Gay City State Park — Attraction in Hebron

I've been meaning to go here for a while. First off, one of the few state parks that doesn't charge at all for CT residents (even weekends and holidays.) I needed a swim today and in Enfield there are few places to go within reason or without spending $15 to get in. Gay City State Park was perfect considering I didn't want to spend a day at a beach, just wanted 20 or 30 minutes in the water. The lake/pond is freshwater, if you're not from New England and you're not familiar with how water can be unclear, tinted red/brown, etc, it's not for you. If your from the area and know that fresh water comes with lack of clarity, it's perfect. Warm temps on the surface, cold underneath. We were there just long enough for a quick swim. The picnic areas and trails look interesting, planning on going back soon to hike with the dogs. It is a great little treasure hidden just out of reach of the city areas. Worth a 20 or 30 minute drive if you're coming from north of Hartford/greater...

Beautiful park. Trails are very easy to follow, we did about a 3 mile hike through this park and there were a lot of cool things to discover and find. It's awesome that there's a lake to swim in and it's really not a crowded spot. My son is excited to go back and swim. Perfect for a picnic and just a great relaxing day. Lots of shade. Definitely bring bug spray, not so much mosquitos but the black flies were everywhere and constant. Overall a very lovely place to visit and check out. We did it as a part of sky's the limit 2022 challenge, and the only think I'd say that was difficult was that the cemetery was not on any of the maps, and on Google maps it shows it's in a different spot than it actually is. It is right before the first parking lot on the right going into the park, it's small and easy to miss and there really aren't any...

This is a big park with all types of terrain including plenty of relatively flat black top. It has a body of water as a focal point but has trails through the woods that allow access to the stream that feeds it. If you are looking for a peaceful, tranquil experience go at a time that is non-peak hours, like early in the morning or at dinner time. My rating is due to the out of State parking fee. It seems a good idea to attract people to your area if you are looking to bring money in from outside the community. Charging them seems a deterrent from a tourism...