Northwest Park — Attraction in Windsor

Northwest Park is a beautiful park located in the Town of Windsor. It is 473 acres and it used to be a tobacco farm. It's located right on the Farmington River. There are forests, wetlands, fields, and 12 miles of trails. There is a nature center, farm animals, tobacco museum, gardens, playground, and picnic pavilions. The tobacco museum is only opened seasonally.

The parking lot was on gravel but there were plenty of spots available when I went; there is a porta potty in the lot as well. You can find restrooms at the nature Center too. Once you walk into the park, there is a viewing platform overlooking a small pond. The pond had goldfishes in it!

First we went to the animal barn. There were turkeys, goats, ducks, donkey, chickens, cows, and rabbits. Next door to the barn was the maple sugar house; I don't think it was open when we went.

We went into the nature center which was very nice. There were many exhibits, taxidermied local animals, a fish tank, hissing cockroaches, frogs, snake, a gift shop, a turtle pond, a tree house, and a table with puzzles and blocks for the kids. There was a clean bathroom onsite and the attendant working in the nature center was very friendly.

The playground was also very nice. There were two playscapes for the different age groups. There were a couple of benches and the large picnic pavilions were nearby.

They had a couple of gardens as well; one was an organic garden and the other was a butterfly garden, which was accessible. They had informational signs with braille on it.

There are quite a few trails on the property. We walked over to the reservoir and Farmington River; the trails were easy and quiet. You can find the map online and in the Nature Center. There are also soccer fields and a dog park. Seriously, you won't be bored at this place. It's nicely maintained and the people of Windsor are lucky to have this park! I'm looking forward...

My favorite go to park. Well marked trails. Nature center. Playground for little kids. Covered picnic pavilions. Barn with farm animals for viewing. Don't feed them. Pond with fish, frogs, and my favorite... turtles. Some of the trails can be buggy at certain times of the year. Trials are fairly easy. Gravel at beginning, going to sand, dirt or grass as you get further out. Good for leashed dogs. Not so great for strollers. Some trails have trip hazards like roots, rocks, and boggy soil. Wear good shoes for hiking. I often see deer and small mammals like squirrels and chipmunks. Tons of birds. Have seen owls in the woods. They really do make zero sound in flight. Amphibians and snakes also present. I take pics almost every time I go. If you play pokemon go there are some gyms and pokestops too. Cell signal can be a little dodgy in parts...

If you want to know about the Connecticut tobacco industry from the earliest days to the present, or want to visit a small animal farm for the kids, or, would like to do some hiking throughout beautiful fields and woods, visit this place. Kids will enjoy the park, the farm animals and the small wild animals, along with, the playground, the small pond, and the visitor's center. Talk to the guide about the local flora and fauna in the nice visitor center. Walk through the tobacco barn and see the tobacco farm equipment. Visit the Tobacco Museum and see movies about the area, including a Hollywood movie made here in Windsor starring big name celebrities and local people. Read about the period when Martin Luther King worked here in this industry, as a cook, along side other black college students. Lots...