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Family-Friendly Hikes near Hartford

99 routes near Hartford qualify, ranked below by how much walkers rate them. They average 1.5 km, with the longest running to 5.3 km.

That is 58 percent of the 172 routes we map near Hartford. They are shorter than the local average, 1.5 km against 6.9 km, which is what makes this a practical shortlist for a half day. They also climb less than the area average, 27 m (89 ft) against 117 m (384 ft), so they suit a recovery day or a group with mixed fitness.

Family routes here are short, gently graded and interesting enough to keep younger legs moving. Every one is under seven kilometres with limited climbing. Most of these are on the gentler end, which makes the list a good starting point if you are new to the area.

Trails

The abandoned railbed of the Middletown–Middlefield streetcar line, seen in Marzalek Park in Middletown in March 2023
Easy

Little Falls Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
1.1 km
/ 0.7 mi
Elevation gain
32 m
Typical duration
16 min
  • Waterfall
  • Waymarked route
Stone foundation south of Gay City Pond, west of Yellow Trail and Blackledge River in Connecticut's Gay City State Park.
Easy

Gay City Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
2.6 km
/ 1.6 mi
Elevation gain
96 m
Typical duration
42 min
  • Waymarked route
Jericho Blue-Blazed Trail. View north from Crane's Lookout.
Easy

Branch Brook Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
1.3 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
6 m
Typical duration
16 min
  • River
  • Waymarked route
The abandoned railbed of the Middletown–Middlefield streetcar line, seen in Marzalek Park in Middletown in March 2023
Easy

Laurel Grove Brook Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
1.4 km
/ 0.9 mi
Elevation gain
27 m
Typical duration
20 min
  • River
  • Waymarked route
Meeting House Hill Historic District , Guilford, Connecticut.
Easy

Munger Brook Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
1.3 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
19 m
Typical duration
17 min
  • River
  • Waymarked route
March Route Rochambeau's Army-Hutchinson Road , Andover, Connecticut.
Easy

Bobcat Woods Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
1.9 km
/ 1.2 mi
Elevation gain
18 m
Typical duration
26 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 47.
Easy

Woodland Road Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
0.6 km
/ 0.4 mi
Typical duration
7 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Nepaug State Forest's Valley Outlook Trail scenic overlook view of the Nepaug valley and Yellow Mountain.
Easy

Valley Overlook Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
1.8 km
/ 1.1 mi
Elevation gain
16 m
Typical duration
24 min
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Case Brothers Historic District
Easy

Carriage Path

Connecticut · United States

Distance
4.6 km
/ 2.8 mi
Elevation gain
157 m
Typical duration
1 hr 11 min
  • Waymarked route
View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 63.
Easy

Hazen Green Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
0.4 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
46 m
Typical duration
10 min
  • Waymarked route
Bridge No. 1605 (downstream side), Devil's Hopyard State Park, East Haddam, Connecticut.
Easy

Millington Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
2.8 km
/ 1.7 mi
Elevation gain
75 m
Typical duration
42 min
  • Waymarked route
Divided back postcard of Andover station
Easy

Percy Cook Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
1.3 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
8 m
Typical duration
17 min
  • Waymarked route
Hop River State Park Trail, Bolton Connecticut
Easy

Rose Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
2.0 km
/ 1.3 mi
Elevation gain
27 m
Typical duration
28 min
  • Waymarked route
View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 47.
Easy

Williams Preserve Loop

Connecticut · United States

Distance
1.7 km
/ 1.0 mi
Elevation gain
40 m
Typical duration
24 min
  • Waymarked route
Bridge No. 1605 (downstream side), Devil's Hopyard State Park, East Haddam, Connecticut.
Easy

Woodcutters Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
2.2 km
/ 1.4 mi
Elevation gain
54 m
Typical duration
32 min
  • Waymarked route
The remaining north pier of the former trolley bridge over the Middle River in Stafford Springs, seen in December 2018
Easy

Woodlawn Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
2.1 km
/ 1.3 mi
Elevation gain
93 m
Typical duration
34 min
  • Waymarked route
View of Earth from STS-135
Easy

Yellow Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
3.7 km
/ 2.3 mi
Elevation gain
141 m
Typical duration
59 min
  • Waymarked route
The old Collins Mill in Collinsville, Connecticut as viewed from the bridge on Connecticut Route 179. The Farmington River is visible in the foreground.
Easy

Yellow Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
1.0 km
/ 0.6 mi
Elevation gain
106 m
Typical duration
22 min
  • Waymarked route
Witter House , Chaplin, Connecticut.
Easy

Agnes' Pasture Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
0.7 km
/ 0.4 mi
Elevation gain
20 m
Typical duration
10 min
  • Waymarked route
Bolton High School, Bolton Connecticut
Easy

Bates Nature Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
1.2 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
20 m
Typical duration
17 min
  • Waymarked route
View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 38.
Easy

Black Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
1.3 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
15 m
Typical duration
18 min
  • Waymarked route
Old County Jail Museum, Tolland, Connecticut
Easy

Blue Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
1.2 km
/ 0.7 mi
Elevation gain
38 m
Typical duration
18 min
  • Waymarked route
View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 38.
Easy

Blue Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
0.8 km
/ 0.5 mi
Typical duration
10 min
  • Waymarked route
The abandoned railbed of the Middletown–Middlefield streetcar line, seen in Marzalek Park in Middletown in March 2023
Easy

Bridge Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
0.6 km
/ 0.4 mi
Typical duration
7 min
  • Waymarked route
Spring Hill Historic District , Mansfield, Connecticut. First Baptist Church.
Easy

Byron's Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
0.7 km
/ 0.4 mi
Typical duration
8 min
  • Waymarked route
View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 45.
Easy

Cabin Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
0.6 km
/ 0.4 mi
Elevation gain
6 m
Typical duration
8 min
  • Waymarked route
View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 47.
Easy

Chapin Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
1.8 km
/ 1.1 mi
Elevation gain
22 m
Typical duration
25 min
  • Waymarked route
Stone foundation south of Gay City Pond, west of Yellow Trail and Blackledge River in Connecticut's Gay City State Park.
Easy

Connector Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
1.3 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
7 m
Typical duration
16 min
  • Waymarked route
Abijah Rowe House, Salmon Brook Historical Society, Granby, Connecticut This is an image of a place or building that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the United States of America . Its reference number is 78002860 (
Easy

East Slope Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
0.4 km
/ 0.3 mi
Typical duration
6 min
  • Waymarked route
View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 45.
Easy

Eric L. Stone Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
3.8 km
/ 2.4 mi
Elevation gain
25 m
Typical duration
50 min
  • Waymarked route
Abijah Rowe House, Salmon Brook Historical Society, Granby, Connecticut This is an image of a place or building that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the United States of America . Its reference number is 78002860 (
Easy

Evergreen Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
0.8 km
/ 0.5 mi
Elevation gain
9 m
Typical duration
11 min
  • Waymarked route
Starting at 10:09 PM ending at 11:08 PM EST.
Easy

FLT Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
0.5 km
/ 0.3 mi
Typical duration
7 min
  • Waymarked route
View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 62.
Easy

Fosters Pond Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
2.1 km
/ 1.3 mi
Elevation gain
62 m
Typical duration
32 min
  • Waymarked route
View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 38.
Easy

Green Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
2.1 km
/ 1.3 mi
Elevation gain
45 m
Typical duration
30 min
  • Waymarked route
View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 38.
Easy

Green Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
0.6 km
/ 0.4 mi
Elevation gain
12 m
Typical duration
9 min
  • Waymarked route
View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 63.
Easy

Hazen Blue Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
0.7 km
/ 0.4 mi
Elevation gain
7 m
Typical duration
9 min
  • Waymarked route
View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 63.
Easy

Hazen Yellow Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
0.6 km
/ 0.4 mi
Elevation gain
9 m
Typical duration
8 min
  • Waymarked route
Mansfield Center Cemetery, Junction of Storrs and Cemetery Rds. Mansfield
Easy

Holt Kinney Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
1.3 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
35 m
Typical duration
19 min
  • Waymarked route
great blue heron
Easy

Kemph Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
0.9 km
/ 0.5 mi
Elevation gain
8 m
Typical duration
12 min
  • Waymarked route
View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 47.
Easy

Langhammer Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
1.9 km
/ 1.2 mi
Elevation gain
25 m
Typical duration
26 min
  • Waymarked route
A green plastic blaze marker along the Litchfield Community Greenway, a rail trail along the former Shepaug Railroad right of way. This one was next to West Cemetery, just southwest of the intersection of White Woods Road, South Lake Street
Easy

Little Pond Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
2.4 km
/ 1.5 mi
Typical duration
30 min
  • Waymarked route
Undergrads, Grads, librarians, faculty, and artists showed up to support Art+Feminism at UConn
Easy

Loop Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
1.0 km
/ 0.6 mi
Elevation gain
18 m
Typical duration
14 min
  • Waymarked route
Brigham's Tavern , Coventry Connecticut
Easy

Lynch's Landing Trails

Connecticut · United States

Distance
1.1 km
/ 0.7 mi
Elevation gain
8 m
Typical duration
14 min
  • Waymarked route
Meeting House Hill Historic District , Guilford, Connecticut.
Easy

North Loop

Connecticut · United States

Distance
0.7 km
/ 0.5 mi
Elevation gain
12 m
Typical duration
10 min
  • Waymarked route
Case Brothers Historic District
Easy

Old Cedar Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
0.9 km
/ 0.6 mi
Elevation gain
14 m
Typical duration
13 min
  • Waymarked route
South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority's Lake Watrous reservoir reflecting West Rock Ridge shrouded in early morning mist. The dam and control building are on the far right.
Easy

Old Field Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
0.9 km
/ 0.5 mi
Elevation gain
22 m
Typical duration
13 min
  • Waymarked route
View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 47.
Easy

Olsen Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
0.7 km
/ 0.4 mi
Typical duration
9 min
  • Waymarked route

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
Little Falls TrailConnecticut1.1 km32 m16 minEasyApril to October
Gay City TrailConnecticut2.6 km96 m42 minEasyApril to October
Branch Brook TrailConnecticut1.3 km6 m16 minEasyApril to October
Laurel Grove Brook TrailConnecticut1.4 km27 m20 minEasyApril to October
Munger Brook TrailConnecticut1.3 km19 m17 minEasyApril to October
Bobcat Woods TrailConnecticut1.9 km18 m26 minEasyApril to October
Woodland Road TrailConnecticut0.6 kmflat7 minEasyApril to October
Valley Overlook TrailConnecticut1.8 km16 m24 minEasyApril to October
Carriage PathConnecticut4.6 km157 m1 hr 11 minEasyApril to October
Hazen Green TrailConnecticut0.4 km46 m10 minEasyApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with Gay City Trail, Little Falls Trail, Laurel Grove Brook Trail. Those are the routes people come back to. Every route on this page links through to a full guide with the map, elevation profile, seasonal advice and what to bring.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

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