Connecticut College Arboretum
Managed by Connecticut College
477 acres4.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Photo: LibertyNALE · CC BY-SA 4.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Waterford
14% of Waterford’s land is conserved: 2,882 acres
881 acres are parks and preserves, 45 per 1,000 residents. 26 miles of mapped trail cross Waterford, 0.8 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Connecticut College Arboretum (4.4 mi), Harkness Memorial State Park (2.8 mi), Stenger Farm Park (1.9 mi).
Ahead of 82% of U.S. towns · #77 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it
Conserved land
14%
2,882 acres · of 32.9 sq mi of land
Trails
26 mi
0.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
881 ac
45 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
56%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
394 ft
Morgan Hill
Lakes & rivers
19
7 beaches · 3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Waterford?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Waterford have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Waterford is ahead of 82% of U.S. towns, #77 of 155 in Connecticut. Conserved land holds the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Waterford’s overall grade.
Conserved land14% of the land · typical CT town 15% · U.S. 4%A−Trails0.8 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (26 mi) · CT 1.4 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land45 acres of park per 1,000 residents (881 acres) · CT 22 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home56% 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 82%
LessMore
Connecticut towns of 2,500+ (155)Ahead of 51%
Connecticut towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 15%; the U.S., 4%), so Waterford’s 14% is ahead of 45% of Connecticut towns, while its trails per square mile lead 21% of them.
Water is 27% of Waterford’s area (12 of 45 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 10%.
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 Connecticut College Arboretum, with 4.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Harkness Memorial State Park
Park
281 acres2.8 mi of trail
Niering Walk
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Stenger Farm Park
Nature preserve
94 acres1.9 mi of trail
Stengers Park Entrance Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Seaside State Park
Managed by State of Connecticut
31 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Old Barry Farm Open Space
Managed by Town of Waterford
151 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 45 parks & preserves
Connecticut College Arboretum477 acres · 4.4 mi of trail · Connecticut College
Harkness Memorial State Park281 acres · 2.8 mi of trail
DirectionsStenger Farm Park94 acres · 1.9 mi of trail
DirectionsSeaside State Park31 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · State of Connecticut
DirectionsOld Barry Farm Open Space151 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Town of Waterford
Waterford Beach Park91 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsBates Woods Park10 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Civic Triangle41 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Town of Waterford
DirectionsCity of New London Public Watershed Lands460 acres · City of New London Water Department
Avery Tract62 acres · Waterford Land Trust
Woodlands Tract54 acres · Waterford Land Trust
Andrade Tract50 acres · Waterford Land Trust
Sportsman's Club49 acres
William A. Niering Natural Area Preserve41 acres · Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
DirectionsConover Tract39 acres · Waterford Land Trust
Lyman Allen Lot30 acres · Town of Waterford
North Road Open Space29 acres
Fitch's Pond Tract22 acres · Waterford Land Trust
Leary Park21 acres
DirectionsMadara Tract17 acres · Waterford Land Trust
Vauxhall Property16 acres
Douglas Lane Tract14 acres · Waterford Land Trust
DirectionsBabe Ruth Field13 acres
Little League Fields South12 acres
Enders Easement11 acres · Waterford Land Trust
WLT Oswegatchie Woods Tract10 acres · Waterford Land Trust
Rovetti Tract9 acres · Waterford Land Trust
Devine Tract7 acres · Waterford Land Trust
Kashannski Tract WLT6 acres · Waterford Land Trust
Jordan Mill Park6 acres
Cohanzie Park4 acres
DirectionsLisa Dedrick Memorial Park4 acres
DirectionsManitock Hill Road (Owned By New London)4 acres
Powers Tract3 acres · Waterford Land Trust
Rose Swamp Tract3 acres · Waterford Land Trust
DirectionsJordan Green3 acres
DirectionsNiantic River Boat Launch2 acres · State of Connecticut
DirectionsTwo Tree Island2 acres · Waterford Land Trust
Sandy Hollow Drive Park2 acres
Whites Easement2 acres · Waterford Land Trust
Ocean Beach Park1 acres · City of New London
DirectionsAydelotte Easement1 acres · Waterford Land Trust
War Memorial Park1 acres
Powers Beach Tract1 acres · Waterford Land Trust
Seabreeze Drive1 acres
Who protects it
2,882 conserved acres
14% of Waterford’s land. Water is left out: Waterford has 32.9 square miles of land and 11.9 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Waterford’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city218 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits86 ac
Private owners48 ac
Other state land32 ac
State conservation31 ac
Not recorded2,510 ac
Local Other or Unknown · 1,201 acPrivate Conservation · 664 acState Park · 409 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 273 acLocal Park · 134 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 13 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 61 of 76 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 1,365 | Unknown |
| Connecticut College Arboretum & Natural Area Private Conservation | Not recorded | 387 | Unknown |
| Harkness Memorial State Park State Park | Not recorded | 377 | Unknown |
| Old Barry Farm Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 163 | Unknown |
| Waterford Beach Park Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 97 | Unknown |
| Stenger Farm Park Local Park | Town or city | 90 | Open |
| Connecticut Humane Society Local Conservation Area | Land trusts & nonprofits | 57 | Open |
| Pilgrim Road Private Conservation | Not recorded | 54 | Unknown |
| Sportsman's Club Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 50 | Open |
| Lyman Allen Lot Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 32 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
39 places to go in Waterford
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Waterford
Kiddie's Beach
DirectionsTown Beach
DirectionsPlus 5 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Waterford
Civic Triangle PlaygroundIn Civic Triangle
DirectionsPlus 3 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Waterford
Niantic River Boat Launch
DirectionsPlus 2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Waterford
2 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Waterford
Morgan Hill394 ft elevation
DirectionsPolly Hill384 ft elevation
DirectionsKonomoc Hill367 ft elevation
DirectionsGreat Hill325 ft elevation
DirectionsDouglas Hill305 ft elevation
DirectionsLatimer Hill302 ft elevation
DirectionsHaines Hill289 ft elevation
DirectionsMahoneys Hill246 ft elevation
Directions11 more peaks
Bartlett Hill236 ft elevation
DirectionsManitock Hill207 ft elevation · In Manitock Hill Road (Owned By New London)
DirectionsTwomile Hill203 ft elevation
DirectionsWay Hill190 ft elevation
DirectionsMullen Hill174 ft elevation
DirectionsLamphere Hill128 ft elevation
DirectionsDurfey Hill105 ft elevation
DirectionsPepperbox Hill102 ft elevation
DirectionsMallory Hill95 ft elevation
DirectionsStuart Hill85 ft elevation
DirectionsMamacoke Hill62 ft elevation · In Connecticut College Arboretum
DirectionsCampgrounds in Waterford
Blue Cabins
DirectionsCamp HarknessState of Connecticut
DirectionsGreen Cabins
DirectionsYellow Cabins
DirectionsTrails & water
3 named trails and 19 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 9.6 mi
Niering Walk0.3 mi
Jack in the Pulpit Trail0.2 mi
Kale Trail0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
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
15Tennis
11Baseball
4Soccer
3Softball
3Basketball
2Football
1Field hockey
1Tracks
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →9 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 5 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Eolia-Harkness EstateDistrict · listed 1986
About itJordan Village Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1990
About itThe SeasideBuilding · listed 1995
About itQuaker Hill Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2002
About itGraniteville Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2003
About itHartford ColonyDistrict · listed 2005
About itOswegatchie Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2005
About itWalnut GroveDistrict · listed 2005
About itOil Mill Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2023
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Waterford: 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 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.1 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 39 | 41 | 47 | 58 | 67 | 76 | 82 | 81 | 74 | 64 | 53 | 44 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 3.0 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 3.7 | 4.3 |
February is the driest month (3.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.5 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Waterford →
Next door
Waterford and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Groton80 miEast Lyme58 miLedyard45 miWaterford26 miMontville23 miNew London9.4 miConning Towers-Nautilus Park2.5 miNiantic1.3 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waterford | 14% | 0.8 | 45 | 56% | A− |
| New London | 10% | 1.7 | 8 | 92% | A− |
| East Lyme | 25% | 1.7 | 41 | 70% | A |
| Niantic | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Montville | 12% | 0.5 | 24 | 27% | B+ |
| Ledyard | 19% | 1.2 | 76 | 85% | A |
| Conning Towers-Nautilus Park | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Groton | 25% | 2.6 | 60 | 82% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Waterford
Where can I hike in Waterford?
The longest trail networks: Connecticut College Arboretum, 4.4 miles; Harkness Memorial State Park, 2.8 miles; Stenger Farm Park, 1.9 miles; Seaside State Park, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Waterford is conserved land?
14% 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 Waterford’s trails?
Connecticut College Arboretum and Harkness Memorial State Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Waterford?
9,062 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Waterford or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 881 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Waterford have?
Ahead of 82% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #77 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 Waterford 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 →