Hidden Valley Farm Preserve

East Haddam Land Trust

45 acres in East Haddam, CT

Parking: Small lot near 24 Grist Mill Rd, Moodus, CT

Trail Map       Trails: 1.2 miles       Rating: ★★☆☆☆

The Hidden Valley Farm Preserve is 1.5 acres of land trust property and 43.5 acres of private property with an easement for a trail.  The two are contiguous but separated by the Moodus River.  The property provides hiking and fishing opportunities as well as historical significance in two mill sites.

Hiking

From the parking area there is a very short loop trail that goes out to a broken dam viewpoint for an old saw/grist mill and returns along the river.  Accessing the rest of the trails requires walking down the road, crossing the bridge, and entering the first driveway on the right.  Cross another small bridge and you’ll enter a mowed path next to the river.  This is technically private property so treat it as such.

The main red blazed trail soon forks into the blue which continues to follow the river’s edge on narrow path surrounded by ferns.  You’ll soon reach a second dam and mill site with a bare stone foundation ornamented by a eroded ball of tree roots.  Old wooden beams still cross the river bed at a small sandy beach.  The trail continues uphill to rejoin the red.

The red trail meanders its way out to Clark Gates Road on what must have been an old farm road.  I retraced my steps back to the parking area.

History:

Preserved in 2013 when it was acquired from Gary and Donna Bogan.

Links:

• Peter Marteka – The Ghostly Mills Along The Mill River Of Moodus (2016)

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Last updated July 28th, 2024