Top Southbury Area Parks and Hiking Spots

A look at some of the top parks and hiking spots in the Southbury area:

Hidden Pond Park

Hidden Pond Park, located on Bucks Hill Road, is one of Southbury’s best-kept secrets. It’s hidden in the woods so it isn’t a well-noted place in Southbury, but it’s a great place to go for a walk, a picnic or a fishing trip.

Hidden Pond Park is based around, well, a hidden pond. A small but pretty pond is in the middle of the park; a well-cleared dirt path allows one to walk the circumference of the pond.

Hidden Pond Park can be enjoyed by anyone. The trail is very tame and is flat all the way around, so you don’t need to be a fantastic hiker to get around it. However, there are woodland areas outside of the trail that can be explored by the more adventurous. The trail goes through the woods that offer relief from the summer heat. This park is open from sunrise to sundown every day and offers different experiences to its visitors every season of the year. Though it’s small, Hidden Pond is worth visiting and is a nice place to relax and go for a walk.

Best For: Fishing and casual hiking.


Audubon Center at Bent of the River

Located at 185 East Flat Hill Road the Audubon Center offers 700 acres of pure nature. The Audubon Center has steep waterfalls, sandy riverbanks, and good old fashioned trails. The Audubon Center is large, so be aware of where you are at all times.

The Audubon Center really is a landmark in Southbury, and it’s well known and well frequented for a reason - it’s a wonderful place. It offers everything from beautiful views to intense hiking to just a nice walk down the gravel path that runs through the entire center.

The Audubon Center at Bent of the River is arguably the best spot for a hike in Southbury and is definitely worth checking out. It’s a slice of the great outdoors right here in suburbia and is a nice escape from the real world.

Best For:  Scenery, and exploring.


Janie Pierce Park
Janie Pierce Park is a small nature reserve located midway down Transylvania Road, just on the Woodbury border. It has a well-cleared path all the way around Transylvania Pond and is equipped with many picnic tables and barbecues, making it a great place for a nice cookout.

The scenery here is great because everywhere you look you’re either staring at the huge, beautiful pond or at the maze of rocks and greenery that make this place so beautiful. There are a great number of spots with good views and the best part is you can get to all of them by just following the trail around the circumference of the lake.

Janie Pierce also offers a 4.1-mile marked trail that connects to Platt Park on Flood Bridge Road. The trail is easily the best straight-shot hike you will find in Southbury and I highly recommend it.

Best For: A day spent hiking; the 4.1-mile trail to Platt Park is too good to pass up.


Southford Falls State Park

Located in Southford just off of 188 Southford Falls State Park is a fantastic place for hiking. The main attraction to Southford Falls, aside from the covered footbridge and waterfall, is the hike that, at the top, has a lookout tower. The view from this lookout tower, over the forest and onto some farmland, is one of the best in town. The hike itself is very nice, and though it’s a bit difficult, it’s worth a try.

Southford Falls is like another world. Once you cross over the covered bridge and into the trail it leads you past the flowing stream, over the creek and eventually you find yourself climbing up the side of a small mountain. Reaching the top produces the euphoric feeling that every hiker is always looking for. With the trail, the lookout tower and the fact that you can take one trail up the mountain and a different one back down it, Southford Falls State Park is a great place to spend the day.

Best For: Hiking up the steep trail to the lookout tower. Though the rest of Southford Falls State Park is very nice, the trail is the focal point, and if you’re physically capable of doing so you should give it a try.


Platt Park

Located on and around Flood Bridge Road, in my opinion, Platt Park is the best place to hike in Southbury, period. Platt Park offers easy and steep trails, and some of the best views you will see in Connecticut. Complete with a pond, a number of well-marked trails and just a beautiful, natural feel to it, Platt Park is truly amazing.

Best For: Intense hiking. Hike the “Red Trail” all the way up to the cliffs and then back down; the view from the cliffs will make it all worth it.