Zoe Berg

First years have spent the last week and a half exploring Yale’s campus, and some have hiked on orientation trips. But where can they catch some sun in the Elm City?

Max Webster ENV ’17, the director of the New Haven Parks Department, shared with the News an outdoor bucket list for new Yale students.

East Rock Park

The most obvious choice for a short retreat into nature is East Rock Park, a spot beloved by Yale students due to its short distance from campus and accessibility by foot, Webster said. A leisurely half-hour stroll through the East Rock neighborhood along Orange Street leads across the Mill River and into the park.

Once there, visitors can hike the aptly named Giant’s Steps Trail or wander along a gently sloping paved road. Both options arrive at the summit, where hikers enjoy a hard-earned picnic, admire the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument commemorating New Haven veterans and take in a panoramic view of the city.

In a few months’ time, the park will be filled with color.

“The fall foliage and the colors in there, once the leaves start to change, are going to be pretty awesome,” Webster said.

The Farmington Canal Heritage Trail

The Farmington Canal Heritage Trail is a great place to start when it comes to New Haven’s natural beauty. It connects New Haven to some of the state’s most storied parks.

Owen Setiawan ’27, a co-coordinator of the student group Yale Outdoors, wrote in an email to the News that the trail “is extremely accessible, walkable and bikeable and stretches really far.”

The trail, which runs through Yale’s campus, stretches from New Haven to Northampton, Massachusetts. The trail can be reached down the steps near Benjamin Franklin College and at other access points.

Along the trail, Webster suggested Scantlebury Park, in the Dixwell neighborhood, for a pickleball or basketball game.

Quinnipiac River Park

Located on the east side of Fair Haven, Quinnipiac River Park is one of the few waterfront areas in the city where visitors can spot fish, birds and other wildlife, Webster said. One of the park’s highlights is an osprey nest.

“There’s sort of a view of a version of New Haven that was this town on the water that you get from Quinnipiac River Park that is hard to realize these days,” Webster said. “We don’t have a ton of waterfront space where people can find access and see the water.”

The walk to the park from campus takes almost an hour, but it leads through iconic areas, such as Fair Haven’s Grand Avenue.

“All the different shops and restaurants on Grand Avenue really showcase and represent the Latin American influence in the city,” Webster said.

Edgewood Park

For those seeking nature after a riveting game at the Yale Bowl, nearby Edgewood Park offers tennis courts, pickleball courts and running trails that wind around ponds.

While the Saturday farmer’s market in Wooster Square is closer to campus, Edgewood Park has its own farmer’s market on Sunday mornings.

CT Transit bus route 243, which stops at the intersection of Broadway and York Street, runs along Whalley Avenue to the park.

Lighthouse Point Park

New Haven might not be known for its beaches, but the city’s coastline brings beautiful spots like  Lighthouse Point Park on the eastern point of New Haven harbor.

Yale Outdoors hosts an annual polar plunge at Lighthouse Point in winter as well as regular outdoor opportunities for Yale students in the New Haven area.

The New Haven Parks Department Instagram account also posts monthly calendars listing outdoor events around the city.