Connecticut · Hiking · Near Middletown

Dinosaur State Park Purple Trail

0.4 mi
loop
23 ft
climb
240 ft
high point
Loop
route
Apr–Oct
best months

Dinosaur State Park Purple Trail is a short, easy loop in Connecticut, about 1.5 miles from Rocky Hill. The trail is 0.43 miles long and rises about 23 feet from its lowest point at 203 feet to a high of 240 feet. It is a low-effort outing, with a gentle climb and a small drop back down, and it works well as a quick stop on a day spent exploring the area. The most comfortable months for a visit are late spring and early fall. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Hartford show May highs around 71°F and September highs around 76°F, with July the warmest month at about 85°F. The trail is closed to bikes and horses, so plan on walking. The trip takes about half an hour, and the loop makes it easy to fit into a longer outing. Dana's Rim Walk and the Bob Kaye Loop are both about 2.4 miles away, and the Mattabesett Trolley Trail is about 4 miles off.

Around this trail

Add any of these when you start a trip
  • Sleep close

    YMCA Camp Ingersoll

    Campground

    Campground · 6.3 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    Carbone's Prime

    Restaurant

    On your way back · 1 mi
  • If it rainsJoe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

    Davison Art Center

    Gallery

    In town

    University art museum in Middletown, Connecticut

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors · Photos: Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0 (commons)

More in Middletown
  • Best time to go · Apr–Oct

    Best time to visit Dinosaur State Park Purple Trail

    Best months: April–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      37° / 20°

      10 wet

    2. Feb

      39° / 22°

      9 wet

    3. Mar

      48° / 30°

      11 wet

    4. Apr

      60° / 40°

      11 wet

    5. May

      71° / 50°

      12 wet

    6. Jun

      80° / 60°

      11 wet

    7. Jul

      85° / 66°

      11 wet

    8. Aug

      83° / 64°

      10 wet

    9. Sep

      76° / 56°

      10 wet

    10. Oct

      64° / 44°

      11 wet

    11. Nov

      52° / 35°

      10 wet

    12. Dec

      42° / 26°

      11 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Hartford Brainard Fld, CT, 6 mi away at 19 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors