Nipmuck State Forest
Managed by Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
5,446 acres55.2 mi of trail
Bigelow Hollow Park Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: User:Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Union
More than half of Union’s land is conserved: 58%
58% of Union’s land is conserved, about 10,787 acres. The biggest trail networks: Nipmuck State Forest (55.2 mi), Yale-Myers Forest (14.1 mi), Bigelow Hollow State Park (7.3 mi). 365 acres are parks and preserves, 386 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
58%
10,787 acres · of 28.9 sq mi of land
Trails
91 mi
3.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
365 ac
386 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
26%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
1,299 ft
Burley Hill
Lakes & rivers
22
3 boat launches
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 Nipmuck State Forest, with 55.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Yale-Myers Forest
Managed by Yale School Forests
3,073 acres14.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Bigelow Hollow State Park
Managed by Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
488 acres7.3 mi of trail
East Ridge Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Nipmuck State Forest Laurel Sanctuary
Nature preserve
165 acres1.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 7 parks & preserves
Nipmuck State Forest5,446 acres · 55.2 mi of trail · Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
DirectionsYale-Myers Forest3,073 acres · 14.1 mi of trail · Yale School Forests
DirectionsBigelow Hollow State Park488 acres · 7.3 mi of trail · Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
DirectionsNipmuck State Forest Laurel Sanctuary165 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
Mashapaug Pond301 acres · State of Connecticut
DirectionsManchester Field and Woods84 acres · New Roxbury Land Trust
Mashapaug Lake Boat Launch1 acres · State of Connecticut
DirectionsWho protects it
10,787 conserved acres
58% of Union’s land. Who manages Union’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits583 ac
Private owners538 ac
Not recorded9,706 ac
State Resource Management Area · 5,773 acResearch or Educational Area · 3,053 acConservation Easement · 594 acForest Stewardship Easement · 429 acPrivate Conservation · 370 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 987 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 63 of 68 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nipmuck State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 5,097 | Unknown |
| Yale Forest Research or Educational Area | Not recorded | 3,053 | Unknown |
| Nipmuck State Forest (Old Forest Management Area) State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 676 | Unknown |
| Unknown State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 520 | Unknown |
| Mashapaug Pond State Recreation Area | Not recorded | 294 | Unknown |
| Quinebaug Highlands Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 76 | Unknown |
| Morey Pond State Recreation Area | Not recorded | 34 | Unknown |
| Bigelow Hollow State Park State Park | Not recorded | 23 | Unknown |
| Ayers Gap Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 22 | Closed |
| Holland Lake Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 7 | Unknown |
1 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
13 places to go in Union
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Boat launches in Union
Bigelow Pond Boat LaunchIn Bigelow Hollow State Park
DirectionsMorey Pond Boat Launch
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in Union
Burley Hill1,299 ft elevation
DirectionsBald Hill1,217 ft elevation
DirectionsStickney Hill1,217 ft elevation · In Nipmuck State Forest
DirectionsLead Mine Hill1,184 ft elevation
DirectionsCoye Hill1,086 ft elevation
DirectionsWalker Mountain1,066 ft elevation · In Yale-Myers Forest
DirectionsChandler Hill912 ft elevation · In Yale-Myers Forest
DirectionsCat Rocks771 ft elevation · In Nipmuck State Forest
DirectionsCampgrounds in Union
Camp PomeraugBoy Scouts Of America
DirectionsPlus 1 campground without a name on the map.
Trails & water
2 named trails and 22 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 11.7 miUnpaved · 25.8 mi
Bigelow Hollow Park Trail1.1 mi
East Ridge Trail0.2 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Bald PondpondBigelow PondBreakneck PondBuckley PondreservoirForest PondpondGoodhall PondlakeHarmon PondKinney PondreservoirLost PondpondMashapaug PondMathews PondpondMeyers PondreservoirMoore PondreservoirMorey PondpondMorse Meadow PondPinneys PondreservoirSessions Meadow MarshreservoirWalker PondWells Brook DamWells PondreservoirWillis PondBigelow Brook
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
1Tennis
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →1 place 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.
Union Green Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1990
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Union: 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) | 34 | 37 | 45 | 57 | 68 | 76 | 81 | 79 | 72 | 61 | 50 | 39 |
| Rain (in) | 3.8 | 3.3 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 4.6 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 4.7 |
February is the driest month (3.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 5.0 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Union →
Next door
Union and its neighbors
Union has the most mapped trails of the 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Woodstock | 18% | 0.5 | 30 | 34% | B+ |
| Stafford | 26% | 1.3 | 14 | 40% | A− |
| Ashford | 32% | 1.4 | 21 | 18% | A− |
| Eastford | 49% | 1.5 | 52 | 13% | A− |
| Willington | 11% | 1.1 | 77 | 29% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Union
Where can I hike in Union?
The longest trail networks: Nipmuck State Forest, 55.2 miles; Yale-Myers Forest, 14.1 miles; Bigelow Hollow State Park, 7.3 miles; Nipmuck State Forest Laurel Sanctuary, 1.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Union’s trails?
Nipmuck State Forest and Yale-Myers Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Union?
22,736 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Union or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 365 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Union 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 →