Unexplored
19 Avery Hill Rd, Ledyard, Gales Ferry, CT, USA
4.6 acres in Ledyard, CT
Parking: Small pull off near 19 Avery Hill Rd, Ledyard, CT
Trail Map Trails: 0.34 miles Rating: Unexplored
This is a partial/incomplete listing as I have not explored the short Kettle Hole Trail.
The town purchased the property in 1983.
★★☆☆☆
765 Long Cove Rd, Gales Ferry, CT, USA
228.36 acres in Ledyard, CT
Parking: Shoulder parking 765 Long Cove Rd, Gales Ferry, CT
Trail Map Trails: 3.4 miles Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Preserved in 2020.
Unexplored
21 Blonders Boulevard, Ledyard, CT, USA
206 acres in Ledyard, CT
Parking: Medium sized lots near 21 Blonders Boulevard, Ledyard, CT
Trail Map Trails: 1.5 miles Rating: Unexplored
This is a partial/incomplete listing as I have not yet explored this property.
The trail is past the pavilion and behind the tennis courts, though may be muddy in the spring or after heavy rains.
The man for whom the park (and the town) is named, Lieutenant Colonel William Ledyard (1738 – 1781).
★★☆☆☆
77-5 Thomas Rd, Ledyard, CT, USA
692 acres in Ledyard, CT
Parking:
Area Map Trails: 2 miles Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Rose Hill is one of Connecticut’s 97 ‘Wildlife Management Areas‘ and is trailed almost entirely by the blue blaze Pequot Trail which I thru hiked in January 2021. I saw at least one unblazed trail and there are fields to explore off Rose Hill Rd. Hunting is allowed so wear bright colors in-season.
Hiking
The 2 mile section of the Pequot Trail skirts the edge of the property climbing to the Rose Hill ridge. There is a handsome stone wall built along the edge of the ridge which provides one view of a field down over Thomas Rd and if you peer through the trees seasonal views southwest.
Sections of the trail were pretty wet but were easy enough to keep your feet dry and didn’t deter any of the other groups I saw out hiking the trail.
At the north end of the trail is ruins of what once was a stable/animal pen. The roof has long since collapsed and it is surrounded by prickers, but inside is a rusted shut gate.
Pequot Previous Section: 0.3 mile trail in Lincoln/Milton Green Park
Next Section: 0.75 road walk on Thomas Rd ↔ Mathewson Mill Rd ↔ Fanning Rd
Rose Hill as a name for the area dates back to at least the late 1800s. I haven’t found a date for when the state acquired the property.
★★☆☆☆
41.454064, -72.046999
101.4 acres in Ledyard, CT
Parking: Small lot near 55-35 Avery Hill Rd, Ledyard, CT
Trail Map Trails: 1.5 miles Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Avery Preserve the preserved portion of the Amos Avery Homestead split into two parcels by Avery Hill Road. Highlights include a sheep wash pen, and old dam, and a rhododendron sanctuary.
Hiking
The main hiking is west of Avery Hill Rd across from the parking area. Right off the road is a short trail to the sheep wash pen a curved corral right against Billings-Avery Brook which would have been used to hold the sheep releasing them through the brook prior to shearing. It is certainly a unique structure.
The main trail is the orange blazed loop around the edge of the property which is close to a mile long. The trail map notes “stone hand basin” that I expected to see right along the trail, but besides guessing none of the rocks were obvious candidates. There is a nice footbridge built by Eagle Scout Travis Joyce in 2015 over a wet patch and a bit beyond that is the mill pond dam.
The dam creates a small cascade on the brook and a bench has been placed to sit and enjoy the view. Trails appear to continue beyond the dam, but are an old woods road on private property.
Continuing on the orange trail the terrain becomes more rolling and bumps along old stonewalls. An odd section with the orange trail blazes heading off in multiple directions caused me a bit of confusion, but they just connect to the white crossing trail in rapid succession. I stayed on the outside loop coming close to houses on private property until returning to the parking area.
East Section
On the same side as the parking area there is a short unblazed trail heading off into the woods that sees infrequent use. On my last visit it had started to rain and my hiking spidey sense should have kicked off as soon as I started to see old mossy boards placed on the trail. The trail went deeper and deeper into an almost marshy area with plenty of standing water and not enough boards to keep your feet dry.
I managed to make it to the turnaround, soaking my feet in the process, to discover a deep rhododendron grove. It must be a safe haven for deer as the entire lollipop loop was covered in their droppings. I’m sure the area is nice when the rhododendron are blooming in July, but I would recommend skipping the trail any other time.
The west tract was preserved in 1970, the east tract in 1977, and the tiny sheep wash area in 1995. In order to get to the preserve you’ll likely pass the bright red colonial house on Avery Hill Road. This house is the oldest in Ledyard, built in 1696 and was home to several generations of the Avery family. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.
★★☆☆☆
41.419166, -72.065493
71.7 acres in Ledyard, CT
Parking:
Trail Map Trails: 1.6 miles Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Trails for the Barrett Preserve start from a pinched parking area that is tiny pull off at a curve on the road which can be a bit tricky. Past the chain gate is a trailhead kiosk with trails immediately splitting into the east and west loops.
I chose to take the east loop by following the right path through the entry meadow. Crossing through a stone wall there is a sign for forest management work done in 2014, which (9 years ago as of this writing) certainly still seems fresher than its age suggests. The area was harvested of mature trees for lumber and firewood with the goal of improving age diversity among the trees and creating some habitat.
Down the trail from this are you reach an unnamed stream that runs through the property. After recent heavy rains the stream was still only a small flow so it must be pretty dry in summer. On my visit however there were a couple tiny cascades and pools of cool clear water right along the trail.
At the backside of the loop there is a crossover if you want to shorten your hike. I continued onto the West Loop which does offer a spur trail to the Christy Hill Road parking which actually has a tiny lot for easier parking than on Long Cove Road. The rest of the west loop is mostly open forest and rocky wash which gradually climbs back towards the Barrett Shed and trailhead.
Preserved in 1994.
★★☆☆☆
113 Whalehead Drive, Ledyard, Gales Ferry, CT, USA
322 acres in Ledyard, CT
Parking: Small pull-off near 113 Whalehead Drive, Ledyard, CT
Trail Map Trails: 2.65 miles Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Pine Swamp Wildlife Corridor is the banner name for the parcels like the Slosberg-Andersen Woodlands, Dow Centennial Preserve, and Harry Leiser Preserve
While there are technically eight trailheads to this property I stared from the only one with off the road parking at Whalebone Road. The trail heads off into the woods on an old access road that winds down to a small view of the water passing blue blazes. You soon reach the utility corridor which is undergoing expansion work by Eversource through at least 2023.
The trail and power lines are a narrow strip through interesting ponds. They’re unnamed as far as I can tell and provide nice views and even some open water access on both sides encircling what I assume are the namesake swamps.
Following the gravel road through the construction zone you evenutally reach a sign for the turn off to the blue dot loop trail. At just 1.3 miles the loop is short but packs many different sights. Rocky glacial till, marshy seasonal stream, open pine forest, a sea of ferns, close to private private property, tight tunnel through thick overgrowth, and more all flowing into each other.
I missed the yellow trail out to Friar Tuck Drive, it may have been there and I just missed it. The red spur towards Hillside Drive was very clearly marked but I decided to skip the extra 1.3 out and back. The blue dot trail flowed right back into the blue blazed utility corridor. I searched the sides for the other yellow trail but didn’t have any luck. It’s possible it’s unmaintained while Eversource is working on the lines or I was just looking at the wrong points.
It turned out to a great and varied short loop with plenty of reasons to explore again on a return trip.
This area was possibly known to the Pequots as Ohomowauke meaning ‘owls’ nest’ or Cuppacommock meaning ‘the hiding place’ as a refuge for its remoteness and inaccessibility.
In colonial times, Pine Swamp was known as “Mast Swamp” for its supply of ship masts and spars for over a century. The last known pines were removed from the swamp in 1820, the final ones having been cut to supply ships in the Revolutionary War and War of 1812.
The North Tract, 162.81 acres, comprising:
And the South Tract, 102.11 acres, comprising
Avalonia E-Trails Blog – Pine Swamp Wildlife Corridor Part 1 and Part 2 (2014)
Peter Marteka – A Visit To Ledyard’s Land Of Boulders And An Ancient Pine Swamp (2013)
★★☆☆☆
41.479393, -71.986951
38 acres in Ledyard, CT
Parking: Small lot near 990 Shewville Rd, Ledyard, CT
Trail Map Trails: 0.75 miles Rating: ★★☆☆☆
The trails here are short at only 3/4 of a mile and most were edging on overgrown. I started out crossing the bridge into the narrow trails amid a thicket. Picking my way carefully through the vines and bushes encroaching on the trail finally looped me up to the main path.
The main path is from the parking area up to the high ledge overlook. It is the easiest to pass but the overlook is an entirely forested view past a rough fence. While it is a high the ledge is just a very steep hill down into deeper forest. While not technically wrong, don’t get too excited about it.
The real draw here is the natural stone throne. You would think the main path would be to this, but if it weren’t for the utility corridor it would be a narrow nearly overgrown path as well. The rock is impressive and is fun to climb atop and sit for a stretch. The “throne” is about three feet high with a tall back and for me it was less of a throne and more of a lounge chair. It seems like it should, but it doesn’t provide any views and is encircled by a close border of poison ivy.
The one decent view in the park is just up the hill from the stone throne along the utility corridor looking down towards farm fields.
The property was donated to the town by Sidney and Marian Hall, the “White” comes from Marian Hall’s maiden name. The Ledyard town site calls it White-Hall Park which may have been its more official name, but everywhere else calls it Whitehall, even the kiosk at the park.
The entrance to the park was once park of the Norwich & Westerly Railway which opened in 1906.
The Whitehall Preserve was designated a National Wildlife Fund Certified Wildlife Habitat.
Peter Marteka – A Forest Where All Can Sit On A Throne (2018)
★★☆☆☆
41.475123, -72.045024
234 acres in Ledyard, CT
Parking: Small lot near 191 Avery Hill Rd, Ledyard, CT
Trail Map Trails: 1.5 miles Rating: ★★☆☆☆
I stopped at Poquetanuck Cove Preserve after picking apples at Holmberg Orchards, the two properties are adjacent but don’t connect. The small parking lot is tucked into the woods and is easy to pass (like most Nature Conservancy parking).
Hiking:
The trail winds between private property that couldn’t quite be seen during my stop at the start of Fall, but since someone was throwing a party, you could definitely hear them. The trail is narrow and winds over mixed terrain. At the fork, I headed right knowing that would get me to the cove quicker. The trail heads downhill towards the water right along Avery Hill Brook.
I was greeted with a calm view of the brook entering the cove and I spied a heron standing on a log out in the water. A prime fishing spot, for herons and egrets at least. The trail here is cut into the bank between the water and a small hill and after a bit gives access to a rocky beach at the waters edge though likely only at low tide.
The cove is a large sheltered bay of the Thames River between Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods. The view from the preserve’s trail feels like a teaser. The far side of the hill is where archaeologists dug in a Native American midden/refuse heap. I looked for evidence of the oyster shells it should contain, but didn’t see any.
As the trail loops back around the hill you come within sight of the water several times, but only through the trees. The rest of the hike winds through the woods back to the fork and while I enjoyed the hike I feel like greater access to the water would round out this great short hike.
Boating:
There is not boating access from the Poquetanuck Cover Preserve, but there is a boat launch near 11 Royal Oaks Dr Ledyard, CT and another car top launch with a 100ft carry in near 2-18 Drawbridge W Gales Ferry, CT that can be used to explore the cove.
From the Nature Conservancy site,
In 1953, Desire Parker purchased this piece of land—with its narrow cliff along the watercourse—in the hopes that native people had camped and gathered oysters at the spot. Subsequent archaeological research confirmed her hunch. In 1988, she followed through on her lifelong plan to permanently protect her land along Poquetanuck Cove by donating it to The Nature Conservancy.
Poquetanuck Cove was a known oyster fishing area dating back at least 10,000 years. At least 34 prehistoric archaeological sites have been noted around the cove with at least one within the preserve, though I haven’t yet been able to find any results.
The cove was designated a bird sanctuary by the state legislature in 1969.
★★☆☆☆
41.460391, -72.065988
55 acres in Ledyard, CT
Parking: Medium lot near 1917 CT-12, Gales Ferry, CT
Trail Map Trails: Less than a mile Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Stoddard Hill is one of Connecticut’s ‘scenic reserve‘ state parks that primarily serves as a fishing spot along the Thames River with a short trail, an old cemetery, and a mediocre seasonal overlook.
Hiking
From the parking area the trail starts just up the hill past the picnic area. I was surprised to find the trails well traveled as they follow the high bank above the train tracks and beyond that the river. You soon reach a massive jumble of boulders.
The trail starts to fade away about 0.3 miles out but turns inland and I assumed it would loop back around the far side of the boulder jumble, instead it dead ends at the backside of private property just off Tanager Ln. There is definitely a missed opportunity for a loop trail here, I retraced my steps and took a side path to the old cemetery.
The graves here date from late colonial to civil war era and have been restored in recent years. A faint trail along the cemetery stone wall leads up the hill behind it to a rocky hilltop above the boulder jumble that stands 183 feet above sea level. On my February visit it amounted to a seasonal overlook with views south along the Thames River, the DEEP says it was once an Indian lookout during times of conflict.
Just off the parking lot is the shallow Stoddard Cove with a gravel car-top boat launch. The river is just beyond the railroad and there is a small bridge to pass under which may limit boat size and launch times.
It does seem to be a popular fishing spot, but I can’t find many reports/anecdotes on it.
Established as a state park in 1954.
Auntie Beak – Stoddard Hill State Park
The Day – Stoddard Hill State Park
