View of the Saugatuck Reservoir from the Great Ledge - Photo by Daniel Chazin View of the Saugatuck Reservoir from the Great Ledge - Photo by Daniel Chazin

This loop hike goes by a scenic pond and the ruins of an historic portable sawmill and reaches a viewpoint over a nearby reservoir.

41.236938, -73.395813

This 1,700-acre preserve is the largest nature preserve in southwestern Connecticut. The system used to blaze the trails in the preserve differs from standard Trail Conference practice in that the color of the blaze designates only a category of trail use and does not distinguish one trail from another. Red-blazed trails are for hiking and cross-country skiing; yellow-blazed trails are hiking-...

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Trip Reports

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September 25, 2022
4
Poor Views, But Great Trails
I did this hike on 9-25-22, with a few variations. Please note that as of this writing, the Wiehl Trail between junctions 14 and 15 is closed. I followed the Laurel Trail all the way to the Godfrey Trail, then followed the hike as written until junction 44 where i took the Ambler Trail through the gorge and down to junction 12. There are no views despite a couple spots on the map being listed as "vistas", but the trek through the gorge makes this trail worth doing. At junction 9 i took the Sap Brook Trail north, then at junction 38 I took the Hillebend Trail south. There's another "vista" listed on the map here, but again no views. Some cool rock formations though. I then took the Deer Knoll trail south and then back on the woods road to the parking area. I found the "Great Ledge" to be a disappointing view, as it was very obscured by trees. Perhaps it is a better view when the leaves are down. Having said that, the trails here are beautifully maintained, well-marked, and easy to follow. Most of the junctions have the junction number on a wooden post and signs with the trail names on them. My hike took me about 5 hours and i could go back and hike the same amount without redoing any of the trails i did today, so there are lots of trails to explore here.
Michael K7
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