Belding Wildlife Management Area
Managed by State of Connecticut
745 acres7.6 mi of trail
Wildflower Meadow Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Elipongo · Public domainAOutdoors
Outdoors in Vernon
Vernon has 31 miles of mapped trails, 1.7 for every square mile of land
19% of Vernon’s land is conserved, about 2,180 acres. 96% of residents live within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: Belding Wildlife Management Area (7.6 mi), Valley Falls Park (3.7 mi), Rambling Ridge Open Space (2.8 mi).
Ahead of 95% of U.S. towns · #13 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it
Conserved land
19%
2,180 acres · of 17.7 sq mi of land
Trails
31 mi
1.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
658 ac
22 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
96%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
9.3 mi
9.3 mi paths
Highest peak
827 ft
Box Hill
Lakes & rivers
18
2 beaches · 2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Vernon?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Vernon have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Vernon is ahead of 95% of U.S. towns, #13 of 155 in Connecticut. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Vernon’s overall grade.
Conserved land19% of the land · typical CT town 15% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (31 mi) · CT 1.4 · U.S. 0.4APark land22 acres of park per 1,000 residents (658 acres) · CT 22 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home96% of residents within a half mile of a park · CT 57% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 95%
LessMore
Connecticut towns of 2,500+ (155)Ahead of 92%
Connecticut towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 15%; the U.S., 4%), so Vernon’s 19% is ahead of 64% of Connecticut towns, while its trails per square mile lead 69% 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 Belding WMA, with 7.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Valley Falls Park
Managed by Town of Vernon
191 acres3.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Rambling Ridge Open Space
Managed by Town of Vernon
107 acres2.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
John S. Risley Memorial Park
Nature preserve
156 acres2.1 mi of trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Webster Preserve
Managed by Northern Connecticut Land Trust
34 acres1.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Bolton Notch State Park
Nature preserve
61 acres1.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Boulder Crest Lane Park
Managed by Town of Vernon
30 acres1.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Box Mountain Forest
Nature preserve
70 acres1.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
All 35 parks & preserves
Belding Wildlife Management Area745 acres · 7.6 mi of trail · State of Connecticut
DirectionsValley Falls Park191 acres · 3.7 mi of trail · Town of Vernon
DirectionsRambling Ridge Open Space107 acres · 2.8 mi of trail · Town of Vernon
John S. Risley Memorial Park156 acres · 2.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWebster Preserve34 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · Northern Connecticut Land Trust
DirectionsBolton Notch State Park61 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
Boulder Crest Lane Park30 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · Town of Vernon
Box Mountain Forest70 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
Stickney Hill Preserve17 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Manchester Land Conservation Trust
Dart Hill Park16 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsEcho Ridge Property13 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Northern Connecticut Land Trust
Dobson Mills Historic Site20 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsHop River State Park Trail70 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Walkers Reservoir Park13 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Town of Vernon
DirectionsShenipsit Lake Watershed Reserve Land96 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Connecticut Water Company
DirectionsCamp Newhocka20 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Talcott Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsHenry Park55 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsTown of Vernon Property2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCentral Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsRockville Fish and Game Club104 acres · Rockville Fish and Game Club
Rockville Spur State Trail50 acres · State of Connecticut
DirectionsVernon Town Property22 acres
Chelsea Ridge Open Space12 acres · Chelsea Ridge Homeowners Association
Bamforth Road Open Space6 acres
Legion Drive Property (Rear)6 acres
Saxony Mill Park4 acres
DirectionsTillinghart Property4 acres · Town of Vernon
West Street Railroad Open Space3 acres · Town of Vernon
Tracy Drive Property (Rear)3 acres
Lydall Woods2 acres · Manchester Land Conservation Trust
FHRLPV Property2 acres
DirectionsMeadowbrook Drive Open Space1 acres · Town of Manchester
First Congregational Church of Vernon Memorial Garden1 acres
South Street Open Space1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
2,180 conserved acres
19% of Vernon’s land. Who manages Vernon’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State conservation175 ac
Town or city67 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)58 ac
Private owners49 ac
Not recorded2,079 ac
State Conservation Area · 776 acLocal Other or Unknown · 343 acPrivate Conservation · 334 acLocal Park · 258 acState Recreation Area · 228 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 72 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 101 of 119 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 636 | Unknown |
| Tankerhoosen Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 496 | Unknown |
| Belding Wildlife Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 281 | Unknown |
| Valley Falls Park Local Park | Not recorded | 200 | Unknown |
| Bolton Lake State Recreation Area | Not recorded | 163 | Unknown |
| Rockville Fish and Game Club Private Conservation | Not recorded | 89 | Unknown |
| Hop River State Park Trail State Park | Not recorded | 70 | Unknown |
| Henry Park Local Park | Not recorded | 56 | Unknown |
| Bolton Lake Water Access State Recreation Area | Not recorded | 31 | Unknown |
| Tankerhoosen Lakes State Recreation Area | Not recorded | 21 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
25 places to go in Vernon
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Vernon
2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Public pools in Vernon
Vernon Community Pool
DirectionsPlus 1 public pool without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Vernon
6 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks in Vernon
1 dog park without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Vernon
2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Vernon
Hockanum Falls
DirectionsTalcott RavineIn Dobson Mills Historic Site
DirectionsPlus 1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Vernon
6 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Vernon
Box Hill827 ft elevation
DirectionsFox Hill656 ft elevation · In Henry Park
DirectionsPicnic areas in Vernon
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Trails & water
7 named trails and 18 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 1.9 miUnpaved · 13.6 mi
Stone Dust Trail1.2 mi
Talcott Ravine Trail0.5 mi
Riverside Trail0.4 mi
Wildflower Meadow Trail0.3 mi
Hop River Connector0.3 mi
Pleasantview Marsh Trail0.2 mi
Oakland Trail0.2 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Ackerly PondAno-Coil PondBamforth Road PondDobsonville PondreservoirEnvelope PondJR High PondMiddle Bolton LakereservoirPaper Mill PondRisley ReservoirreservoirTalcottville PondreservoirTankerhoosen LakereservoirWalker Reservoir EastreservoirWalker Reservoir WestreservoirWebster PondlakeWest Street PondHockanum RiverHockanum River (Approximate Tunnel)Tankerhoosen River
Biking & sports
9.3 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
9.3 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
18Baseball
12Tennis
3Soccer
3Basketball
2Football
1Lacrosse
1Softball
1Volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →6 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
Florence MillBuilding · listed 1978
About itOld Rockville High School and East SchoolBuilding · listed 1981
About itSaxony MillBuilding · listed 1983
About itMinterburn MillDistrict · listed 1984
About itRockville Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1984
About itTalcottville Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1989
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Vernon: 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) | 9.5 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 36 | 39 | 47 | 60 | 71 | 79 | 84 | 82 | 75 | 63 | 51 | 41 |
| Rain (in) | 3.2 | 2.8 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 3.6 | 4.3 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 3.6 | 4.2 |
February is the driest month (2.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.5 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Vernon →
Next door
Vernon and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Manchester101 miTolland59 miEllington43 miBolton38 miVernon31 miCoventry30 miSouth Windsor30 miRockville1.4 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vernon | 19% | 1.7 | 22 | 96% | A |
| Bolton | 12% | 2.6 | 115 | 47% | A |
| Tolland | 18% | 1.5 | 46 | 41% | A− |
| Ellington | 18% | 1.2 | 5 | 34% | B |
| Rockville | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Manchester | 18% | 3.7 | 22 | 97% | A+ |
| South Windsor | 12% | 1.1 | 36 | 90% | A |
| Coventry | 18% | 0.8 | 13 | 33% | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Vernon
Where can I hike in Vernon?
The longest trail networks: Belding Wildlife Management Area, 7.6 miles; Valley Falls Park, 3.7 miles; Rambling Ridge Open Space, 2.8 miles; John S. Risley Memorial Park, 2.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Vernon is conserved land?
19% 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 Vernon’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at John S. Risley Memorial Park (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Vernon?
9.3 miles of bike routes are on the map: 9.3 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Vernon?
11,202 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Vernon or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 658 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Vernon have?
Ahead of 95% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #13 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 Vernon 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 →