Stratton Brook State Park
Park
169 acres4.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Sphilbrick · CC BY-SA 3.0–Not graded
Outdoors in West Simsbury
40% of West Simsbury’s land is conserved, and 96% of residents live within a half mile of a park
The biggest trail networks: Stratton Brook State Park (4.4 mi), Simsbury Farms Recreation Complex (2.2 mi), Darling-Hilles Forest Or Ensign Memorial Forest (1 mi). 40% of West Simsbury’s land is conserved, about 1,199 acres. 684 acres are parks and preserves, 228 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
40%
1,199 acres · of 4.6 sq mi of land
Trails
16 mi
3.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
684 ac
228 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
96%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
3.6 mi
1.4 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
7
3 beaches
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 Stratton Brook State Park, with 4.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Simsbury Farms Recreation Complex
Park
239 acres2.2 mi of trail
Simsbury Farms Family Fitness Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Darling-Hilles Forest Or Ensign Memorial Forest
Nature preserve
34 acres1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Meadow Pond
Managed by Simsbury Culture, Parks and Recreation Department
86 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 11 parks & preserves
Stratton Brook State Park169 acres · 4.4 mi of trail
DirectionsSimsbury Farms Recreation Complex239 acres · 2.2 mi of trail
DirectionsDarling-Hilles Forest Or Ensign Memorial Forest34 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsTown Open Space7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMeadow Pond86 acres · Simsbury Culture, Parks and Recreation Department
DirectionsSimsbury Coon Club15 acres
Case Circle Open Space13 acres
Town Forest10 acres
DirectionsSimsbury Fish & Game Club7 acres
DirectionsTown Open Space (Natural Areas)1 acres
DirectionsTootin Hill Property Owners Association Pond1 acres
Who protects it
1,199 conserved acres
40% of West Simsbury’s land. Who manages West Simsbury’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city406 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)185 ac
Joint165 ac
State conservation55 ac
Not recorded563 ac
Local Conservation Area · 241 acUnknown Easement · 220 acLocal Other or Unknown · 197 acAgricultural Easement · 185 acLocal Park · 158 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 234 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 41 of 49 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simsbury Farms Recreation Complex Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 240 | Open |
| Unknown Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 230 | Unknown |
| Hopmeadow Cc Local Park | Town or city | 154 | Open |
| Stratton Brook State Park State Park | Not recorded | 144 | Unknown |
| Meadow Pond Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 87 | Unknown |
| Simsbury Coon Club Private Conservation | Not recorded | 36 | Unknown |
| Darling-Hilles Forest Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 35 | Unknown |
| Case Circle Open Space Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 15 | Unknown |
| Town Forest Local Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 9 | Unknown |
| Simsbury Farns Recreation Complex Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 7 | Open |
3 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
14 places to go in West Simsbury
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in West Simsbury
3 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Public pools in West Simsbury
Simsbury Farms PoolIn Simsbury Farms Recreation Complex
DirectionsPlaygrounds in West Simsbury
3 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Fishing spots in West Simsbury
1 fishing spot without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in West Simsbury
The Hedgehog
DirectionsThe Sugarloaf
DirectionsPicnic areas in West Simsbury
4 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Trails & water
2 named trails and 7 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 1.6 mi
Simsbury Farms Family Fitness Trail1.5 mi
Esker Path0.2 mi
Biking & sports
3.6 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.4 mi
off-road bike paths
2.3 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
8Tennis
3Basketball
3Soccer
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in West Simsbury: 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) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 35 | 38 | 47 | 60 | 71 | 79 | 84 | 82 | 75 | 63 | 51 | 40 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 3.3 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 3.9 | 4.6 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 5.3 | 3.9 | 4.5 |
February is the driest month (3.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 5.3 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in West Simsbury →
Next door
West Simsbury and its neighbors
West Simsbury has the most mapped trails of the 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Simsbury | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Simsbury Center | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Weatogue | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in West Simsbury
Where can I hike in West Simsbury?
The longest trail networks: Stratton Brook State Park, 4.4 miles; Simsbury Farms Recreation Complex, 2.2 miles; Darling-Hilles Forest Or Ensign Memorial Forest, 1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on West Simsbury’s trails?
Stratton Brook State Park and Simsbury Farms Recreation Complex don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in West Simsbury?
3.6 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.4 of off-road paths and 2.3 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near West Simsbury?
12,721 acres of parks and open public land lie inside West Simsbury or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 684 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from West Simsbury 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 →