Area Outdoor Activities
Bloomfield Town Parks, Playgrounds, & Open Space
Bloomfield has more than 1,826 acres set aside as open space, schools, and park land which is used for both active and passive recreation.
Other Notable Area Parks
Penwood State Park
Almost 800 acres (590 acres in Bloomfield) at the top of the Talcott Mountain basalt ridge with numerous hiking trails, picnic and bathroom facilities.
Talcott Mountain State Park
Over 550 acres (120 acres in Bloomfield) also at the top of the Talcott Mountan ridge (south of Penwood State Park), with hiking trails, the Heublein Tower, picnic and bathroom facilities.
Elizabeth Park
Located at the Hartford - West Hartford Town Line less than 5 miles from the center of Bloomfield, Elizabeth park contains over 100 acres of parkland renowned for its gardens, especially its rose garden. In addition, the park offers many paths, a picnic area, numerous recreation areas, a pond, greenhouses, and the Pond House Cafe.
Golf Courses
Bloomfield is fortunate, and proud, to be the home of three top-notch golf courses.
CT DEEP Outdoor Recreation Infomation Page
Information on boating, camping, hiking, biking, swimming, and many other activities in Connecticut State Parks and Forests.
Hiking, Multi-Use, & Biking Trails and Route Information
Parks & Open Space:
A number of the Town parks and open space areas, and the two state parks, for which links are provided above offer excellent hiking opportunities right in Bloomfield.
MDC West Hartford Reservoirs & Reservoir 6
A nature lover's paradise, the area features 3,000 acres of beautiful forestland; there are more than 30 miles of paved and gravel roads for joggers and bicyclists, hiking trails, wheel-chair accessible picnic groves, cross-country skiing and snow shoeing. The land is public water supply watershed land that protects the quality of MDC reservoirs and drinking water. Although the beauty of the MDC reservoir areas has long made them an attraction for recreation, they are not public parks. Their public use is regulated by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (Section 24-43c of the Connecticut General Statutes) and enforced by MDC police. Access points to these areas are within minutes of Bloomfield; and over 670 acres of Reservoir 6 land is in Bloomfield. Click Here to see the MDC's excellent trail map for these areas.
CRCOG Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan
The official bicycle and pedestrian planning document for the Capital Region Council of Government. The Plan figures show the region's multi-use paths and on-road bicycle network.
Officially Dedicated Connecticut Greenways Webpage & Map
Hiking and multi-use trails in Connecticut officially identified by the Connecticut Greenways Council.
Farmington Valley Trails Council
Information on the more than 80 miles of the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail and more than 18 miles of the Farmington River Trail (both multi-use trails) that run through neighboring towns to the west of Bloomfield. Proposed trails in Bloomfield are slated to connect to this system as part the East Coast Greenway system.
TrailLink.com (from the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
A slick search engine for finding trails for all types of outdoor activities in Connecticut, and throughout the country.
Connecticut Museum Quest blog
In addition to museums and other interesting things to do in Connecticut, this blog lists a number of hiking and other trails available in the state.
Canoeing & Kayaking
The Farmington River and its surrounding area offers a number of excellent locations for canoeing and kayaking for paddler's of all abilities. Main Stream Canoe and Kayak (New Hartford) offers a guide to access points to the Farmington River. Likewise, Collinsville Canoe & Kayak (Collinsville) provides a list of popular places in the Farmington valley to paddle. Paddling.net also offers a list of locations to canoe and kayak throughout Connecticut.
Hunting & Fishing Licenses
Connecticut fishing, hunting, and trapping licenses can be obtained online from the CT DEEP (Click Here), or in person from the Town Clerk's office (Click Here).
Know of any other local outdoor activity location or resource that may be of interest to the residents of Bloomfield? Click Here to let the webmaster know, and the Town will look into adding your suggestion to the list.