Hanwell Recreation Park — Attraction in New Brunswick

We were trying to find one of the off-highway waterfalls, and this became our backup destination. With a nice community centre and good parking at the entrance, it starts off very welcoming and is easy to see from Hanwell Road. There's a kid park, a basketball court, and some simple exercise equipment, but that's not why you show up.

The trails are well-marked and pleasant, with regularly spaced benches and what feels like some sort of soft astro-turf on the first loop of the trail, making this a pleasant hike. We stuck to the first loop (the dogs-on-leash section) and enjoyed the random attractions along the path. We read all the bench exercises but didn't do any (no bench press? Lost opportunity for wordplay).

The right side of the trail passed by the school and out of the woods as you started loop 2, so we ended up going back to explore the areas with the softer path. That path is so easy on the knees and feet to walk on. I know that sounds weird, but it's a big bonus.

This is a great short hike with plenty more distance for us to explore (three loops of ever-increasing length) and is very well-maintained. Good...

We were just out on one of our weekend drives (lately, we've just been going out for drives and taking random roads, leading us to new places) and we went towards Hanwell area, and Marc said, at the next road, turn right. So, that's what we did. At first, it didn't look like there was much, but then we saw the playground and gazebo type thing. And then realized it was some sort of park and trail! So, we got out of the car and went in to do a small hike. There are three options, three different loops, though right now a part of the loop is under construction or maybe just closed for winter. We ended up doing the medium loop and finishing into the small loop. What is cool, for people with dogs, is that a second of the medium loop allows you to let your dog of it's leash and roam free. Great for dog owners, but also great to know for those of you who are a bit scared of dogs, you can take another route. We will definitely be back to do the...

I visited the park on 2014-06-23. The park is located on a leased parcel of Crown Land covered by a mature, mixed forest. At this time most of the trails have only been rough cut through the forest and the trail surface is variable and includes: firm even ground along an old, pre-existing logging road; uneven, soft, recently disturbed ground; stumps and exposed tree roots; many muddy and wet areas; tall grass where the trail crosses a beaver meadow. There is a stream hidden in the tall grass and a make-shift bridge. The trail is not well marked across the beaver meadow.

It's a good start and more trail improvements are planned for the...