Litchfield Community Park, Litchfield

This park and trail network are wonderful assets to the town of Litchfield. You can start at the town office or just up the road at the Community Park entrance, and go for a walk through young and old forest habitats, open areas, and around small ponds. I gather that while you can swim in the ponds — especially the largest one, Crystal Pond — beware of leeches!

The trails are all marked with color-coded blazes (the lilac on the Pit Trail was particularly pretty, especially when painted on stones), and there are trail signs at most intersections. There’s also a red slide, fairy house “construction zone,” and picnic tables.

I want to come back when the landscape isn’t frozen to get a sense of how scenic it might be here the rest of the year. (Also, my map might not be entirely accurate because it was hard to see the exact route of some of the the snow-covered field trails. In these cases, I traced other people’s footprints.)

Directions: If you park at the town office, at 2400 Hallowell Road, look for the trailhead sign on the side of the building farthest from the road. The trail crosses a field and then veers left into the woods. At about 0.2 miles, behind some industrial-looking buildings, you’ll see a sign for “walking trails entrance” on your right. You can also start your walk at the Community Park just up the road at 2318 Hallowell Road. When the gate is open, you can park inside the park. Otherwise, park at the gate and walk in — it’s a very short driveway.