The 188-acre Bicentennial Park is contiguous to the Town’s 300-acre Hatchery Brook Conservation Area. Trails pass through habitats including wooded areas, open fields, old orchards, and wetland areas along Hatchery Brook, as well as through the Connecticut Girl Scouts’ former Camp Merebrite.
Multiple smaller loops can be hiked individually or combined to a longer distance.
The Metacomet Loop Trail ties the two areas and most of the trails together. It was completed in 2018 and is maintained by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association. Coming from Timberlin Park, the Blue/Red Rectangle blazed Metacomet Loop Trail goes through Bicentennial Park and Hatchery Brook Conservation Area for about 2.5 miles and reconnects to the Metacomet Trail at the intersection of Orchard Road and Kensington Road. The full loop, following the Metacomet Trail south along the eastern Hanging Hills and through Hubbard Park in Meriden, then along Edgewood Road back to Timberlin Park, comprises about 12.5 miles.
In 2019 an Eagle Scout constructed the pink trail to connect to Norton Road, including a new bridge across Hatchery Brook. Another volunteer completed a tree identification trail identifying 38 species of native trees present in the Park. The Hatchery Brook entrance on Orchard Road also features the Berlin Community Gardens.
Head east on Route 72. Take Exit 2 for Corbin Avenue/Route 372 and head south. Stay right to continue on Corbin Avenue, High Road, and eventually Chamberlain Highway/Route 71A. Where Route 71A becomes Route 71, either turn left for Norton Road and do one of the following
OR continue straight for Chamberlain Highway and park on the west side of the park at the Chotkowski Conservation Area parking lot or further at the Kensington Orchards Parking lot.
From Route 9, take Exit 32. From the south, turn right onto Worthington Ridge. From the north, turn right onto Frontage Road and right again onto Worthington Ridge. Head south on Worthington Ridge for about 0.5 miles, then turn right onto Hudson Street, which will become Norton Road. After crossing the rail road tracks, either turn left for Kensington Road
OR continue straight on Norton Road with access points from Castlewood Drive (walk east to to access the Pink Trail which begins at 402 Norton Road just before Hatchery Brook), or at the end of Winesap Road (see above).
From I-691 eastbound, take Exit 3 and turn left onto Chamberlain Highway/Route 71 north. From I-691 westbound, take Exit 3 and turn left onto Lewis Avenue. Turn left again onto Kensington Avenue and then turn right onto Chamberlain Highway/Route 71. Head north. After about 3 miles, either
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