Outdoor Activities in Colchester CT

The town of Colchester CT offers many places for some fun outdoor activities. Read below to see the parks and trails that our Colchester chiropractor recommends you to visit.

Day Pond State Park

Established as a park in 1949, Day Pond State Park is located right off Route 149S in Colchester, CT. The key feature of this park is the pond which was originally constructed by the Day family. The water from the pond turned a large waterwheel that powered the family sawmill. Visitors can find old stone foundations in the park as a reminder of those colonial times. Now the pond is stocked with trout and has become an attractive location for local fisherman. The park also includes a swimming beach and picnic area. Lastly, the park features various hiking trails. There are several short trails within the park and two long trails that run along the Salmon River State Forest. Two interesting geological features of these trails are a waterfall and glacial sediments.

Ruby and Elizabeth Cohen Woodlands

Rubin H. Cohen was a lifelong resident of the Town of Colchester and is remembered for his many contributions to the Town of Colchester and State of Connecticut. His first accomplishment was purchasing “Harry’s Place” in 1925 and managing the restaurant until his retirement in 1973. Ruby also played a significant role in the establishment of Gay City State Park in Hebron, restoration of the Comstock Bridge in East Hampton, and the preservation of the Gelston House in East Haddam. After his death, the Ruby and Elizabeth Cohen Woodlands was acquired as open space by the Town of Colchester. In the now 206.21 acre property there are numerous hiking trails, many acres of grassy open space and two ponds. The park also features an educational Butterfly-Pollinator Garden and the Colchester StoryWalk where visitors can walk and read nature and wildlife books to their children. Cohen Woodlands is certified as a wildlife habitat through the National Wildlife Federation. It is the first community in Colchester and 36th in the United States to earn the NWF Community Wildlife Habitat certification.

Airline State Park Trail; Colchester Spur

The Airline State Park Trail follows the rail bed of the former Airline Railroad built to connect Boston and New York City in the shortest distance possible. In 1877, the Colchester Railway built a spur between Amston and the central village of Colchester. The spur was used to carry passengers and freight to the rubber plant in town. Now, the Colchester Spur follows the old rail bed. It runs straight and flat along a power line corridor with a stone dust surface. The trail features three old RR buildings and an old RR storage building. Many Colchester locals enjoy biking or hiking the 3.4 mile spur.

Colchester Dog Park

The Colchester Dog Park is a public dog playground available to all dogs and their owners free of charge. It is located on Amston Rd. and is open from sunrise to sunset. The fully fenced run was built by a group of community volunteers in order to provide a safe playground for dogs to enjoy off-leash play. There is plenty of seating at the park for owners to relax while their dogs run around and play. To ensure safety, owners must always have ready access to a leash. The town has plans to construct an even larger dog park in the near future.