Sherwood Island State Park
Park
272 acres3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Westport
Westport has 13 miles of mapped trails, 0.7 for every square mile of land
The biggest trail networks: Sherwood Island State Park (3 mi), H. Smith Richardson Wildlife Preserve (1.9 mi), Winslow Park (1.1 mi). 707 acres are parks and preserves, 26 per 1,000 residents. 7% of Westport’s land is conserved, about 917 acres.
Ahead of 76% of U.S. towns · #103 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it
Conserved land
7%
917 acres · of 20.0 sq mi of land
Trails
13 mi
0.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
707 ac
26 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
72%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
7.7 mi
Highest peak
207 ft
Charcoal Hill
Lakes & rivers
17
14 beaches · 8 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Westport?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Westport have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Westport is ahead of 76% of U.S. towns, #103 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 Westport’s overall grade.
Conserved land7% of the land · typical CT town 15% · U.S. 4%B+Trails0.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (13 mi) · CT 1.4 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land26 acres of park per 1,000 residents (707 acres) · CT 22 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home72% 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 76%
LessMore
Connecticut towns of 2,500+ (155)Ahead of 34%
Connecticut towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 15%; the U.S., 4%), so Westport’s 7% is ahead of 12% of Connecticut towns, while its trails per square mile lead 14% of them.
Water is 40% of Westport’s area (13 of 33 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 4%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ 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 Sherwood Island State Park, with 3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
H. Smith Richardson Wildlife Preserve
Managed by Connecticut Audubon Society
55 acres1.9 mi of trail
Dogs usually not allowed
Directionsto the parking lot
Winslow Park
Managed by Town of Westport
29 acres1.1 mi of trail
Dogs allowed
Directionsto the parking lot
Haskins Preserve
Managed by Aspetuck Land Trust
18 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Westport Longshore Club Park
Park
147 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 31 parks & preserves
Sherwood Island State Park272 acres · 3 mi of trail
DirectionsH. Smith Richardson Wildlife Preserve55 acres · 1.9 mi of trail · Connecticut Audubon Society
DirectionsWinslow Park29 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Town of Westport
DirectionsNewman-Poses Preserve40 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsHaskins Preserve18 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Aspetuck Land Trust
DirectionsWestport Longshore Club Park147 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsBaron South14 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsHilla von Robay Arborertum8 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Aspetick Land Trust
DirectionsGrace Salmon Memorial Park5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsSherwood Mill Pond Preserve1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsFairfield County Hunt Club39 acres
DirectionsWakeman Park26 acres
DirectionsStewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge16 acres · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Sherwood Millpond13 acres · Aspetuck Land Trust
Silent Grove13 acres
DirectionsStony Brook Road Property12 acres
Town Farm Ball Complex11 acres
Grassy Island9 acres · City of Norwalk
Canfield Island Marsh5 acres
Peter's Gate Reserve3 acres
Town Hall Playground2 acres
DirectionsRiverside Park2 acres
DirectionsSasco River-Kirik Open Space1 acres
Goose Island1 acres · Saugatuck Valley Audubon Society, Inc.
Jesup Green1 acres
DirectionsMachamux Park1 acres
DirectionsSt. John/Myrtle Avenue Park1 acres
DirectionsLuciano Park1 acres
DirectionsPasacreta Park1 acres
DirectionsCanal Green1 acres
DirectionsNewtown Turnpike Property1 acres
Who protects it
917 conserved acres
7% of Westport’s land. Water is left out: Westport has 20.0 square miles of land and 13.5 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Westport’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Other state land273 ac
Town or city100 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service33 ac
Not recorded729 ac
Private Conservation · 459 acState Park · 273 acLocal Other or Unknown · 263 acLocal Park · 78 acNational Wildlife Refuge · 33 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 69 of 82 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown Private Conservation | Not recorded | 593 | Unknown |
| Sherwood Island State Park State Park | Other state land | 273 | Open |
| Green Farms Private Conservation | Not recorded | 38 | Unknown |
| Stewart B. Mckinney National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 33 | Restricted |
| Westport Longshore Club Local Park | Town or city | 24 | Open |
| Cockenoe Island Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 22 | Unknown |
| Beachside A Private Conservation | Not recorded | 19 | Unknown |
| Doubleday Complex Local Park | Town or city | 18 | Open |
| Sasco Creek Private Conservation | Not recorded | 16 | Unknown |
| Sherwood Millpond Private Conservation | Not recorded | 14 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
69 places to go in Westport
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Westport
Plus 11 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Westport
23 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Westport
Saugatuck River Boat Launch
DirectionsSherwood Mill Pond Kayak Launch
DirectionsPlus 6 boat launches without a name on the map.
Fishing spots in Westport
1 fishing spot without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Westport
1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Peaks in Westport
Charcoal Hill207 ft elevation
DirectionsProspect Hill184 ft elevation
DirectionsTurkey Hill154 ft elevation
DirectionsBenjamin Hill148 ft elevation
DirectionsSipperly Hill144 ft elevation
DirectionsClapboard Hill141 ft elevation
DirectionsCompo Hill112 ft elevation
DirectionsSeymour Rock0 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Westport
13 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Westport
Westport Community Garden
DirectionsTrails & water
1 named trail and 17 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 0.8 miHorses · 0.8 miUnpaved · 5.0 mi
Riverwalk0.3 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
7.7 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
7.7 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
51Tennis
12Equestrian
11Baseball
7Basketball
4Pickleball
4Soccer
2Softball
2Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →18 places on the National Register
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.
Godillot PlaceBuilding · listed 1977
About itTown HallBuilding · listed 1982
About itBradley-Wheeler HouseBuilding · listed 1984
About itNational Hall Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1984
About itSaugatuck River BridgeStructure · listed 1987
About itSaugatuck River Railroad BridgeStructure · listed 1987
About itPeck Ledge LighthouseStructure · listed 1990
About itCompo-Owenoke Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1991
About itGreen Farms SchoolBuilding · listed 1991
About itMill Cove Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1991
About itKings Highway North Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1998
About itShambaugh HouseBuilding · listed 1999
About it6 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Westport: 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 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.1 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 40 | 41 | 49 | 60 | 70 | 79 | 85 | 83 | 76 | 65 | 54 | 44 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 3.1 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 4.4 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.6 | 4.4 | 3.6 | 4.4 |
February is the driest month (3.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 4.6 inches fall in September, the wettest month. The climate in Westport →
Next door
Westport and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Fairfield48 miWeston33 miNorwalk14 miWestport13 miGreens Farms6.6 miSaugatuck1.2 miStaples0.1 miSouthport0.1 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westport | 7% | 0.7 | 26 | 72% | A− |
| Fairfield | 4% | 1.6 | 12 | 85% | A− |
| Norwalk | 7% | 0.6 | 7 | 88% | B+ |
| Staples | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Greens Farms | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Southport | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Weston | 13% | 1.7 | 19 | 66% | A− |
| Saugatuck | — 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 Westport
Where can I hike in Westport?
The longest trail networks: Sherwood Island State Park, 3 miles; H. Smith Richardson Wildlife Preserve, 1.9 miles; Winslow Park, 1.1 miles; Newman-Poses Preserve, 1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Westport is conserved land?
7% 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 Westport’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Winslow Park. For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Westport?
7.7 miles of bike routes are on the map: 7.7 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Westport?
10,396 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Westport or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 707 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Westport have?
Ahead of 76% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #103 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 Westport 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 →