People all over the country are taking a walk this weekend for National Trails Day, and Connecticut is hosting its own Connecticut Trails Weekend. The Connecticut Forest and Park Association has listed hundreds of options, from leisurely strolls, to walks through historical sites, to expert level hikes up steep terrain. Locally, many organizations are having events and hanging out welcome signs. For more hikes in the region, visit the hiking guide. For events specific to Trails Day, see our Trails Day calendar or visit www.ctwoodlands.org.

Barn Island Wildlife Management Area

Palmer Neck Road, Stonington

Barn Island, which is owned by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, contains more than 1,000 acres of salt marshes and freshwater marshes, hardwood forests, old fields traversed by stone walls and grasslands. It is mostly flat and wide with a three-mile main loop trail and side trails. There are views of Little Narragansett Bay along the main loop trail. It is also designated an Important Bird Area by the National Audubon Society. More information is available at the state DEEP website.

Hoffman Preserve

Route 201, Stonington

Parking is on shoulders of the road, just past Arlington Acres trailer park for this well-marked network of about seven miles of easy-to-moderate, mostly flat trails. The 198-acre woodland is owned by Avalonia Land Conservancy. Hikers will find old stone walls and foundations, a cemetery, and pine, spruce and hemlock forests planted by the former owners, Robert and Chippe Adlow Hoffman. Maps and information are available at the conservancy's website.

Knox Preserve

Route 1 at Wilcox and Cove roads, Stonington

This small but significant area attracts dozens of migratory bird species in spring and fall, as well as birds that nest there in the spring and summer. A variety of habitats attract songbirds, ground-nesting birds, hawks and shorebirds. About a mile of unmarked, interconnected trails traverse the property. The parcel is close to 17.5 acres, about 10 of which is used by a local farmer to raise corn and hay and as pastureland. It is owned by the Avalonia Land Conservancy. More information can be found at their website.

Paffard Woods

North Main Street, Stonington

There is parking for several cars at a small unpaved lot beside the trailhead of this blue-blazed trail of mostly easy hiking through 62-acres of woodlands and wetlands interspersed with stone walls. In addition to the wooded areas where the trails are located, the preserve also protects grasslands that are important for migratory and ground-nesting birds. Its proximity to Quanaduck Cove also makes this an important area for birds. It is owned by the Avalonia Land Conservancy. More information can be found at their website.

Beebe Pond Park

Noank and Fishtown roads, Mystic

There is a small dirt parking area at the entrance off Route 215.

Beebe Pond Park is owned by the Town of Groton and encompasses 97 acres of woodlands with a salt pond, remnants of an old mill, stone walls, swamps and streams. Trails are easy to moderate. There are many rock outcrops, ledges and large glacial boulders throughout property. Stay on the marked blue, red and yellow trails and avoid the unmarked trails. For more information, visit the Groton Parks and Recreation website.

Pequot Woods

Sandy Hollow Road, Mystic

Sandy Hollow Road is off Allyn Street near Exit 89. The entrance to Pequot Woods is about a quarter mile down the road. There is a small dirt parking lot at the entrance.

Pequot Woods, which is owned by the Town of Groton, encompasses 140 acres, with more than two miles of marked trails through woodlands and wetlands. Visitors will pass stone walls, streams and a pond with beaver dams and lodge. Several benches are located along the trails.

Hewitt Farm

Hewitt Road, North Stonington

The Hewitt Farm property is a town-owned, 104 acres of forested trails, streams, hayfields and an old cemetery. There are three main trails – Loop, Wyassup and Bicentennial. Users can run, walk, bike, ski or travel on horseback. Dogs are invited, too, but motorized vehicles are prohibited. There’s also canoe and kayak river access.