HIKING  (back to top)

Hiking in Fairfield
In Fairfield, hiking trails on a dozen or more preserves are open to the public. The trail system around Lake Mohegan is open to walkers but requires a day pass or resident pass to park (go to fairfieldct.org and click on “Town Recreation Sites”)

The Westport Library Riverwalk
Westport
For the less athletic or adventurous. Start along the Saugatuck, east of the Saugatuck Bridge downtown. Lighted walkways, benches and picnic tables overlook the river.
 

Hiking in Weston.
The town of Weston offers miles of hiking trails, so lace up. Maps are available at the Weston Town Clerk’s office (56 Norfield Road, 222-2616). Aside from trails on town-owned park property, the Nature Conservancy maintains more than twenty miles of hiking trails on the 1,756-acre Devil’s Den Preserve off Pent Road in Weston (for more information, call 226-4991). The preserve is open to the public and free of charge.

Weston has the fifty-six-acre Bisceglie Scribner Park (opens June 24), on Newtown Turnpike, where you’ll find a fitness trail, playground and pond with lifeguards. Residents can purchase a family pass for $100 for the season; guests are $5/day with permit holder.

Call Weston Parks & Recreation, 222-2655.

A larger network of trails can be found on some 1,700 acres in Westport, Weston, Fairfield and Easton that are under the protective umbrella of the Aspetuck Land Trust (see aspetucklandtrust.org). Fishing permits for the Saugatuck River and Aspetuck Resevoir can be purchased at the Weston Town Hall ($20 for the season for adults; children under 16 fish for free).

 
Babcock Preserve
Greenwich
Families can enjoy 300 acres of woodlands and 11 trails — great for hiking, jogging, horseback riding, camping (with permit) and picnicking (not to mention cross-country skiing in winter).

622-7824; North Street, Greenwich.

 
Montgomery Pinetum
Cos Cob
Summer is the perfect time to explore, hike and climb. The Montgomery Pinetum offers 91 mid-country acres to fill the day. Maps and tree guides are available at the Pinetum’s Garden Education Center office, 869-9242.

130 Bible Street, Cos Cob. (622-7814).

Hiking Mount Tom State Park
Litchfield
The easy, well-marked, one-mile (each way) trail winds its way to a 1,325-foot summit, with pretty views over a lake and hills. Older kids can complete the trek in 20 minutes. At the top, reward yourself with another climb — to the summit’s stone tower. Cool off afterward with a dip in the lake. Changing rooms, bathrooms and a concession stand are available. $10 parking fee on weekends ($7 on weekdays) for cars registered in Connecticut.

Located on Rt. 202; 860-868-2592; website
 

Hike Connecticut Waterfalls

Weston, Wilton, and Cheshire
Who knew? Connecticut has waterfalls. Check out ctwaterfalls.com for a catalog of waterfalls in the state, all of them accessible. You can try Amber Falls in Weston, Sheep Falls in Wilton or Roaring Brook Falls in Cheshire, the highest falls in the state. You can make a family project out of charting a course based on geography, height or even water flow. Close your eyes and imagine you’re in a rainforest.

Audubon Center
Greenwich
“I feel like I’'m in Vermont,” is the common reaction when visitors start in on the ten miles of hiking trails across 285 acres of woodland, wetland and meadow in this sanctuary. Pack binoculars and a birding book, and stop in at the Audubon Center building, where you can pick up trail maps. Guides can help you choose a route according to your interests and stamina. One easy loop takes you through old-growth forest, around Mead Lake, over a swamp on a boardwalk and back to the hawk-watch area. Afterwards, drive through horse country on bucolic, winding Bedford Road and then head east to Round Hill Road for a streetside glimpse of some stunning estates or west to King Street and Greenwich’s last two remaining active farms, Purdy's and Augustine’s. Be sure to take home some fresh corn and tomatoes.

The Audubon Center, 613 Riversville Road and John Street, is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (the trails are open until dusk).

Admission: $3 for adults; $1.50 for children. 869-5272; greenwich.center.audubon.org

Marshlands Conservancy
Rye, NY

Marshlands is a 137 acre sanctuary with a half mile of shoreline, woods, fields, fresh water ponds and an extensive salt marsh -- one of the few in New York State accessible to the public. The area provides diverse habitat for a variety of wildlife, including mammals, shellfish, birds, and waterfowl, which use the relatively undisturbed shore to lay their eggs.

The patient and quiet visitor may see fox and hawks, herons, egrets, and many other species. With three miles of trails and the shore, it's a great place for a family nature walk (pets not allowed), for the individual naturalist, bird watchers and photographers.

Admission is Free. Wednesday thru Sunday, 9am - 5pm. Trails open daily from dawn to dusk. website

Trail Riding
Greenwich
The reward at the established Epona Stables is access, for a nominal fee, to more than 150 miles of woodland trails north of the Merritt Parkway. They are part of the Greenwich Riding and Trails Association (203-661-3062), which maintains the trails. One catch, though: You’ve got to bring your own horse, unless you’re taking lessons or boarding a horse there.

550 Riversville Road, 552-0877; website

 

 

BIKING  (back to top)

Mountain Biking
You don’t have to be auditioning for ESPN’s X Games if you want to enjoy mountain biking, and although Connecticut never will be confused with Moab, Utah, that mecca of mountain biking, it does offer trails to everyone’s liking. The best place to check out what suits your family is the Trail Reviews section of mtbreview.com. It lists detailed directions to rides throughout the state, from the technically challenging, twisting, root-rutted trails at Nepaug State Forest in New Hartford to the variety of interesting trails at Huntington State Park in Bethel. The site rates the trails and provides current reviews.

 
Collis P. Huntington State Park
Redding
The biggest and closest park that allows mountain-bike riding, this 883-acre expanse somehow absorbs the throngs of cycling enthusiasts who come for its wide and shady trails that wind around ponds and up and down gentle hills. Sited high atop Redding Ridge, the views are awesome. If you come to hike instead of ride, bring the dog and a leash.

Admission is free. Open 8 a.m. to sunset.
Sunset Hill Road, 938-2285; website
 

Road Biking
Litchfield
If you just want to load up the bikes and ride — no reservations, no rentals, no groups — you can’t do better than in and around Litchfield, which offers a variety of terrain. Whoa! Before you go, though, check out trails.com (you must subscribe, but the site offers a 14-day free trial). You’ll find all the information you need on biking trails throughout the state, as well as information on food, lodging, parking and other activities. Check out the 10-mile ride around Bantam Lake, Connecticut’s largest natural lake, or the eight-mile loop around Lake Waramaug.

Bike Touring
Kent
The Bicycle Tour Company caters to all ages, and leads tours for all ability levels around New York City or through the Connecticut countryside. Trips depart from Greenwich, Westport, Lake Waramaug and home base in Kent. The relaxed rides can be customized to take in natural and cultural attractions — and yummy food — along the way. The typical tours cover 10 to 15 miles, with routes up to 40 or even 70 miles for the strong of leg and lung.

$75 per person for a group trip, 888-711-KENT; website
 

 

ROCK CLIMBING  (back to top)

Rock Climbing
New Paltz, New York
Known to locals as “the Gunks,” the Shawangunk mountain range within the Mohonk Preserve, less than an hour’s drive, is one of the best climbing destinations in the Northeast. Fortunately for the uninitiated, Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS) offers intensive one-day courses every day, from spring through the fall for people age 12 and older; and this year EMS has introduced a less-intensive program for kids under age 12. Courses cost $350 for a party of two; $480 for three; includes shoes and all gear needed. The day runs from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Call for reservations, 800-310-4504; website

Indoor Rock Climbing
Stamford
Build confidence and family bonds at Go Vertical, the largest climbing gym in the state — 8,500 square feet of vertical challenge with a separate area for beginners. Slabs, boulder, cracks, overhangs — they’re all here, along with thirty-four ropes up to 40 feet tall and 120 different climbing routes.

Prices: $17 for adults ($13, ages 17 and under) during peak hours (weekday nights, weekend days); $13/$10 during off-peak hours. Rental equipment $10. Open 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; weekdays 10 a.m.-8 p.m. on weekends.

727 Canal Street, 358-8767; website

 

 

IN THE SKY  (back to top)

Sky Diving
Ellington
First-time jumpers (ages 18 and up) are welcome at Connecticut Parachutists, which operates out of Ellington Airport, located off Rt. 83. After a thorough instruction and training session, you can take a Super Ottertwin-turbine airplane 14,000 feet up and experience the thrill of floating back to Earth. Licensed instructors accompany each parachutist, and up to six tandem jumps can be accommodated in one trip.

$205 per person, reservations recommended.

800-586-7849; website
 

Hang Gliding
Winsted
Granted, this isn’t your usual family activity — families don’t often launch themselves off cliffs. For the truly adventurous, though, the reward is not only flying with the birds, but also honing decision-making skills and confidence.

Flying is done at Tek Flight in Ellenville, New York, an hour northwest of Danbury.

$400 per person for a four-day lesson course. 860-379-1668; website

 

HOT AIR BALLOONING  (back to top)

Hot Air Ballooning
Plymouth
Got some open land nearby? Adventure Balloon is based in Plymouth, but if you’ve got an appropriate launch spot, this company will depart from wherever you choose and drive you back by car afterward — after the post-flight Champagne, of course. Among the popular launch spots are Litchfield, Farmington, Roxbury and Brookfield. Flights happen every day, weather permitting, typically at sunrise, but sunset flights are not unheard of. Each trip lasts about an hour.

$225 per person; reservations recommended.

860-584-1300; website

Hot Air Ballooning
Southington
Up, up and away, indeed. Altitude aficionados recommend Berkshire Balloons, which offers hour-long flights at sunrise, covering anywhere from five to fifteen miles. Flights depart over the Valley from a handful of launch sites, depending on the weather. Reserve a spot at least one week in advance. $235 per person, for balloons holding four or six passengers; private balloons also available.

203-250-8441; website

Airvertising & Adventures
West Simsbury
860-651-4441 or 800-535-2473


Emerald City Balloons
Manchester
860-647-8581


Kat Balloons
Farmington
860-678-7921


Livingston Balloon Company
Simsbury
860-651-1110
 

Sky Endeavors
Bloomfield
860-242-0228
website


Steppin' Up Balloons
Southbury
203-264-0013

Watershed Balloons
Watertown
860-247-2010