Hubbard Park — Attraction in Meriden

This is a very nice park with lots of walking trails, area for kids, picnic spots, and ample parking. There are many hiking trails to the tower at the top (great views) as well as a spiraling paved walk to the same. Most people are friendly and respect the posted rules. The park often hosts free events and has an area that can be rented for parties and such. In the winter, it is decorated with lighted attractions and in spring, it hosts a daffodil festival.

Why not 5-stars then?

While I know many parks have "take out what you bring in" policies, whenever they remove the trash pails, it just doesn't seem that many people follow that policy and there is little enforcement, resulting in an abundance of litter spoiling the park. When they do have trash pails, it would be better if they checked / emptied them more frequently, as people do use them when present, but sadly, they are usually overflowing.

Most people have their dogs on leash, although some don't. This can be a problem if someone's super-friendly (or not) dog approaches someone else's dog that is on a leash and may not wish to socialize with the unleashed dog. Not all dogs are tiny things that can easily be picked up at a moment's notice. Though most people do have their dogs on leashes, I don't see leash laws being enforced regularly. I hope this changes. People at the park shouldn't have to guess if a person with an unleashed dog approaching their direction can recall the dog reliably and not have it approach without invitation. There are specific locations in town where dogs can socialize off leash - per the posted signage, this park isn't one of them.

During events or car club meets, which this park often hosts, trying to find parking or an available seating spot can be difficult. This issue is not as prevalent in the winter.

During peak season, when the gates allow vehicular travel (walking is permitted year round), the main route to the lookout tower at the top often has vehicles travelling too fast for a narrow road shared with pedestrians, so this can be less than relaxing for those who aim for a leisurely walk. While there are other trails for foot traffic only, these alternate trails will not be an option for individuals with mobility or health issues that need gradual inclines and...

Hubbard Park is probably the nicest place in Meriden to visit. It has quite a bit to offer! Around Christmas time you can walk/drive thru the park to see The Festival of Lights, at no charge. I bring my children every year and it never ceases to wonder & amaze them! In the spring they host The Daffodil Festival which is a huge draw. Parade, carnival rides, food vendors, live music etc. We bring the kids to feed the birds on nice days. There are tons of ducks, geese, pigeons, you name it. The sheer number of fine feathered friends is overwhelming at times which leads me to explain the deduction of one star from my rating. There are areas around the lake that are so littered with bird feces I won't allow my kids near it. I don't think people clean the bird droppings & sadly they have the potential to spread some pretty nasty diseases. Sooooo I'm well aware of my paranoid mother status so this may not bother other people & it seems to be pretty confined to one general area near the pond so don't let that be a deterrent! It's well worth a visit despite that. Moving on...you can take a nice stroll around the lake, bring a picnic and eat at one of the many picnic tables, there are even BBQ grills you can cook on. This is a fishing hot spot & my children have caught and released their fair share of frogs from the little stream at the back of the park. There is a gigantic playground appropriate for children of all ages as the playground & play areas are independent one another and clearly labelled according to the age appropriateness of each one. There is a community pool which opens (I believe) after Memorial Day, though you may want to reference their website for hours and when life guards are on duty because we've never gone swimming here. There is plenty of wide open space for Frisbee, football, kicking a soccer ball etc. To top it all off there are hiking trails from the park that lead you up the mountain to Castle Craig which is a great hike! You can drive or walk to the top via a roadway at the back of the park near the playground if you so choose. It's a pretty decent walk up on the road which passes thru a dam which is very pretty. So at the end of the day go here. It's gorgeous and there is something...

Absolutely love Hubbard Park. One of my top favorite parks in CT. There is something for everyone here. There is a large pond with a paved road and gravel walkway that circles around it. Many people park along the road and get out to have a picnic, feed geese, take a walk, or go fishing. There are tons of geese and ducks to feed. I love feeding the geese. The geese are always funny, pretty friendly, and fun to watch. The geese and ducks call the pond home and clearly love it there! There is a path that goes all the way around the pond. Beautiful fountains in the pond, they light them up at night and it’s very pretty. Below the pond is a small waterfall that drains into another smaller pond with a fountain. Very nice walkways in that area. There’s a playground at the other end as well as tennis courts and a pool. You can drive all around the pond, drive up to the tower, and there are several roads leading through the park. One of the biggest attractions is the tower at the top of Castle Craig. There is a road that is open seasonally that goes up to the tower. You can climb up the tower. The views are beautiful and you can easily see New Haven and Sleeping Giant in Hamden, and even the Long Island Sound on a clear day. There are multiple hiking trails of various difficulties that lead up the mountain to the tower. Many people enjoy hiking here. I691 separates the developed park area from the quieter forested area. They also have many events down at the park seasonally. During the holidays they have the Festival of Lights where they have tons of holiday displays all lit up and you can drive though and see them. They do a great job every year. The most popular is the Daffodil Festival held every spring. Each year they plant lots of daffodils and many people come from all over to look at them. This is a wonderful park to visit, no matter the time of the year. There is always something to do, and there is truly something for everyone. Definitely...