Parks & Playgrounds

New Canaan Land Trust

📍 New Canaan, CT

📍 1124 Valley Rd, New Canaan, CT 06840, USA, New Canaan, CT

The New Canaan Land Trust protects over 1,600 acres of open space across New Canaan, CT — including forests, meadows, and wetlands accessible to the public via maintained trail networks. It's one of the most generous gifts to local families: miles of free, beautiful trails right in the heart of Fairfield County. Grandparents and grandkids can explore at their own pace, season after season.

Fun Things to Do Here

Ideas to make the most of your visit to New Canaan Land Trust

Nature Scavenger Hunt

Find a feather, a bug, 3 different leaves, something smooth, something rough, and one thing nobody else spots.

Cloud Shapes

Lie on the grass and take turns naming what clouds look like. No wrong answers here.

Bird Count

Keep score of every different bird species you spot on the walk. Grandkids take this surprisingly seriously.

Stick Olympics

Find a stick and compete: longest throw, best skip across water, who can balance it longest on one finger.

Bench Race

Pick two routes to the same bench. Who gets there first? Let the grandkids pick their route.

Free printable: Park Scavenger Hunt

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Budget & Insider Tips

Grandparent Money Tips

• Most county parks are free to enter during the week — the parking fee is the main cost, and many lots don't have attendants before 9am.
• Pack a picnic. A park visit with a homemade lunch beats a restaurant every time for grandkids, and costs a fraction.
• Free ranger programs run most weekends at state parks — check the DEC or DEEP calendar before you go.

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