White Memorial Conservation Center

Beautiful setting / view's in the forest. Gravel parking lot, with a few port-o-potty's here -n- there. There's a museum & the property is dog friendly with many picnic tables near the parking lot, along the fields & around the pond. Loads of wildlife life with over 40 miles (4000 acres) of clear-cut well maintained sprawling trails with wooden boardwalks through the forest.

This was my first time here and I was a bit short on time so I had stopped in the museum and went on the "marsh trail". The museum is very nicely set up especially for children, to feel like you are on an adventure as you move through. Very thoughtful exhibits. The boardwalk along the "marsh trail" is amazing, there was a great deal of work that was put into it. I'm looking forward to going back and spending more time there.

A day well spent! The Little Pond Trail is so unique. I personally wouldn’t recommend small children unless you carry them. We then visited the museum and enjoyed it. Lots to see & interact with, many facts to learn, & the displays are amazing! There’s a cute gift shop too! Note: For bathrooms, there is an outhouse. No public restrooms in the museum.

Excellent hiking trails. Large park with multiple trail entrances. Most of not all have parking and all the trails are well maintained. Great place to bring kids and dogs. Biking trails available. Wonderful views all around.

There are so many trails here, what a beautiful forest! We did a big loop while hiking through pine forest, meadowland and the most fun of all: the boardwalk. What a joy! Everything is well-marked and it is not too crowded. You can reward yourself with some Arethusa ice cream afterward!

this place is one of the nicest boardwalks that I’ve been to in Connecticut. It also has really nice pine forest and fields. I would highly recommend it, but bring bug spray during the spring and summer.

Beautiful conservation with many different hiking trails. We went in the rain and it was still very enjoyable. I didn't know that they have a couple of owls and a hawk in residence, and it was cool to happen upon at the back of the main building.

Love White’s memorial boardwalk around the lake one of my favorite walks! Beautiful anytime of the year!

"Nights in white satin Never reaching the end Letters I've written Never meaning to send" (Moody Blues) The White Memorial Conservation Center is truly an embarrassment of riches. Our visit started with a stop at their Nature Museum, which was spectacular. The building is jam-packed with exhibits of the area wildlife in the form of dozens of taxidermied animals. So expect to see things like bears, mountain lions, birds, foxes, fish, geese, deer, butterflies, snakes, etc. Children will be enthralled by them, if not a little scared by the snakes, and pointy toothed fishes. Much of the museum is dedicated to children, with their "Children's Corner" of a live beehive, a very cool digital microscope, a big display on "The Art of Taxidermy," and a fluorescent rock cave where black light turns some ordinary looking rocks into an acid trip-like experience. But the museum is just the tip of the iceberg because surrounding it is a massive system of 40 miles of trails that crisscross the property. We hiked on their most popular trail, known as the Little Pond or Boardwalk Trail. Yes, it's a real boardwalk that stretched well over a mile over the swampy wetlands in a loop around the pond. Fair warning- the boardwalk at times is pretty narrow and there are no guardrails at all. So as long as you watch your step you'll see and hear a lot - songbirds, bullfrogs, gorgeous water views, and a huge beaver dam are some of the highlights. The scenery is breathtaking. What a wonderful place to visit. We sure had an outstanding time here.

I came here to visit family and was told this was a popular place to walk or explore. There was a center building here but I didn't get a chance to go in so only experience the walking path they had. Overall, it was a very nice walk. I came on a day where the temperature was a bit chilled but the sun was out (thankfully no bugs bothered me and not hot at all). There was this little wooden path you walk on to avoid possible mud or uneven paths so was cool for me. There were very beautiful colors out for the season and the water looked cool (wouldn't swim in it though). Was able to see a few birds and even a snake too but no where near me thankfully. There were a few folks around but wasn't overcrowded at all. It was a fun place to explore and would come back for sure. Hopefully get a chance to check out the center as I'm sure has information about the area.

The go-to place in town for a great walk! Great for out of town guests, you can go into the shop to learn the history of the conservation efforts and more about nature in Litchfield.

Fabulous collection of nature trails. Well maintained. Museum offers programs throughout the year.

Gorgeous land. Amazing trails. The walk to the lake was fun and many other people and pups enjoying the day. Great museum, gift shop, and staff.

You can spend hours and hours at White Memorial - the trails seem to go on forever. Maps are a little scarce, but you can purchase them in the gift shop or watch at the beginning of a new trail, they're usually by the road. I love walking here with my dog - it's quiet, well kept, and lots for me to admire in nature while he's sniffing something I probably don't want to understand. Mosquitos are vicious, especially by the water, and the high tick populations in 2017 would lead me to recommend avoiding the real wooded ares. Stick to the cleared paths, and it should help avoid most of those terrible arachnids.

The hiking trails here are amazing and numerous ! We went on the boardwalk trail. Unfortunately, we have gotten a ton of rain this week, and the trail was flooded. Some hikers took their shoes off and waded through, but we just abandoned the hike. However, the other trails in the park were perfect with great views and lots of birds.

Well maintained, and popular on this lovely sunny day. But some sort of a secret as very few people seem to know about it.

I love a good boardwalk. The exclusivity. That crisp excitement you feel every time a board creaks underfoot. Nature beneath you, as it should be. Birds keeping a respectful distance. Bicyclist daredevils beyond sight and joyfully out of mind. Yes, it's the boardwalk I enjoy. I find the best way, nay the only way, to enjoy the trees is to view them whilst atop their fallen comrades. Perhaps the noblest way to transport oneself over any moderate obstacle, boardwalk.

You can get lost for hours. Relatively well maintained. I know local Boy Scouts help out. They have lots of space for family activities and places for kids to be kids. Gorgeous area and true litchfield county.

Walk down to lake was nice. But it was a hot, buggy day. Under other circumstances it would be nice to take kayaks down to the lake.

They say they're open to the public, but even on a beautiful Saturday in early autumn, it was almost deserted, with a few picnic tables, mostly shuttered buildings, and a single porta-potty. The word I'd use to describe the natural beauty here is "lovely." The word I'd use to describe the organization that oversees it is "grudging." Yes, they'll give you info, but only on bits of yellowing paper behind glass at an outdoor kiosk, and their website is pretty antique. Yes, they'll give you wooded walking paths, but good luck finding any of them. (For the record, the beginning of the Lake Trail starts behind the brown-shingled house. That entrance is completely unmarked.) Yes, they'll give you programming, but surprisingly little considering the season. (A woman approached us and demanded to know if we were there for the documentary about Iceland. What? Why?) On the positive side, the museum is climate-controlled via radiant heat pumps and boasts a working beehive that you can observe from inside and out. The trails (once you find them) seem mostly well maintained.

Best place ever . We frequent WM for , biking, hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, XC races , dog walks . It's where we tied the knot and will always hold a special place in our hearts. A little slice of heaven and pure serenity right in Litchfield

This is my favorite place in CT, my outdoor office. When I can get away, I'm here. This private conservatory is remote enough that I rarely run in to other people, but a great diversity of wildlife call this home. It's a wonderland for mycologists, birders and anyone else who enjoys the secret and transitory natural world. In the summer you can see brown snakes on a few trails, and for about a week the fireflies turn Little Pond Trail in to something ethereal. Listen for the Swainson's thrushes, they sing more complicated songs here than I've ever heard elsewhere. A great diversity of dragonflies will follow you on the water in the evenings, and the Woodcocks will sit beside the trail and startle you in the autumn. If you're new to the area, I recommend Little Pond Trail, an elevated walkway leading over rivers, a pond, and marshland and through the forest. Come here as often as you can to see the incredible physical changes in the landscape and its occupants. Even winter has such great charm, here. You will often see deer, owls, and I don't think I've ever visited without running in to a beaver at least once. Seasons bring out a shifting concert of frogs and birds that stop over, you'll find red efts in the woods making their way, and now and then some more elusive creatures. If you want a quiet place in which to wander and observe the natural world in Connecticut, take to a trail here and see what you find.