Photos courtesy of Lise Hubbard, Stafford Conservation Commission
Nearby Attractions:
- Restaurants:
- Breweries/Wineries:
- Lodging:
- Shopping areas:
- Performance art venues:
- Movie theatres:
- Galleries/museums:
- Farmer’s markets/farm stands:
- Historical sites: Hyde Park
- Public gardens:
- Nurseries/garden centers:
- Geographical features:
Woodlawn Trail
Location Information
Sponsored by:
Town of Stafford
Location Entrance:
Highland Terrace and Hyde Park Road
Stafford, CT 06076
Location Phone:
(860) 684-1777
Type: A single trail
Alternate trailhead or entry point:
Difficulty: Moderate (Gently rising terrain with the likeliness to encounter occasional obstacles)
Primary Walking Surface:
Earth
Hours open:
Dawn to dusk
Suitable for ages: • Children • Teenagers • Adults • Seniors
Number of walking trails: 1
Total walking route length: 2 miles
Admission fees:
Free
Location Details
Before 1911, Hyde Park was Julius Converse's 150-acre estate known as Woodlawn. His home was across from the parking lot on the site of the former middle school. The mineral springs that Converse (and others before him) parlayed into a health spa are on the other side of the school in the riverside section of Hyde Park. To explore the upper part of this park, follow the blue-blazed Woodlawn Trail as it climbs from the parking lot up a steep, wooded hillside. Along the way, you will pass an old ski slope on the left, which has now grown up into forest. When the trail meets an old farm road, turn right to continue climbing up the hill past private spring-fed wells on the right. When the old road comes to an opening in a stone wall, you have made it to the top. A picnic table offers a good spot to take a rest before continuing on the trail, which now circles around the level ridgetop.
Location Features
| Landscape settings: | • Rural • Stream/river • Woodland • Wetland • Gentle hill • Vista • Historical site |
| Amenities: | • Picnic |
| Activities: |  |
| Neighboring towns: | |
| Access restrictions: | None |
How to get there
| Driving Directions: | From the south, follow Route 32 (Main Street) as it crosses the railroad tracks and turns left around the Holt Fountain. In 500 feet, turn left onto Spring Street, which immediately crosses an arched bridge over the Middle River. Drive past the Stafford Historical Society Museum and the church on the right, then uphill on Highland Terrace. After this road goes downhill, turn left into a parking lot across from the former middle school's brick building. The Woodlawn Trail sign is at the back of the lot. |
| Parking: | Ample parking at the lot at the trailhead. |
| Public transportation: |
Other Items of Interest
| Flora and fauna: | |
| Affiliate Groups: | Willimantic River Greenway |