Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection

Emergency Burn Ban In Effect 10/26/24 - An emergency burn ban is now in effect for all Connecticut State Parks, Forests, and Wildlife Management areas, prohibiting the use of all outdoor grills, firepits, and campfires, and the kindling and use of flame outdoors. DEEP and local agencies are working to contain several active fires across the state. Please avoid all affected State Parks and Forests, as well as the blue-blazed Mattabesett Trail. The Enduro Trail in Voluntown and portions of North Stonington within the Pachaug State Forest are closed at this time. Please note that today's forest fire danger report remains at an 'extreme' level. More information about the current fire danger, burn ban and recommended safety measures can be found here

 Arboreta in Connecticut

Large white oak in West Hartford on UConn Campus, with six people measuring it.
Measuring a huge white oak on UConn's West Hartford campus.

Connecticut is home to several inviting arboreta. These 'tree parks' allow visitors the opportunity to visit interesting and attractive specimen trees and enjoy beautiful and well-maintained landscapes. They also provide the opportunity to learn about trees. 

Arboreta in Western Connecticut:

  • Bartlett Arboretum and Gardens located in Stamford offers trails filled with rare trees and plants. It is open to the public year round.

  • Highstead, located in Redding, has an extensive collection of native plants and trees, with an emphasis on the importance of the conservation of natural landscapes.

  • Oak Lawn Cemetery and Arboretum in Fairfield is a non-sectarian cemetery located on a 100 acre natural setting. The cemetery was founded in 1865 and takes great pride in being an arboretum.  Visitors are encouraged and walking tours can be arranged.  The cemetery and arboretum listed on the Morton Registry of Arboreta, with Level 1 accreditation.   

Arboreta in Central Connecticut:

  • Bushnell Park, located in Hartford, provides visitors with views of the 400 trees located in the park, some being descendants of the charter oak.

  • Dinosaur State Park, located in Rocky Hill is a DEEP owned facility that maintains a diverse arboretum with native plants and trees.  One unique feature of this tree collection is that many of the planted trees were chosen as representative of plant families that go back to the Age of the Dinosaurs.

  • Cedar Hill Cemetery on the Hartford and Wethersfield town line, is a park like setting with large sized trees lining 270 acre area. Cedar Hill’s landscape contains many notable trees, several of which are state champions.

  • Elizabeth Park Conservancy, located in Hartford, has several trees that are state champions. The Conservancy has developed a tree map of their arboretum, which features both trees and herbaceous plants.

  • The Institute of Living in Hartford offers view of spectacular champion trees. Rare species of trees located on the ground were planted over 100 years ago. 

  • The Milford Legacy Arboretum in Milford was initiated by Milford Trees Inc., a local volunteer non-profit organization.  The Arboretum is integrated into six key areas within the downtown and governmental sections of the City, so people can enjoy the trees while going about their normal, routine workdays.

Arboreta in Eastern Connecticut: 

  • The Connecticut College Arboretum provides opportunities for teaching, research, conservation, recreation and public education. It is located in New London and is open to the public seven days a week from dawn to dusk. This arboretum is also listed on the Morton Registry, with accreditation.

  • The University of Connecticut has a walking tour of their arboretum, which is spread throughout their main campus in Storrs, as well as their law school in Hartford.

Large White Oak at UConn in West Hartford - crown view.

The same white oak at UConn in West Hartford, showing the crown spread.

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Content last updated October 2019