One of the joys of Fairfield County, Connecticut is the blend of urban, rural, and natural landscapes. Enjoying boutique hospitality at The Lloyd, you’ve not only got the cosmopolitan attractions of Stamford at your fingertips, but also lovely destinations for outdoor recreation and nature appreciation.
Among them is one of Fairfield County’s real treasures: Mianus River Park, a nearly 400-acre preserve along the Stamford-Greenwich line. Its extensive forestlands serve as a green oasis in the Mianus watershed, which straddles the Connecticut and New York borderlands, and also offer prime hiking, biking, and other outdoor pursuits within easy reach of your Lloyd guest room!
Mianus River Park: Natural Sanctuary & Outdoor Playground
Mianus River Park actually comprises three protected properties forming a cohesive refuge: Stamford’s Mianus River Park itself, plus Greenwich’s Mianus River & Natural Park as well as Mianus River State Park, also called the “Treetops” parcel.
Turned into a public park in the early 1970s, these lands come rich in history. Indeed, the name of the refuge honors the region’s indigenous people: “Mianus” comes from Chief Myn Myano, a sachem of the Siwanoys tribe, part of the Wappinger Confederacy.
The Mianus River watershed provides drinking water for better than 100,000 people. The protected hardwood forest and wetlands of Mianus River Park not only contribute to the basin’s water quality, but also provide essential habitat for a wide variety of wildlife. Birdwatchers can have a heyday here: More than 150 avian species have been recorded in the park, which lies along the Atlantic Migratory Flyway.
The rolling and rocky terrain of Mianus River Park reflect the landscape’s sculpting by Pleistocene glaciation—specifically the Laurentide Ice Sheet that molded moraines and eskers and left great “erratic” boulders as it retreated.
You can explore the park’s ecology on a well-maintained system of trails, linked via a couple of loops and including a designated Nature Trail with numbered posts marking interpretive sites. Individual paths include the Swamp, Cave, Drop Off, and Peak trails, with a variety of possible circuits to be made by weaving them together.
Besides hiking, there’s mountain biking to enjoy at Mianus River Park as well, plus snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in the winter.
Enjoy Premier Stamford Hospitality & Convenient Access to Mianus River Park at The Lloyd
We highly recommend a visit—or several—to Mianus River Park while staying with us here at The Lloyd. It’s wonderful to experience this special sanctuary in its shifting seasonal guises, and enjoy the readymade escape from the city it offers!