Hidden Valley Preserve
Managed by Steep Rock Association, Inc.
787 acres18.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: John Phelan · CC BY-SA 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Washington
Washington has 2,344 acres of parks, 638 for every 1,000 residents
30% of Washington’s land is conserved, about 7,284 acres. 65 miles of mapped trail cross Washington, 1.7 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Hidden Valley Preserve (18.7 mi), Steep Rock Preserve (16.9 mi), Macricostas Preserve (6.8 mi).
Ahead of 93% of U.S. towns · #20 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it
Conserved land
30%
7,284 acres · of 38.1 sq mi of land
Trails
65 mi
1.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,344 ac
638 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
44%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
1,289 ft
Mount Tom
Lakes & rivers
31
3 beaches · 3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Washington?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Room to roam638 acres of park per 1,000 residents; the typical U.S. town has 13.Land that stays wild30% of the land is conserved; a typical Connecticut town, 15%.A trail town1.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 91% of U.S. towns.History along the way8 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Washington have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Washington is ahead of 93% of U.S. towns, #20 of 155 in Connecticut. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Washington’s overall grade.
Conserved land30% of the land · typical CT town 15% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (65 mi) · CT 1.4 · U.S. 0.4APark land638 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,344 acres) · CT 22 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home44% 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 93%
LessMore
Connecticut towns of 2,500+ (155)Ahead of 88%
Connecticut towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 15%; the U.S., 4%), so Washington’s 30% is ahead of 92% of Connecticut towns, while its trails per square mile lead 68% 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 Hidden Valley Preserve, with 18.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Steep Rock Preserve
Managed by Steep Rock Association, Inc.
823 acres16.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Macricostas Preserve
Managed by Steep Rock Association
506 acres6.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Mount Tom State Park
Nature preserve
232 acres3.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Johnson Farm Preserve
Managed by Steep Rock Association
60 acres1.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
American Indian Archaeological Institute
Nature preserve
13 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Mount Bushnell State Park Scenic Reserve
Nature preserve
214 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Hillside Farm Preserve
Managed by Steep Rock Association
67 acres0.3 mi of trail
Hillside Loop
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 14 parks & preserves
Hidden Valley Preserve787 acres · 18.7 mi of trail · Steep Rock Association, Inc.
DirectionsSteep Rock Preserve823 acres · 16.9 mi of trail · Steep Rock Association, Inc.
DirectionsMacricostas Preserve506 acres · 6.8 mi of trail · Steep Rock Association
DirectionsMount Tom State Park232 acres · 3.2 mi of trail
DirectionsJohnson Farm Preserve60 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · Steep Rock Association
DirectionsAmerican Indian Archaeological Institute13 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsMount Bushnell State Park Scenic Reserve214 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Hillside Farm Preserve67 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Steep Rock Association
DirectionsShepaug Crossing Preserve9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Litchfield Land Trust
John Dorr Nature Center55 acres
Steep Rock Association, Inc.26 acres
Washington Public Beach1 acres
Sunnyfield1 acres
Bryan Plaza1 acres
Who protects it
7,284 conserved acres
30% of Washington’s land. Who manages Washington’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Private owners3,133 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits2,079 ac
Other state land516 ac
State conservation292 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)52 ac
Town or city50 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government30 ac
Unknown Easement · 4,551 acPrivate Conservation · 2,793 acConservation Easement · 827 acState Park · 341 acLocal Recreation Area · 326 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 3,455 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 301 of 368 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown Unknown | Not recorded | 1,993 | Unknown |
| Steep Rock Association, Inc. 5 Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 673 | Closed |
| Lake Waramaug Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 326 | Unknown |
| Mount Tom State Park State Park | Not recorded | 224 | Unknown |
| Mount Bushnell State Park Scenic Reserve State Park | Not recorded | 118 | Unknown |
| Steep Rock Association Property Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 97 | Closed |
| Hillside Property Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 67 | Unknown |
| Nickoll-Kinney Hill Conservation Easement (2007) Conservation Easement | Not recorded | 61 | Unknown |
| Macricostas Preserve Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 55 | Unknown |
| Steep Rock Association, Inc. 50 Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 55 | Closed |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
45 places to go in Washington
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Washington
3 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Washington
6 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Washington
Lake Waramaug Boat Ramp (Town of Washington)Fee · In Washington Public Beach
DirectionsPlus 2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Washington
New Preston Falls
DirectionsPlus 1 waterfall without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in Washington
Mount Tom1,289 ft elevation · In Mount Tom State Park
DirectionsTinker Hill1,194 ft elevation · In Mount Bushnell State Park Scenic Reserve
DirectionsMount Bushnell1,191 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Rat1,155 ft elevation
DirectionsTower Hill1,115 ft elevation
DirectionsLower Church Hill1,063 ft elevation
DirectionsPlumb Hill1,056 ft elevation
DirectionsBaldwin Hill1,033 ft elevation
Directions7 more peaks
Church Hill1,001 ft elevation
DirectionsNew Preston Hill1,001 ft elevation
DirectionsFenn Hill994 ft elevation
DirectionsBell Hill981 ft elevation
DirectionsRobin Hill853 ft elevation
DirectionsSteep Rock778 ft elevation · In Steep Rock Preserve
DirectionsWindy Hill
DirectionsPicnic areas in Washington
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Washington
Camp Chinqueka
DirectionsSR1In Steep Rock Preserve
DirectionsSR2In Steep Rock Preserve
DirectionsSR3In Steep Rock Preserve
DirectionsSR4In Steep Rock Preserve
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Washington
Judea GardenIn Macricostas Preserve
DirectionsTrails & water
1 named trail and 31 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 9.1 miHorses · 28.0 miUnpaved · 30.2 mi
Hillside Loop0.4 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Anderson DamAylings PondBlackville DamChurch Hill DamClunde PondEmerson PondFrisble PondGunther DamHasler PondHull PondKirk PondLake WaramauglakeMallory PondMayflower DamMiller PondNettleton DamNey PondPeckerman DamQuist PondreservoirRainer PondRobin Hill DamS.A. Hessel DamSchool PondWashington Game PondWashington PondWoodruff PondWorcester PondWyant PondreservoirBantam RiverShepaug RiverSprain 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
30Tennis
6Baseball
3Basketball
2Soccer
2Lacrosse
1Football
1Field hockey
1Softball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →8 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.
New Preston Hill Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1985
About itMount Tom TowerStructure · listed 1993
About itSt. Andrew's Episcopal ChurchBuilding · listed 1994
About itCalhoun-Ives Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1995
About itSunny Ridge Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1995
About itWashington Green Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1995
About itHollister, Homestead, TheBuilding · listed 2010
About itHarry O. Erikson Pavilion HallBuilding · listed 2022
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Washington: 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 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 34 | 37 | 46 | 58 | 69 | 77 | 82 | 80 | 73 | 61 | 49 | 39 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 2.9 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 3.8 | 4.2 |
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 Washington →
Next door
Washington and its neighbors
Washington has the second most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Kent66 miWashington65 miNew Milford45 miRoxbury40 miMorris32 miWarren15 miNew Preston9.8 miBethlehem5.9 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 30% | 1.7 | 638 | 44% | A |
| New Milford | 18% | 0.7 | 26 | 48% | A− |
| Bethlehem | 14% | 0.3 | 56 | 36% | B+ |
| New Preston | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Roxbury | 21% | 1.5 | 115 | 38% | A |
| Warren | 21% | 0.6 | 582 | 68% | A |
| Morris | 32% | 1.8 | 12 | 5% | B+ |
| Kent | 46% | 1.4 | 954 | 67% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Washington
Where can I hike in Washington?
The longest trail networks: Hidden Valley Preserve, 18.7 miles; Steep Rock Preserve, 16.9 miles; Macricostas Preserve, 6.8 miles; Mount Tom State Park, 3.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Washington is conserved land?
30% 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 Washington’s trails?
Hidden Valley Preserve and Steep Rock Preserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Washington?
16,993 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Washington or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,344 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Washington have?
Ahead of 93% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #20 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 Washington 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 →