One of the largest parks in Fairfax City, Van Dyck Park offers playground equipment, benches, picnic tables, climbing walls, basketball and volleyball courts, grills, sandboxes, skate parks and more. Open during daylight hours, the park is located next door to the city police department.
Lincoln Park is home to three soccer and lacrosse fields, two baseball fields and a playground. The park also has grills and tables available on-site for picnics. The park is also the start point for the Teresa and Roberta Lee Fitness Path.
Wadsworth Mansion is open to the public and is the site of many popular events, including free tours. Two trails on the mansion's 100-acre property are open for hiking and cross-country skiing from sunrise to sunset.
Originally a summer residence, "Long Hill" was built in the first years of the 20th century by Colonel Clarence S. Wadsworth, an early expert on forestry and an avid conservationist. The 500-acre grounds were designed by the nationally renowned landscape architectural firm, The Olmsted Brothers; formal and classical gardens near the mansion gave way to forest and pastures.
On Wadsworth's death 1941, a portion of the lands were willed to the State of Connecticut for use as a public park (now known as Wadsworth Falls State Park). The rest was managed by the Rockfall Corporation, a charitable foundation created to further Wadsworth's interests in conservation and forestry.
The estate changed hands during the next half-century, growing smaller and falling into disrepair until the mid-1990s when the city bought the property and the mansion and grounds underwent a two-year, $5.8 million restoration financed by municipal bonds.
Nellie Gail Ranch Equestrian Center provides a rustic scenic trail for natural adventures. It is located within the Neil Gail Ranch, which is made up of parks, arenas, riding trails, as well as a tennis club and swimming center. The center includes a facility with horses, 96 stalls, three large sand arenas, two sun pens, grooming stalls, barns and a clubhouse with a full kitchen. It also offers wine tastings, concerts and more.
Audubon Environmental Education Center is part of the Audobon Society in Bristol. The center encompasses a natural history museum and aquarium meant to encourage local residents to learn about wildlife and nature through hands-on exhibits. The McIntosh Wildlife Refuge is where the center is located, offering visitors the chance to use the refuge's walking trails. Guided tours and family-friendly programming are also offered. For further inquiries, phone the Audubon Environmental Education Center.
This nature trail is along the south side of Randolph Road just west of Brown Street. The property is marked by a wooden sign and split-rail fence. There is ample parking in a gravel lot; cinder paths wind through woodlands, forests, and fields.
Lenape Park is a public park serving residents of Cranford and surrounding Union County areas. The location has all types of features and areas for recreation, including a bicycle path and nature trail. Additional features include fishing areas, as well as the model railroad club. Check its website for details on features or for information on park rentals.
Located on the banks of the Quinnipiac River, this park has a canoe launch site and walking trails along the banks. It is home to the Cheshire Soccer Club, which offers a number of leagues for youth and adult teams. The park also has a pavilion and playground. Its location on Cheshire Street puts it near historic houses, which were built when settlers moved from Wallingford to Cheshire to form the new town.
The Meadowood Recreation Area consists of 900 acres of forests and meadows with two ponds and six miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding. The area is ideal for anyone who enjoys biking, hiking, horseback riding, picnicking, fishing and bird watching. Click here for a map of the trails.
Nestled along the banks of Paint Creek, the popular nature center features family activities such as Friday night campfires and holiday-themed events as well as preschool classes during the school year, big kid adventures during the summer and a picturesque network of trails for everyone all year long.
The center is supported by memberships, donations, grants and also through fund-raising events. Volunteer opportunities are plentiful.
Where did its name come from? Wander along Dinosaur Trail, near the entrance to the nature center, and notice the hill that resembles a long-necked dinosaur.
Teatown Lake Reservation is a 834-acre nature preserve located on Spring Valley Road. It straddles Yorktown, New Castle and Cortlandt. The reservation features hiking trails, a nature center hosting educational exhibits and a live animal collection. For more information about the reservation visit the Teatown Lake Reservation website.
Located on Atlantic Avenue, across from the Marblehead Police Station, this nearly 34-acre park offers a variety of athletic facilities and wooded trails that extend all the way to the water. On the Atlantic Avenue side, the park features a large open field, a small wood-chip playground, a basketball court, a summer street hockey rink, lighted tennis courts and a baseball diamond with a classic, small-town grandstand.
The wooded section at the back of the park is crisscrossed with walking trails, that include a series of exercise equipment built in 1982. The main path leads to a small rocky beach, called Devereaux Beach.
At 135 acres, Murphey Candler Park is the largest park in Brookhaven and features a wide variety of activities and amenities available to the public. Amenities include tennis courts, a swimming pool, picnic pavilions, trails and multi-use fields. The park's lake offers fishing for large mouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish and channel catfish to those with a valid state fishing license. There also are trails that feature scenic views that can be accessed from the parking areas at Murphey Candler Park.
Callahan State Park is a perfect park for hikers, dog lovers, kite flyers, horseback riders, mountain bikers, cross-country skiers, snowshoers, and sledders. There are several large fields and ponds and nearly eight miles of wooded trails within Callahan's 820 acres. Callahan is a favorite spot for dog owners, and dogs are usually off-leash here, so if you are afraid of dogs, be aware that you might encounter a canine adventurer who is looking to make new friends.
Must see/do at Callahan State Park
If there's snow on the ground, grab your snowshoes or cross-country skis and explore this winter wonderland. Park by the South Entrance on Millwood Street and sled down the Earthen Dam into the field with a relatively easy hike back up Moore Road. On a windy day, stand along the Earthen Dam trail for ideal kite-flying. In any weather, continue into the park via Moore Road to an especially picturesque spot with a second open field, Eagle Pond on the right, and the woods further ahead. There is also a picnic table here, so it's a great spot to have a snack or lunch. Be sure to go into the woods and explore the many hiking trails.
Best and worst time to go to Callahan State Park
If possible, avoid going to Callahan for several days after wet weather. Even if the sun is shining, the trails remain quite muddy and take days to dry out. This also applies to the spring thaw: the shaded woods can be very messy, so plan footwear accordingly and bring towels to dry off muddy dogs. Especially in or after wetter conditions, there will be a lot of mosquitos in the woods, so bug spray is a must.
Admission to Callahan State Park
Admission and parking in any of the three lots are free.
Wildlife at Callahan State Park
Callahan is a great spot to find endangered pink Lady Slipper orchids. Listen for chicadees and woodpeckers. Visitors have also sighted garter and water snakes; snapping, red bellied, and spotted turtles; coyotes; fisher cats; white-tailed deer; red foxes; herons; egrets; red tail hawks; largemouth bass in the ponds; and many other species of indigenous New England wildlife.
Insider tip for visitors to Callahan State Park
Always check for ticks, even if you stay on the main paths. Definitely check your dogs for ticks, too. Both deer and dog ticks are abundant at Callahan, and deer ticks can carry Lyme Disease. While dogs are required to be on leash on the main trails (as opposed to on the smaller trails labeled as "hiking trails"), most dogs are not leashed anywhere in Callahan with the possible exception of the first field by the South Entrance or in the parking lots. Also, always keep an eye out for horse manure on the trails; horses and their riders tend to frequent the park early in the day, but poop is an all-day thing.
Author's bio: Deborah Jarvis is a freelance writer who grew up and currently lives in the Greater Boston Area. She never pahks her cah in Hahvahd Yahd and tries not to drive like she's from Boston if she can help it. Her dogs love to go to Callahan and are lifetime members of Mud-seekers Anonymous.
For generations Shaker Heights residents have been enjoying the amenities at Thornton Park year-round. It features an outdoor swimming and tot pool, a sprayground, basket, volleyball and tennis courts, sledding hills, a fitness trail, skate park and an indoor ice rink, which is home to the Shaker Figure Skating Club, the Shaker Heights High School hockey team and Shaker Youth Hockey Association. Individual and group swimming and skating lessons are also offered.
Kennedy Dells Park is a 179-acre park and community area. The park offers open areas, wooded fields and multiple hiking trails as well as a stone dam, fitness trail, horseback riding, horse corral, nature study, soccer, and cross-country skiing.
The two trails combine to make a 2.4-mile loop around the perimeter of the park. and the Bridle Trail is open to equestrian use as well as dog walking (with leashes). The park offers great views of the surrounding areas and plenty of space for residents to play and enjoy nature.