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| CT State Parks and Forests Main Page |
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| Park Location and Contact Information |
Windsor Meadows State Park
East Barber Street Windsor, CT 06095(Directions) |
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| Park Contact Information |
Windsor Meadows State Park
c/o Penwood State Park
57 Gun Mill Road
Bloomfield, CT 06002 |
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| ACCESSIBILITY |
| This park offers: |
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Parking |
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Picnic Area | |
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| HOURS: |
| The park is open from 8 am to sunset. |
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| PETS: |
| Pets on a maximum 7 foot leash are permitted. | |
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| STATE PARKS CONTACT INFORMATION: |
| Email: |
| deep.stateparks@ct.gov |
| Telephone: |
(860) 424-3200
(866) 287-2757
(Toll Free in CT) |
| Fax: |
| (860) 424-4070 |
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Windsor Meadows State Park
Windsor |
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Windsor Meadows State Park is a unique and quiet refuge along the Connecticut River 3.5 river miles north of Hartford. Its main developed features are the Bissell Bridge Boat Launch and the entrance and terminus of the Bissell Bridge Walkway Trail and Windsor River Trail. Its main undeveloped feature is its 140 acres of undeveloped Connecticut River floodplain forest. |
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 Bicycling |
 Hiking |
 Boating |
 Picnicking |
 Fishing |
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| Boat Launch, Paved Parking, Picnic Tables, Seasonal Toilets |
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Boat Launch at Windsor Meadows State Park, Windsor |
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| Boat launch and trail head parking are located on East Barber Street in the Wilson section of Windsor. |
| From I-91 South: Take exit 35B and go left (east) onto Route 218. Follow for ½ mile and turn right onto Windsor Avenue (Route 159). Follow for 3/10 mile and turn left onto East Barber Street. Parking is at the end of street |
| From I-91 North: Take exit 35A-35B and follow Route 218. At end of exit go right (east) on Route 218 for 4/10 mile and turn right onto Windsor Avenue (Route 159). Follow for 3/10 mile and turn left onto East Barber Street. Parking is at the end of street. |
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| There are no parking or entrance fees for Windsor Meadows State Park. |
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| Windsor Meadows State Park offers 155 acres of Connecticut River woodlands. Its general north/south configuration is bounded to the west by railroad tracks and to the east by 1.6 miles of river frontage along the Connecticut River. |
| The park is divided into three sections with the southernmost section being the most visited. This south section is both the largest, measuring 88 acres, and the most popular as it is the location of the Bissell Bridge Boat Launch. The launch features a concrete ramp and 22 trailer-length paved parking spaces with much additional parking for single length vehicles. It is a popular location for boaters and fishermen. This section is also the location of the trailhead for the Bissell Bridge Walkway Trail. This 1.8 mile trail crosses the Connecticut River separated comfortably from the I-291 highway it parallels and is shared by diverse trail users. The Walkway connects Windsor to the large system of multi-use trails in Manchester and East Hartford. It also offers some scenic views of the state’s namesake waterway in the process. Several picnic tables, a grassy lawn and a small handicapped accessible pavilion serves both the trailhead and the parking area. |
| The northern and middle sections, which measure 48 and 19 acres respectively, offer a quiet woodland refuge along the Connecticut River. Except for the three acres that make up the parking area and boat launch, and a handful of acres leased to agriculture, this park offers much the same riparian environment that the Dutch explorer Adrian Block experienced in 1614. Aboard his ship, the 42-foot, 16-ton Onrust (Restless) he became the first European explorer of the river to travel as far inland as Hartford. It is likely he ventured as far as the rapids to the north, passing this site along the way, 52 miles above Long Island Sound. As it was in Block’s time, the woodlands dominate the landscape today. The floodplain soils of the lower park elevations are renewed every year and are very fertile. Indeed it was reported by Block that the Indians along the river were growing Maize at the time of his visit indicating that some aspects of this location have not changed much in the nearly four centuries since he passed by. |
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| Other Nearby State Recreation Areas Include: |
Penwood State Park, Bloomfield
Location: Route 185 across from the Talcott Mountain parking area
Activities: Picnicking, Hiking, Vista, Biking, Ski Touring
Charge: None |
Talcott Mountain State Park, Simsbury
Location: The Tower Trail parking area is located on Route 185, west of Route 178 and east of Route 10
Activities: Hiking, Picnicking, Observation Tower (seasonal), Vista
Charge: None |
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| Related Links |
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content last updated May 23, 2013 |
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