Burr Pond State Park in Connecticut, USA - map and visitor information

Research checked: 2026-11-01. Check linked official notices before travel.

Burr Pond State Park in Torrington, Connecticut, combines a wooded pond walk, picnic facilities and an industrial-history stop. The swim area is closed for the season. A walking visit can follow the Walcott Trail and look for the marker at the former condensed-milk factory site.

A pond loop with a history stop

The Walcott Trail follows the pond, with a blue/yellow-blazed extension to a point projecting into the water. The park rates the 2.5-mile outing easy to moderate. Use the official trail map to distinguish the loop, peninsula spur and longer connecting trails.

Know before you go

Fees, hours, and seasonal access

Keep swimming separate from a trail visit

Check the official swim-area status before planning to enter the water. When swimming is open, stay within the designated area and supervise children closely. Lifeguard coverage depends on staffing, time of day and season. Leave both the beach and water if you hear thunder or see lightning.

Leave alcohol at home

Alcohol is prohibited throughout Burr Pond State Park. Pets can use picnic areas and hiking trails on leash, but cannot use the beach. Beach rules also prohibit glass and snorkels and allow approved life jackets instead of ordinary flotation toys.

Reserve a weekday group picnic

The picnic shelter has tables, grills and nearby restroom access. Reserve through the official park’s booking channel when the weekday reservation season applies. Outside that season, follow the shelter’s first-come rules and winter closure instead of assuming a reservation is available.

Arrive from Burr Mountain Road

The park address is 384 Burr Mountain Road, Torrington, Connecticut 06790. Trail connections lead into Paugnut State Forest, so choose the pond loop or a longer route deliberately. A connection on the map does not make every route a short walk around the pond.

Other Torrington parks by road

Sunnybrook State Park is a walk-in destination reached from Burr Pond via Winsted Road and Newfield Road. Stillwater Pond State Park has paved parking on Route 272, 1.4 miles north of its junction with Route 4. These are separate road stops, even though local trails connect some of the surrounding public land.

Choose the loop, viewpoint or picnic

• Follow the Walcott Trail for a walk around the pond.
• Take the marked peninsula spur for another shoreline view.
• Combine the walk with a picnic and the historic factory marker.

Accessible picnic-area features

The park lists accessible parking, picnic tables and restrooms. That description does not cover every trail surface. The Walcott outing includes rock crossings, so ask about your chosen route if step-free access is essential.

About the pond landscape

The pond and dam were part of a manufacturing landscape before becoming a recreation setting. Today the park offers an outdoor visit with both wooded trails and a marked historical site.

Gail Borden’s factory

Gail Borden Jr. built his condensed-milk factory here in 1857. Fire destroyed the mill in 1877. A bronze tablet marks its former location.

Pond and forest habitat

The route passes the pond’s edge and nearby forest, with connections into Paugnut State Forest. Enjoy the habitat from established paths without making a wildlife sighting a condition of the outing.

Contact

Call Burr Pond State Park at 860-482-1817. The official park page provides booking contacts and current visitor information.