Northwest Park & Open Space
Nature preserve
490 acres13.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: John Phelan · CC BY-SA 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Windsor
Windsor has 41 miles of mapped trails, 1.4 for every square mile of land
1,466 acres are parks and preserves, 50 per 1,000 residents. 94% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 11% of Windsor’s land is conserved, about 2,147 acres.
Ahead of 94% of U.S. towns · #15 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it
Conserved land
11%
2,147 acres · of 29.5 sq mi of land
Trails
41 mi
1.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,466 ac
50 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
94%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
7.9 mi
0.5 mi lanes · 7.4 mi paths
Highest peak
190 ft
Day Hill
Lakes & rivers
12
4 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Windsor?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Windsor have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Windsor is ahead of 94% of U.S. towns, #15 of 155 in Connecticut. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, conserved land lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Windsor’s overall grade.
Conserved land11% of the land · typical CT town 15% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (41 mi) · CT 1.4 · U.S. 0.4APark land50 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,466 acres) · CT 22 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home94% of residents within a half mile of a park · CT 57% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 94%
LessMore
Connecticut towns of 2,500+ (155)Ahead of 91%
Connecticut towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 15%; the U.S., 4%), so Windsor’s 11% is ahead of 30% of Connecticut towns, while its trails per square mile lead 51% 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 Northwest Park & Open Space, with 13.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Windsor Wildlife Management Area
Managed by State of Connecticut
134 acres4.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Mill Brook Open Space
Managed by Town of Windsor
96 acres4.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Matianuck Natural Area Preserve
Managed by State of Connecticut
275 acres1.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Connecticut Park and Ride
Farmington River Park
Nature preserve
28 acres1.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Phelps Park Open Space
Nature preserve
17 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Pheasant Run Open Space
Nature preserve
13 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 45 parks & preserves
Northwest Park & Open Space490 acres · 13.9 mi of trail
DirectionsWindsor Wildlife Management Area134 acres · 4.4 mi of trail · State of Connecticut
Mill Brook Open Space96 acres · 4.3 mi of trail · Town of Windsor
DirectionsMatianuck Natural Area Preserve275 acres · 1.9 mi of trail · State of Connecticut
DirectionsFarmington River Park28 acres · 1.9 mi of trail
DirectionsSharshon Park12 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsPhelps Park Open Space17 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Pheasant Run Open Space13 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Farmington River Floodplain (River Street)5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsKeney Park169 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Hartford
DirectionsWashington Park23 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsStroh Park21 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsWindsor Meadows State Park125 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
DirectionsLancaster Woods Open Space (3 Parcels And Walkway)55 acres
Town Open Space (Rowland Lane)43 acres
DirectionsMilo W. Peck Community Center39 acres
Olds & Whipple Pond Open Space26 acres · Town of Windsor
Farmstead Lane Open Space19 acres
Silver Birch Lane Open Space14 acres
Tobacco Ridge Open Space (3 Parcels)14 acres
John R. Welch Park11 acres · Town of Windsor
Bloomfield Avenue Open Space11 acres
Phelps Meadow Open Space (Section 1) 2 Parcels10 acres
Trent Drive Park9 acres
Meadowview Open Space9 acres · Town of Windsor
Pepperbush Way Open Space (2 Parcels)8 acres
Stockbridge Open Space6 acres
Lincoln Way West Open Space6 acres
DirectionsThrall Park5 acres · Town of Windsor
Pondview Open Space5 acres
Wintonbury Hills Playground4 acres
DirectionsCuster Drive Tot Lot4 acres
DirectionsJohn Fitch Playground4 acres
Carriage Way Open Space4 acres · Town of Windsor
Lancaster Park3 acres · Town of Windsor
Rundle Acres Open Space3 acres · Town of Windsor
Shad Run Vacant Land3 acres
Tiffany Village/Reed Circle3 acres
Lincoln Way Open Space3 acres
Ludlow Road Property3 acres
Deerfield Playground2 acres
Hollowbrook Road/Lighthouse Hill Road Open Space1 acres
Town Open Space (79 Woodland Street)1 acres
Woodland Park Open Space1 acres
Town Boat Launch - Farmington River1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
2,147 conserved acres
11% of Windsor’s land. Who manages Windsor’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city452 ac
Other state land63 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)57 ac
State conservation4 ac
Not recorded1,689 ac
Local Park · 680 acLocal Other or Unknown · 617 acLocal Conservation Area · 316 acState Conservation Area · 248 acPrivate Conservation · 130 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 66 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 81 of 123 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 692 | Unknown |
| Northwest Park Local Park | Not recorded | 422 | Unknown |
| Matianuck Sand Dunes Natural Area Preserve State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 233 | Unknown |
| Keney Park Local Park | Not recorded | 170 | Unknown |
| Windsor Meadows State Park State Park | Not recorded | 124 | Unknown |
| Strawberry Hills Open Space Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 77 | Open |
| Town Open Space (Rowland Lane) Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 48 | Open |
| Milo W. Peck Community Center Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 42 | Open |
| Leland P. Wilson Community Center Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 34 | Open |
| Olds and Whipple Pond Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 25 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
35 places to go in Windsor
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Windsor
23 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Windsor
1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Windsor
Rainbow Reservoir Boat Launch
DirectionsRainbow Reservoir State Boat Launch
DirectionsPlus 2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Windsor
3 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Windsor
Campgrounds in Windsor
Camp Shalom
DirectionsTrails & water
12 lakes & rivers
Biking & sports
7.9 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.5 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
7.4 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
29Tennis
18Softball
15Soccer
12Baseball
10Pickleball
7Basketball
4Lacrosse
3Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →41 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
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.
Hezekiah Chaffee HouseBuilding · listed 1972
About itFarmington River Railroad BridgeStructure · listed 1972
About itDeacon John Moore HouseBuilding · listed 1977
About itCapt. Benjamin Allyn II HouseBuilding · listed 1979
About itOliver W. Mills HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itBissell Tavern-Bissell's Stage HouseBuilding · listed 1985
About itElijah Mills HouseBuilding · listed 1985
About itFitch, John, SchoolBuilding · listed 1986
About itPalisado Avenue Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1987
About itBenomi Case HouseBuilding · listed 1988
About itCapt. James Loomis HouseBuilding · listed 1988
About it29 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Windsor: 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) | 36 | 39 | 48 | 61 | 72 | 80 | 85 | 83 | 76 | 64 | 52 | 41 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 3.0 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 3.7 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 4.8 | 3.7 | 4.2 |
February is the driest month (3.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 4.8 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Windsor →
Next door
Windsor and its neighbors
Windsor has the second most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Bloomfield66 miWindsor41 miEast Granby39 miSouth Windsor30 miHartford28 miEast Windsor14 miWindsor Locks6.3 miBlue Hills0.8 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windsor | 11% | 1.4 | 50 | 94% | A |
| Hartford | 12% | 1.6 | 11 | 99%+ | A |
| Windsor Locks | 7% | 0.7 | 9 | 93% | B+ |
| Bloomfield | 13% | 2.5 | 38 | 86% | A |
| East Windsor | 11% | 0.5 | 32 | 50% | B+ |
| South Windsor | 12% | 1.1 | 36 | 90% | A |
| East Granby | 21% | 2.2 | 32 | 29% | A− |
| Blue Hills | — 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 Windsor
Where can I hike in Windsor?
The longest trail networks: Northwest Park & Open Space, 13.9 miles; Windsor Wildlife Management Area, 4.4 miles; Mill Brook Open Space, 4.3 miles; Matianuck Natural Area Preserve, 1.9 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Windsor is conserved land?
11% 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 Windsor’s trails?
Northwest Park & Open Space and Windsor Wildlife Management Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Windsor?
7.9 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.5 of painted or protected lanes and 7.4 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Windsor?
19,590 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Windsor or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,466 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Windsor have?
Ahead of 94% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #15 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 Windsor 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 →