Philip Lauter Park
Managed by Town of Windham
20 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: JJBers · CC BY-SA 4.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Willimantic
Few parks or trails are on the map in Willimantic
8% of Willimantic’s land is conserved, about 279 acres. 140 acres are parks and preserves, 7.7 per 1,000 residents. 14 miles of mapped trail cross Willimantic, 2.7 per square mile of land.
Conserved land
8%
279 acres · of 5.4 sq mi of land
Trails
14 mi
2.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
140 ac
7.7 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
92%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
6.0 mi
0.3 mi lanes · 3.5 mi paths
Highest peak
479 ft
Hosmer Mountain
Lakes & rivers
2
1 beach
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 Philip Lauter Park, with 0.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
West Main Street Open Space
Managed by Town of Windham
32 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Willimantic River Water Access
Managed by State of Connecticut
24 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 16 parks & preserves
Philip Lauter Park20 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Town of Windham
DirectionsAirline State Park Trail (Northern Section)22 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
DirectionsNatchaug River Water Access3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · State of Connecticut
Windham Recreation Park23 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Town of Windham Recreation Department
Windham Mills State Heritage Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBurdick Park50 acres · Town of Windham
DirectionsWest Main Street Open Space32 acres · Town of Windham
Willimantic River Water Access24 acres · State of Connecticut
DirectionsJillson Square Park10 acres · Town of Windham
DirectionsPomeroy State Park9 acres
Alex Caisse Park6 acres · Town of Windham
Guild Field3 acres
War Memorial Park3 acres · Town of Windham Recreation Department
DirectionsWillimantic Whitewater Park2 acres
DirectionsYoung's Park2 acres
Hop River State Park Trail1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
279 conserved acres
8% of Willimantic’s land. Who manages Willimantic’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city82 ac
Private owners43 ac
Not recorded158 ac
Private Other or Unknown · 115 acLocal Park · 89 acState Recreation Area · 30 acState Park · 24 acLocal Other or Unknown · 13 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 21 of 28 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 | 66 | Unknown |
| Saint Joseph Cemetery Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 44 | Unknown |
| Willimantic River Water Access State Recreation Area | Not recorded | 27 | Unknown |
| Cemetery (mansfield Town Line) Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 26 | Unknown |
| Windham Recreation Park Local Park | Town or city | 26 | Open |
| Airline State Park Trail (Southern Section) State Park | Not recorded | 22 | Unknown |
| Cemetery (main Street) Local Park | Not recorded | 21 | Unknown |
| Philip Lauter Park Local Park | Town or city | 20 | Open |
| Whittemore Park Local Park | Town or city | 8 | Open |
| Jillson Square Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
25 places to go in Willimantic
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Willimantic
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Willimantic
15 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Fishing spots in Willimantic
Trophy Trout Area
DirectionsTrophy Trout Area
DirectionsWaterfalls in Willimantic
2 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Willimantic
1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Peaks in Willimantic
Hosmer Mountain479 ft elevation
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Willimantic
Mary's Garden
DirectionsThread City Family GardenIn Philip Lauter Park · Grow Windham
DirectionsPlus 1 community garden without a name on the map.
Trails & water
1 named trail and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 6.7 mi
Abandoned Airline Railroad0.2 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
6.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.3 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
3.5 mi
off-road bike paths
2.2 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
14Tennis
10Basketball
10Baseball
6Soccer
4Softball
3Football
1Multi-sport
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Willimantic: 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) | 37 | 39 | 47 | 59 | 70 | 78 | 83 | 82 | 75 | 63 | 52 | 42 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 3.0 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.7 | 4.0 | 4.4 |
February is the driest month (3.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.7 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Willimantic →
Next door
Willimantic and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Mansfield127 miLebanon65 miWindham45 miCoventry30 miColumbia21 miWillimantic14 miSouth Windham1.7 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willimantic | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Windham | 15% | 1.7 | 22 | 79% | A |
| Mansfield | 29% | 2.8 | 26 | 47% | A |
| Coventry | 18% | 0.8 | 13 | 33% | B+ |
| Columbia | 10% | 1.0 | 158 | 60% | A |
| South Windham | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Lebanon | 27% | 1.2 | 149 | 36% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Willimantic
Where can I hike in Willimantic?
The longest trail networks: Philip Lauter Park, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Willimantic’s trails?
Philip Lauter Park and Burdick Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Willimantic?
6.0 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.3 of painted or protected lanes, 3.5 of off-road paths and 2.2 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Willimantic?
5,429 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Willimantic or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 140 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Willimantic 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 →