Marion K Wilcox Park - Bloomfield, CT
Marion K Wilcox Park is a spacious dog park located in Bloomfield, CT, offering a welcoming environment for dogs and their owners. This park features a decent-sized off-leash area with trees and benches, making it a comfortable spot for pets to run freely and for owners to relax. The park is fully wheelchair accessible, including the entrance and parking lot, ensuring it is inclusive for all visitors. It also boasts pet-friendly trails and hiking paths that are great for dog-friendly hiking adventures and family outings with kids.
Beyond the dog park, Marion K Wilcox Park spans approximately 118 acres with about 2.3 miles of scenic trails, including connections to the Metacomet Blue Trail. The park offers a peaceful and quiet setting away from crowded areas, perfect for those seeking a serene outdoor experience with their pets. Amenities include a picnic-friendly meadow, a porta-potty with a changing table, and ample parking. While some visitors have noted the presence of aggressive dogs occasionally, the park remains a hidden gem for dog owners looking for a natural, dog-friendly hiking and play area near Bloomfield, CT.
FAQ for Marion K Wilcox Park in Bloomfield Connecticut:
- Are dogs allowed off-leash at this park? Yes, dogs are allowed to run off-leash and enjoy activities such as fetching tennis balls in the open areas.
- Is the park wheelchair accessible? Yes, Marion K Wilcox Park has wheelchair accessible entrance and parking lot.
- Are there benches or seating areas for owners? Yes, there are benches available within the dog park area for sitting.
- Is there a playground or activities for kids nearby? Yes, the park is good for children and has kid-friendly hiking trails.
- Are there walking or hiking trails connected to the park? Yes, the park has about 2.3 miles of trails including some easy hiking trails and connections to the Metacomet Blue Trail.
- Are restrooms available for owners? Yes, as of July 2022, there is a porta-potty available in the parking lot.
- Is the park regularly cleaned and maintained? The park is generally clean and maintained, but some dog owners occasionally do not clean up after their pets.
- Where is the best place to park? There is a medium sized parking lot at the park with accessible parking spots available.
- Are ticks or other pests common in the area? Ticks are present in the woodland trails behind the grassy fields, so caution is advised.
- Are aggressive dogs allowed at the park? There have been reports of aggressive dogs and lack of control by some owners, so caution is advised when visiting.
Reviews
M.K. Wilcox Park is located in Bloomfield, CT. It’s approximately 118 acres with about 2.3 miles of trails. There was a medium sized parking lot and a path up to the kiosk. On the kiosk, there were some information and maps of the area. There was a large lawn which would be a great spot to picnic on. I went in December so I didn’t see any picnic tables, unless they put it away for the winter. There are a few hiking trails, lookout areas, and it connects to the larger Metacomet Blue Trail.I walked across the field to the yellow blazed trail entrance. Based on the map, it’s a loop trail with an overlook area. At the fork, to the left goes to the overlook, to the right goes to an old chimney.The trail was pretty easy and wide. It’s winter so no greenery or ticks, yay! I decided to go left at the fork and saw a large hill.It was a warmer winter day, around 38 degrees. I saw some black shadows on the hill so I stopped to investigate. I noticed it moved a little bit and I decided to zoom in on my camera; it appeared that I came across a mama bear and some cubs! So I decided to walk back to my car, very slowly.Overall, it was an enjoyable and easy hike, from what I completed. I didn’t get to do the whole trail because of the Bear scare. I do look forward to going back and exploring some more, hopefully without bears next time.
As other reviews have mentioned, the park is out of the way, but worth the trip to avoid crowds. As of July 2022, there is a porta-potty and trash can in the parking lot. The walk to the trails is through the picnic area. Given the prevalence of ticks in the area, I think the open space is better served for running with dogs or playing frisbee.The woodland trails are behind the grassy fields. The cliff trail is left, and meets up with the blue Metacomet trail. Elevation here is at 400 feet, so don’t get too close to the edge. The yellow trail on the right was followed to the power line fields. Bird song was heard in the evening.Update November 2022: The poorly marked red trail was the subject of today’s visit. The path was slippery due to the fallen leaves. No wildlife other squirrels and wild turkeys.
Nice little park. Pup had good time but VERY WET at the moment. ☺️
Fantastic park, perfect for a lil once to play, or just to come for a walk.
Super cute little park with lots of different areas to hang out in surrounding an adorable pond. A nice little peaceful place in the midst of our crazy world!
Beautiful area, you really feel the serenity of it. Wish there was a stream but that’s just nit picking. Great hike.
Peaceful, relaxing, quiet, beautiful. This is a great hidden gem away from the overcrowded Penwood ( and Hublein Tower trail south of that) just to the south. Some of the trail sections are borderline overgrown due to lack of use, but the reward is you and your group will be the only people liking the trails pretty much any given time.I would say anybody over the age of six can manage the trails, the cliff trail is so named only because it takes you to a beautiful ledge where it meets up with metacomet.I probably walked through 15 or 20 spider webs on the way up, which tells me the cliff trail does not get much use, this was on a Sunday just before noon. There were no evidence of footsteps or prints on the trail, so while you will occasionally hear a jet overhead on the approach to Bradley, you probably won’t hear or see anyone else until you reach the Metacomet.There is a beautiful wide meadow just about the parking area that’s perfect for a picnic, or even to toss a frisbee, football, or baseball around. Hard to believe such a quiet and beautiful place is so near civilization.Highly recommended!!
Quiet little spot tucked away in Bloomfield. Quick trail to Talcott Mountain range and views of Avon beyond. Great little meadow for picnics and sunbathing among the trees. Adequate parking and clean new porta-potty with changing table for little ones.
I had really enjoyed this park, it has a lot of great fish to look at and if you have outdoor kids then they would love this park, the playgrounds are amazing and the lake shows a whole bunch of turtles and fish.