West Hartford Reservoirs Recreation Area
Managed by Metropolitan District
1,623 acres31.1 mi of trail
Yellow LoopWeha DuroLower Ridgeline RunMetacomet Trail (NET)+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Ragesoss · CC BY-SA 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in West Hartford
West Hartford has 56 miles of mapped trails, 2.6 for every square mile of land
23% of West Hartford’s land is conserved, about 3,258 acres. 2,750 acres are parks and preserves, 43 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: West Hartford Reservoirs Recreation Area (31.1 mi), Reservoir 6 Recreation Area (4.6 mi), Westmoor Park (4.1 mi).
Ahead of 97% of U.S. towns · #6 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it
Conserved land
23%
3,258 acres · of 21.8 sq mi of land
Trails
56 mi
2.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,750 ac
43 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
91%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
49 mi
24 mi lanes · 6.0 mi paths
Highest peak
203 ft
Johnson Hill
Lakes & rivers
22
1 beach
What kind of outdoors town is West Hartford?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does West Hartford have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, West Hartford is ahead of 97% of U.S. towns, #6 of 155 in Connecticut. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of West Hartford’s overall grade.
Conserved land23% of the land · typical CT town 15% · U.S. 4%ATrails2.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (56 mi) · CT 1.4 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land43 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,750 acres) · CT 22 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home91% 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 97%
LessMore
Connecticut towns of 2,500+ (155)Ahead of 97%
Connecticut towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 15%; the U.S., 4%), so West Hartford’s 23% is ahead of 75% of Connecticut towns, while its trails per square mile lead 86% 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 West Hartford Reservoirs Recreation Area, with 31.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Reservoir 6 Recreation Area
Managed by Metropolitan District
412 acres4.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Westmoor Park
Managed by Town of West Hartford
140 acres4.1 mi of trail
Broken BridgeSelf-Guided Nature Trail
No dogs
Directionsto the parking lot
Elizabeth Park
Managed by City of Hartford
84 acres2.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Bugbee School Woods
Managed by Town of West Hartford
38 acres1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Spice Bush Swamp
Managed by Town of West Hartford
33 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Buena Vista Recreational Complex
Park
71 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 23 parks & preserves
West Hartford Reservoirs Recreation Area1,623 acres · 31.1 mi of trail · Metropolitan District
DirectionsReservoir 6 Recreation Area412 acres · 4.6 mi of trail · Metropolitan District
DirectionsWestmoor Park140 acres · 4.1 mi of trail · Town of West Hartford
DirectionsElizabeth Park84 acres · 2.3 mi of trail · City of Hartford
DirectionsBugbee School Woods38 acres · 1 mi of trail · Town of West Hartford
DirectionsSpice Bush Swamp33 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Town of West Hartford
DirectionsWolcott Park28 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsBuena Vista Recreational Complex71 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsAlbany Avenue Open Space21 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Town of West Hartford
Beachland Park29 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsFernridge Park28 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsJohn F. Kennedy Memorial Park17 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsEisenhower Park16 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMooney's Woods23 acres · Town of West Hartford
DirectionsRevolutionary War Camp Site14 acres · Town of West Hartford
Glover Soccer Park9 acres
DirectionsOrchard Preserve8 acres · Traprock Ridge Land Conservancy
Norfeldt Park7 acres
DirectionsTown of Farmington Property6 acres
Beach Park5 acres · Town of West Hartford
DirectionsSouthwood Park3 acres
Vanderbilt Park2 acres
DirectionsWest Hartford Veterans Memorial Park1 acres · Town of West Hartford
DirectionsWho protects it
3,258 conserved acres
23% of West Hartford’s land. Who manages West Hartford’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Regional agency1,992 ac
Town or city852 ac
Not recorded527 ac
Local Park · 2,550 acWatershed Protection Area · 222 acLocal Other or Unknown · 179 acLocal Recreation Area · 154 acState Conservation Area · 128 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 19 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 49 of 88 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan District Commission Local Park | Regional agency | 1,992 | Open |
| Rockledge Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 148 | Open |
| Talcott Channel Flood Control Site State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 128 | Unknown |
| Unknown Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 122 | Unknown |
| South Branch Park River Watershed- Bugbee Reservo* Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 113 | Unknown |
| Buena Vista Recreational Complex Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 97 | Open |
| Burnt Hill Reservoir Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 84 | Unknown |
| Elizabeth Park & Rose Garden Local Park | Town or city | 81 | Open |
| Hall High School Local Park | Town or city | 55 | Open |
| Westmoor Park Local Park | Town or city | 44 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
55 places to go in West Hartford
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in West Hartford
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Public pools in West Hartford
Cornerstone Aquatics CenterIn Buena Vista Recreational Complex
DirectionsPlaygrounds in West Hartford
Jonathan's Dream
DirectionsSaint Thomas the Apostle School Playground
Directions38 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in West Hartford
West Hartford Dog Park
DirectionsScenic views in West Hartford
2 scenic views without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Peaks in West Hartford
Johnson Hill203 ft elevation
DirectionsElmwood Hill184 ft elevation
DirectionsBuena Vista Hill
DirectionsHamilton Hill
DirectionsPicnic areas in West Hartford
4 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Community gardens in West Hartford
Jessie's Community GardenIn Westmoor Park
DirectionsPrimary GardenIn Westmoor Park
DirectionsWolcott Community GardenIn Wolcott Park
DirectionsPlus 1 community garden without a name on the map.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 22 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 9.5 miHorses · 1.1 miUnpaved · 22.1 mi
Yellow Loop1.1 mi
Weha Duro0.9 mi
Lower Ridgeline Run0.8 mi
Fenceline East0.8 mi
Tanks0.8 mi
Metacomet Trail (NET)0.7 mi
Teacher's Trail0.7 mi
Sprite0.7 mi
Upper Ridgeline Run0.7 mi
Steven Sauter Rock0.6 mi
15 more trails
Into the Woods
0.6 miBirthday
0.5 miGet Lost
0.4 miThe Twisties
0.4 miTrout Brook Trail
0.4 miSideways
0.4 miBroken Bridge
0.4 miThe Playground
0.4 miBackside
0.3 miFall Line
0.3 miFun Cut
0.3 miSelf-Guided Nature Trail
0.2 miTire Shredder
0.2 miFall Line Bypass
0.1 miDr. Pepper
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Bayberry Lane PondBeechland Park PondpondHartford Reservoir Number 1reservoirHartford Reservoir Number 5reservoirHunters PondpondLakeview LakeMallard PondMcGovern PondpondMetropolitan District Reservoir #2reservoirMetropolitan District Reservoir #3reservoirOrchard Road PondRobotham PondStandish PondSteinman PondSunset Farms PondWest Branch Trout Brook PondpondWestmoor LakepondWood PondWoodridge LakelakeNorth Branch Park RiverPiper BrookTrout Brook
Biking & sports
49 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
24 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
6.0 mi
off-road bike paths
19 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
80Tennis
31Baseball
21Basketball
20Soccer
15Pickleball
8Softball
7Football
4Multi-sport
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →26 places on the National Register, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 10 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Spanish House, TheBuilding · listed 1979
About itSarah Whitman Hooker HouseBuilding · listed 1979
About itWebster, Noah, Memorial LibraryBuilding · listed 1981
About itElizabeth ParkSite · listed 1983
About itMount St. Joseph AcademyBuilding · listed 1983
About itHartford Golf Club Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1986
About itAllyn Steele HouseBuilding · listed 1986
About itAsa Gillett HouseBuilding · listed 1986
About itBenjamin Colton HouseBuilding · listed 1986
About itBrace, Moses-Uriah Cadwell HouseBuilding · listed 1986
About it14 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in West Hartford: 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 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 36 | 39 | 47 | 60 | 71 | 79 | 85 | 82 | 75 | 63 | 51 | 41 |
| Rain (in) | 3.7 | 3.2 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 4.6 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.6 | 5.4 | 4.1 | 4.6 |
February is the driest month (3.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 5.4 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in West Hartford →
Next door
West Hartford and its neighbors
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Hartford | 23% | 2.6 | 43 | 91% | A+ |
| Farmington | 27% | 2.4 | 71 | 88% | A+ |
| Hartford | 12% | 1.6 | 11 | 99%+ | A |
| Bloomfield | 13% | 2.5 | 38 | 86% | A |
| Newington | 5% | 0.8 | 9 | 82% | B+ |
| Avon | 19% | 2.8 | 71 | 77% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in West Hartford
Where can I hike in West Hartford?
The longest trail networks: West Hartford Reservoirs Recreation Area, 31.1 miles; Reservoir 6 Recreation Area, 4.6 miles; Westmoor Park, 4.1 miles; Elizabeth Park, 2.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of West Hartford is conserved land?
23% 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 West Hartford’s trails?
West Hartford Reservoirs Recreation Area and Reservoir 6 Recreation Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in West Hartford?
49 miles of bike routes are on the map: 24 of painted or protected lanes, 6.0 of off-road paths and 19 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near West Hartford?
20,090 acres of parks and open public land lie inside West Hartford or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,750 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does West Hartford have?
Ahead of 97% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #6 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 West Hartford 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 →