Location: Merribrook Lane, Stamford, CT Note: the entrance is very difficult to find and is accessed through precarious winding rounds. You may need to ask a passerby for more detailed directions.
Rules: Dogs are required to be on leash while in the park area, however, off-leash dogs that respond very well to voice commands are tolerated. Owners are required to clean up after their dogs.
Hours: Daily, dawn to dusk
Parking: There is ample free parking at the park entrance.
Description: The Mianus River flows through this public park, a 389-acre deciduous forest that straddles the Stamford-Greenwich border. It’s a haven for dog walkers, mountain bikers, fishermen, hikers and joggers alike. The best entrance to the park is from Merribrook Lane, which is a well-hidden street accessible from Westover Road about a mile south of the Merritt Parkway.
REVIEW BY DUSTY BLUE: I had a great time running the trails of this gigantic park. I met several dogs and people while traversing the trails and I was the only dog off leash. The land is beautiful and has large rock formations, an abundance of trees for me to mark and sniff, and well-marked trails. My owner grumbled that people were bagging their dog’s waste but then leaving it by the side of the trail. He picked up six bags of poop and disposed of them in the cans at the park’s entrance.