Enfield's Path Through Nature and Change

Rotary Park Walking Trail

The first time I visited the Enfield Senior Center was about fifteen years ago. My father, a member at the time, brought me there one morning to play pool. It was just time spent together. I hadn’t been back since.

He passed away in 2012, and though I’ve since reached senior status myself, I didn’t think much about joining—until a friend recently told me something I hadn’t known.

Just behind the Senior Center, there’s a gravel trail—and one of the best things in Enfield. It’s a soft, winding path about a quarter mile long that leads through a quiet stretch of woodland. I had no idea it was there. But walking it now, I felt a deep sense of calm and quiet. There are birdhouses along the way and a few exercise stations tucked here and there. Mostly, it’s the beauty that stands out.

The walking trail is called Rotary Park and is open to the public from dawn to dusk.

The trail is surfaced with fine, crushed stone, similar to what once covered the track at Enfield High School before it was replaced. A similar track at Asnuntuck Community College was removed when the campus expanded. I always found those surfaces easy on the body for walking.

There’s been a quiet tension in Enfield for years about the loss of open space. As more land is developed, we risk losing parts of the town many of us grew up with. Others feel this loss too. I’ve seen signs around town advocating for open space preservation, and there’s often pushback when new residential developments are proposed.

A 2011 Plan of Conservation and Development from the town put it plainly:

“Recreational trails are scattered throughout the Town of Enfield. They are not interconnected and have limited accessibility. Furthermore, many town residents are unaware of their existence. Public outreach and education about the town’s available open spaces and trails is long overdue, despite a growing demand for them.”

 
The 2022 update of the plan included this:

“Setting priorities for the acquisition of new open space and the management of existing open space assets and the construction of additional recreational trails.”

“Invest in amenities. Enfield should invest in community facilities that function as placemaking.”

 
Are we doing enough in this area? I’m not sure. But what is clear is that the town has done a magnificent job creating the trail behind the Senior Center. It’s one of the best things in Enfield. It connects us to nature—and even to memory.