Connecticut’s Best Outdoor Activities 2012

Yankee Magazine chooses Connecticut’s best outdoor activities for 2012.

BEST HISTORIC RESTING PLACE
Cedar Hill Cemetery, Hartford
Download a map or cell-phone audio to take a self-guided tour. Group tours pass sculptured memorials that mark the final resting places of well-known souls such as Wallace Stevens, J. P. Morgan, and Katharine Hepburn. 453 Fairfield Ave. 860-956-3311; cedarhillcemetery.org

BEST MANSION BY THE SOUND
Harkness Memorial State Park,Waterford
Formal gardens border the park’s Roman Renaissance mansion, both open for weekend tours. Cross the wide lawn to walk barefoot along the Long Island Sound surf. 275 Great Neck Road. 860-443-5725; www.ct.gov/dep/harkness

BEST RIVER WALK (OR RIDE)
Putnam River Trail,Putnam
View the Quinebaug River; pass through woods, tread over bridges, and read historic plaques along the path. Go on two wheels or two feet. 80 Kennedy Drive. 860-963-6811; putnamct.us

BEST PREHISTORIC PLAY
Dinosaur Place, Oakdale
Sprinkling spouts cool; model dinosaur trails educate; playground and maze add more fun. Too hot or wet? Explore the indoor adventures. 1650 Hartford-New London Turnpike. 860-443-4367; thedinosaurplace.com

BEST HIKE TO HEIGHTS
Talcott Mountain State Park,Simsbury
At the trailhead, pick up a hiking map or join a summer-season guided group to reach the 165-foot Heublein Tower for views clear to New Hampshire. Picnic pavilion, too. 560 Simsbury Road. 860-424-3200; www.ct.gov/dep