Williams Preserve

Williams Preserve

Coventry Town Park

55 acres in Coventry, CT

Parking: Small pull-off near 179 Cooper Ln Coventry, CT

Trail Map          Trails: 3 miles          Trail Difficulty: Moderate ⓘ Rating System:Easiest – Paved, Accessible Trail
Easy – Dirt, mostly smooth and wide
Moderate – Rolling terrain, variable width, standard rocks and roots
Difficult – Steep elevation and/or challenging
Strenuous – Likely long or technical segments with possible drops/exposure.     Rating: ★★☆☆☆ ⓘ Rating System:★☆☆☆☆ – Unmaintained, short hike, or not much to explore
★★☆☆☆ – Enjoyable short hike usually for locals
★★★☆☆ – Great hike with highlights, worth seeking out
★★★★☆ – Great area to explore worth repeat visits
★★★★★ – Must-see

The Williams Preserve is Coventry’s newest town park, officially opening at the end of September 2018.  I visited shortly after to explore the new trails.  Williams Park is a welcome addition to the short ‘lollipop’ loop at the adjacent Couch Preserve (the trail map above combines the two).  It is a nice simple walk in the woods with views of the Willimantic River. My 2024 visit found the trails have become well used and have expanded to include a new blue trail.

Hiking

There are about 3 miles of official trails that head from Cooper Lane downhill to the banks of the Willimantic River at Eagleville Lake.  From the small parking area the yellow trail cuts through an open field was very wet on my last visit from recent rains (bog bridging is in the works).  There is also a new blue blazed trail off the left side also heading downhill.

The yellow trail crosses a small stream and can either continue downhill or turn right to connect to the adjacent Couch Preserve.  Heading downhill through the pines the trail forks.  Both forks are roughly the same distance and pass similar stone walls and old trees.

They re-converge near the river and a new established white spur trail takes you to a nicely cleared viewpoint with a bench.  On my first visit this spot was much rougher though I did find that another “trail” continues to the right soon connecting to the houses along Pine Lake Drive which has since been marked private property but appears well used by residents.

Branching off into speculation here: This viewpoint by the river also connects to an old rutted woods road that travels to the end of Whites Hill Road.  This means that taking either Pine Lake Drive or White Hill Road to Rt 275 would offer a connection to the Eagleville Preserve and an ambitious but very unlikely southern extension of the Willimantic River Trail whose current start is as River Park in Mansfield.

History:

Established as a park in 2018 when it was purchased by the Town of Coventry for $404,000 after nearly four years of negotiations.

Links:

Peter Marteka – Making Connections Along The Banks Of The Willimantic River (2018)

Michelle Firestone – Preserved land to be celebrated in Coventry (2018)

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Last updated September 1st, 2024