305 acres in Groton and Ledyard, CT
Parking:
Trail Map Trails: 4.8 miles Rating: ★★★☆☆
From the GOSA site,
Avery Farm is part of a critical large block of diverse wildlife habitats highlighted on the State of CT Natural Diversity Database maps: grasslands, hedgerows, early successional forest, oak-hemlock-hickory upland forest, Atlantic white cedar swamp, a habitat managed power utility corridor, forested peatlands, kettle type bogs, poor fens, multiple seeps, several Tier I vernal pools, Ed Lamb Brook, Haley Brook, and the southern portion of a 38 acre marsh.
Starting from the Lambtown Road parking I headed south down the blue trail and quickly jumped onto the red fork to the right. This trail next to the power lines is thick in several sections but the trail is wide and well traveled. Before long it cuts into the woods looping along some modest rock faces and a perched erratic. The trail map notes an viewpoint on the backside of the loop, but I didn't notice one of note.
As the trail heads out to the Glacial Erratic marked on the map it comes out of the trees next to these large boulders and offers a great view out over the sand plain. The sand plain is a unique environment with tall grass in a wide flat reprieve from the rest of the terrain. There are a couple picnic tables here and I sat for a few moments enjoying the surroundings.
I then continued south along the blue trail climbing up a rocky spine to another large erratic. The trail continues on to loop through the woods up and down a wooded hill. I retraced my steps on the blue trail taking it directly back to the parking area and did continue across Lambstown Road to cross a bridge and see some old rusting farm equipment but decided against completing that loop and turned back to the car.
Preserved in 2015.
Peter Marteka – Hike through Avery Farm Nature Preserve and Candlewood Ridge in eastern CT to find fascinating relics and diverse habitats (2023)
Peter Marteka – An Autumn Visit To A Scenic Farm On The Edge Of Groton And Ledyard (2018)
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