8 Spring Flings to Get You Out of the City

Feel the sun on your face as you hit the Connecticut hiking trails.  Trek to Gillette Castle State Park in East Haddam for a taste of history and unique architecture.  Explore a 19^thcentury iron mine and furnace complex and trek on six miles of hillside hiking trails at Mine Hill Preserve in Roxbury.  Pack a picnic and head for McLean Game Refuge in Granby.  See how the land has changed from farm to forest at the Belknap Preserve in Wilton with a network of stone walls and formerly cultivated fields.  And learn more about wildlife and birds with a guided hike along the Audubon Society’s protected Deer Pond Farm Trails in Sherman.  Offering different varieties of trails, Pachaug State Forest, the largest in Connecticut, is located in five different towns! Find more hiking trails here.

Whether fishing for leisure or for dinner, Connecticut waterways are abundant with many species of fish. Take a trip downstream and try for Atlantic salmon and trout with Mountain Meadow Outfitters in Milford. Flyfish the day away with Housatonic Anglers in Cornwall. Reel in the big ones with Rum Runner guides in Stonington and fish for striped bass, bluefish, albacore, or bonito. Take a day trip on the Middlebank II based out of Bridgeport for deep-sea charters on the Long Island Sound. Discover more about fishing in Connecticut here.

Admire beautiful blossoms at gardens across the state. You can even pick your own at Wicked Tulip Farm and Halfinger Farms. After Mother’s Day, be sure to plan a visit to Lavender Pond Farm in Killingworth. For something a little more formal, head for the first municipal rose garden in the country, featuring greenhouses, nature walks, and rock gardens at Elizabeth Park in Hartford. For those who really want to stretch their legs, the Connecticut College Arboretum in New London includes hiking trails and a variety of natural ecosystems. 

Spring breathes new life into Connecticut after a snowy winter and of course, that means welcoming little farm animals into the world. Start at The Hickories in Ridgefield, then head to Stamford Museum & Nature Center’s Heckscher Farm or Buttermilk Lane Farm in Orange for a glimpse of all the new additions. Celebrate spring with an ice cream cone at UConn Dairy Bar and then head to UConn Animal Barns in Storrs for dairy calves and lambs in February and March. Flamig Farm in Simsbury sports their iconic reversed “EGGS” sign and welcomes baby chicks every spring. 

Head out on the water and try your hand at kayaking or stand-up paddle boarding (SUP). If you prefer freshwater, Collinsville Canoe & Kayak in Collinsville sits on the bank of the Farmington River. Or try Main Stream Canoe & Kayak in New Hartford. For those who prefer a salty breeze, Scoot and Paddle in Milford is located on Long Island Sound. Finishing the day with a relaxing sunset paddle tour with Black Hall Outfitters in Old Lyme and Westbrook is the cherry on top of a perfect day. Find more water and boating activities here.

Ring in spring at some of these awesome Connecticut Spring events. Each year in Bridgeport, see thousands of blooming daffodils and tulips at Colorblends House & Spring Garden.  Enjoy an afternoon outdoors picking your daffodils at Halfinger Farms in Higganum during their Dancing Daffodils event.

Take a weekend to hit a few stops through Connecticut Wine Country this spring with over 40 vineyards and wineries statewide. If you’re in the Hartford area, consider stopping by Brignole Vineyards in East Granby and grabbing a wine slushie. Enjoy wine along the shoreline at Chamard Vineyards in Clinton and don’t forget to peek at their cellar. Sip wine by the water at Saltwater Farm Vineyard. Nestled in Connecticut’s “quiet corner” is Taylor Brooke Winery in Woodstock, featuring 100% estate-grown brandy and wine dogs. 

Need a reason to leave the house and kick-start spring? Every May, during “Migration Madness”, the Connecticut Audubon Society invites the public to help them count birds at locations across the state. Looking for more friends? The residents of Action Wildlife Foundation in Goshen are definitely worth a visit! Westmoor Park in West Hartford has a variety of animals from chickens and llamas to geckos and snakes, and prepare to be amazed by the birds of prey exhibit and trail walks at Earthplace in Westport. Make a stop at the state's only zoo, Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo located in Bridgeport.  Finally, to meet aquatic friends of all shapes and sizes be sure to stop by Mystic Aquarium in Mystic.

Whether fishing for leisure or for dinner, Connecticut waterways are abundant with many species of fish. Take a trip downstream and try for Atlantic salmon and trout with Mountain Meadow Outfitters in Milford. Flyfish the day away with Housatonic Anglers in Cornwall. Reel in the big ones with Rum Runner guides in Stonington and fish for striped bass, bluefish, albacore, or bonito. Take a day trip on the Middlebank II based out of Bridgeport for deep-sea charters on the Long Island Sound. Discover more about fishing in Connecticut here.