McLean Game Refuge — Attraction in Granby

This 4,400 acre nature preserve was owned by the former senator and governor of Connecticut, George P. McLean. It opened in 1932 and per Mclean's will, it was to be used as a wildlife sanctuary and opened to the public. There are two horse trails and 20 miles of hiking trails. This land is mainly in Granby and parts of Simsbury and Canton. People are allowed to walk, hike, run, walk leashed dogs with the exception of certain trails, snow shoe, cross country skiing, photography, and scavenger hunt.

Waze took me to one of the side entrances and not the main lot; parking was on the side of the road. There was one parking spot which is a little bit safer but it was taken. Upon walking into the sanctuary, the trail was blazed and goes down a hill. There was an entrance to a trail at the beginning. We walked on a small bridge over a brook and up a hill. This hill was slightly steep and you can see a large pond at the bottom. It was beautiful and peaceful! I can't wait to explore some more. Next time, I will go to the main lot which had plenty of...

This is a really nice place to go for a walk. As you get further from the main parking area off of route 10, some of the smaller trails are not well marked. Just keep that in mind if you get lost easily.

Most of the paths are fairly clear and wide, however if you go on some of the smaller trails, they can be a little bit rugged with some moderately steep sections.

Definitely a nice place to go with the family, or with a pet for a casual walk. You can go anywhere from a 10 minute walk, to several hours. I have been on walks here on the weekend, where I haven't seen anybody for 30 minutes as you go to some of the lesser traveled trails. So it's a nice place to have a little peace and quiet in the woods without going too far away from...

McLean Game Refuge is a great hiking location for all experience levels. There are wider, flat paths, as well as more heavily wooded trails that can be taken. This is a beautiful area to hike with multiple ponds, streams, brooks. The trails are well marked and maintained. With more than 3,000 acres to explore, we haven’t gotten to try all of the trails yet - but we will...