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (30 mi) · CT 1.4 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land47 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,687 acres) · CT 22 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home69% 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 88%
LessMore
Connecticut towns of 2,500+ (155)Ahead of 66%
Connecticut towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 15%; the U.S., 4%), so Torrington’s 22% is ahead of 70% of Connecticut towns, while its trails per square mile lead 19% 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 Paugnut State Forest, with 7.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Burr Pond State Park
Nature preserve
263 acres4.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Sunny Brook State Park
Managed by Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
459 acres3.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 20 parks & preserves
Paugnut State Forest1,537 acres · 7.9 mi of trail · Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
DirectionsBurr Pond State Park263 acres · 4.2 mi of trail
DirectionsSunny Brook State Park459 acres · 3.6 mi of trail · Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
DirectionsCoe Memorial Park5 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsAbeling Field8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Elise Besse Park8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsJohn A. Minetto State Park499 acres
DirectionsStillwater Pond State Park223 acres · Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Major Besse Park111 acres
DirectionsAlvord Park65 acres
DirectionsTown Open Space19 acres
DirectionsFuessenich Park Extension and Storrs Park12 acres
Fuessenich Park7 acres
DirectionsLimestone Drive Open Space5 acres · City of Torrington
Joe Ruwet Park4 acres
DirectionsDonahue Playground3 acres
DirectionsHoulihan Woods and Michael Giordano Tribute Area2 acres · Winchester Land Trust
DirectionsBorzani Park2 acres
Bannon Street Park2 acres
Pleasant View Park1 acres
Who protects it
5,543 conserved acres
22% of Torrington’s land. Who manages Torrington’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Other state land854 ac
Private owners382 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)204 ac
Town or city48 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits1 ac
Not recorded4,519 ac
State Resource Management Area · 1,534 acState Park · 1,354 acPrivate Conservation · 1,342 acUnknown Easement · 702 acLocal Other or Unknown · 309 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 444 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 144 of 168 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paugnut State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 1,397 | Unknown |
| Unknown Private Conservation | Not recorded | 1,334 | Unknown |
| John A. Minetto State Park State Park | Not recorded | 463 | Unknown |
| Sunny Brook State Park State Park | Other state land | 395 | Open |
| Burr Pond State Park State Park | Not recorded | 272 | Unknown |
| Stillwater Pond State Park State Park | Other state land | 224 | Open |
| Camp Maria Pratt Private Conservation | Not recorded | 202 | Unknown |
| Burrville Fire Training, Paugnut State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 138 | Unknown |
| William Besse Park Local Park | Not recorded | 114 | Unknown |
| John Brown Birthplace Private Conservation | Not recorded | 110 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
25 places to go in Torrington
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Torrington
2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Torrington
9 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Torrington
2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Torrington
Burr FallsIn Paugnut State Forest
DirectionsScenic views in Torrington
1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in Torrington
Walnut Mountain1,312 ft elevation · In Paugnut State Forest
DirectionsBurr Mountain1,257 ft elevation
DirectionsBrandy Hill1,155 ft elevation
DirectionsBesse Hill1,106 ft elevation
DirectionsHayden Hill1,089 ft elevation
DirectionsRed Mountain1,079 ft elevation
DirectionsCampgrounds in Torrington
Camp Ouleout (Ymca)
DirectionsNw Ctgirl Scout Council (Camp Maria Pratt)
DirectionsNw Ctgirl Scout Council (Camp Maria Pratt)
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Torrington
1 community garden without a name on the map.
Trails & water
3 named trails and 23 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 5.3 miHorses · 0.5 miUnpaved · 8.0 mi
John Brown Trail0.7 mi
Five Points Connector Trail0.5 mi
Nature Trail0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Allen Dam ReservoirBantam PondreservoirBeechers PondBesse Park PondBurr PondChurch Street ReservoirreservoirCrystal LakereservoirEast Branch Naugatuck River ReservoirreservoirGoodwin PondreservoirGuerdat PondHall Meadow Brook ReservoirreservoirHart Brook ReservoirreservoirMarshall LakeMigeon PondreservoirOuleout LakereservoirPatterson PondpondPearl DamPenn PondStillwater PondreservoirTravis PondEast Branch Naugatuck RiverNaugatuck RiverWest Branch Naugatuck River
Biking & sports
3.4 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
3.4 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
19Tennis
16Baseball
6Basketball
4Soccer
2Football
1Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →13 places 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.
James Alldis HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itWarner TheatreBuilding · listed 1984
About itSouth SchoolBuilding · listed 1986
About itPaugnut Forest Administration BuildingBuilding · listed 1986
About itFyler-Hotchkiss EstateBuilding · listed 1987
About itWarrenton Woolen MillBuilding · listed 1987
About itTorrington Fire Department HeadquartersBuilding · listed 1987
About itDowntown Torrington Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1988
About itVilla FriuliBuilding · listed 1991
About itTorringford Street Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1991
About itMigeon Avenue Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2002
About itSkee's DinerBuilding · listed 2002
About it1 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Torrington: 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) | 9.5 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 33 | 36 | 44 | 57 | 68 | 76 | 81 | 79 | 72 | 60 | 49 | 38 |
| Rain (in) | 3.7 | 3.1 | 4.1 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 4.8 | 5.0 | 3.9 | 4.5 |
February is the driest month (3.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 5.0 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Torrington →
Next door
Torrington and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
New Hartford79 miLitchfield53 miHarwinton46 miTorrington30 miWinchester23 miGoshen20 miNorthwest Harwinton9.7 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Torrington | 22% | 0.8 | 47 | 69% | A |
| Winchester | 14% | 0.7 | 104 | 76% | A |
| Northwest Harwinton | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Harwinton | 14% | 1.5 | 38 | 17% | A− |
| New Hartford | 13% | 2.1 | 42 | 41% | A− |
| Goshen | 23% | 0.5 | 145 | 30% | A− |
| Litchfield | 36% | 0.9 | 39 | 44% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Torrington
Where can I hike in Torrington?
The longest trail networks: Paugnut State Forest, 7.9 miles; Burr Pond State Park, 4.2 miles; Sunny Brook State Park, 3.6 miles; Coe Memorial Park, 0.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Torrington 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 Torrington’s trails?
Paugnut State Forest and Burr Pond State Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Torrington?
3.4 miles of bike routes are on the map: 3.4 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Torrington?
11,588 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Torrington or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,687 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Torrington have?
Ahead of 88% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #53 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 Torrington 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 →