ALERT! The Roxbury Land Trust does NOT ALLOW ATV's or Other Motorized Vehicles on any of its Trails or any of its Preserves Please report any such activity directly to the Resident Trooper, 354-0089.

Please click on a corresponding number from the map above for details on that preserve: 1   2   3   4   5   6    7   8    9   10   11    12   13   14   15    16   17   18   19    20   21   22 And please observe our Trail Stewardship rules.

1. Mine Hill Preserve
360 acres
Access: Off Mine Hill Road, on right 0.3 miles after turn off Route 67.
Trails: The Main Loop (blue blazes) is a moderately difficult, 3.5-mile trail that climbs up an old donkey path, past abandoned mine shafts, through quarries and to the remains of an iron ore blast furnace and roasting ovens.
The Nature Trail (yellow blazes) is an easy, 0.3-mile loop that begins at the south end of the pond, passes over the footbridge and rejoins the donkey path.
The restored furnace and roasting ovens are an easy, 0.2-mile walk from the parking lot.
Features: National Register of Historic Places. Restored blast furnace. Roasting ovens. Granite quarries. Mine shafts (now home to bats). Donkey paths. Stone bridge. Farm fields along the Shepaug River. Learn more about about the geology, ecology and history of Mine Hill.

2. Carter Preserve
160 acres
Access: Current access is at the Quarry Bridge off the Blue Loop in the Mine Hill Preserve.
Trail: An easy 2-mile loop (red blazes) begins at Mine Hill's Quarry Bridge (about 1.5 miles in from the parking lot).
Features: Vernal pools. Farm fields. Distant winter views.

3. Battle Swamp Brook Preserve & Raven Rock Preserve
45 acres
Access: Off Judd's Bridge Road, on right about 1.2 miles from turn off Route 199.
Trail: 1.35-mile easy walk from Judd's Bridge Road to Battle Swamp Road and back.
Features: Battle Swamp Brook

4. Emily Griffith Beardsley Preserve, Humphrey Preserve & Moosehorn Access
138 acres
Access: One entrance is off Route 199, about 0.75 miles from Route 67 intersection. Second is off Moosehorn Road, about 0.7 miles on the right after turn off Davenport Road.
Trails: The Blue Loop is 3 miles long and of moderate difficulty. Beginning at the white barn off Route 199, this hike has some steep climbs over the preserve's rolling terrain.
The Red Loop is 1.6 miles long and begins off Moosehorn Road. It offers some steep climbs. Both trails lead to Caroline Glen and skirt Moosehorn Brook.
Features: Caroline Glen, where the brook cascades through a rocky gorge rimmed by tall hemlocks. Old sawmill site. Hemlock groves.

5. Gavel Family Farm Preserve
200 acres
Access: Parking lot off Upper County Road.
Trails: Under development.
Features: Stunning views to south, east and west. Rolling meadows. Jack's Brook. Working farmland.

6. Lilly Preserve
140 acres
Access: One entrance is 2 miles east of Roxbury Green near bridge on Route 317. A second entrance is off Old Tophet Road.
Trails: The Blue Loop is 1.5 miles long and of moderate difficulty. It passes through marshes and swamps near Jack's Brook.
The Red Loop is 1 mile long and of moderate difficulty. It traverses the upper wooded portion of the preserve.
Features: Marshland. Wooded swampland. Beaver activity. Mixed hardwoods. Old stone walls. Rock outcroppings. Farm field with grazing cattle during summer. Sawmill site.

7. Matthau Preserve
32 acres
Access: Off Tophet Road
Trails: None
Features: Open pastureland.

8. Styron Preserve
22 acres
Access: Off Tophet Road
Trails: None
Features: Beautiful open meadow. Old-growth trees.

9. Widmark Preserve
27 acres
3-acre Baldwin Connector
Access: Off Tophet Road
Trails: None
Features: Continuous greenbelt from the Matthau, Styron and Widmark Preserves to Good Hill Farm. Historic one-room schoolhouse.

10. Baldwin Preserve & Bray Preserve
60 acres
Access: The Baldwin Preserve can be accessed from either Route 317 (on right about 2 miles east of Roxbury Green) or from Lower County Road, on left about 0.5 mile from Route 317 intersection.
Trail: 1.5 miles round trip of gradual ascents/descents along well-worn trails. At the crest of the hill, an opening affords distant views of Good Hill. The path forks at the old stone wall: one fork leads past the edge of van Deusen swamp to Route 317 (where you can cross to the Lilly Preserve) and the other fork leads to the beaver lodge and a picnic site.
Features: Rock outcroppings. Old beech trees. Mountain laurel.

11. van Deusen Preserve
21 acres
Access: The entrance is off Bacon Road, about 0.3 mile on the right after turning off Route 317. Park on the roadside.
Trails: The unblazed trail is less than 0.1 mile long and is an easy walk down a planked trail from the road to the swamp, where there is a viewing deck.
Features: Jack's Brook. Swamp is host to waterfowl, beavers and other wildlife.

12. Good Hill Farm Preserve
476 acres
Access: Parking and trailhead 0.5 miles east of Tophet Road on Route 317.
Trail: 0.8 mile easy loop through woods and along active pastureland.
Features: Working farm. Nursery. Sweeping eastern and western views. Important grassland bird habitat.

13. Natalie White Preserve
9 acres
Access: Off Rucum Road, on left about 0.1 mile from Route 67 intersection.
Trails: Easy 0.25-mile loop; no trail blazes.
Features: Lovely western views of Roxbury's rolling hills and farmlands. Natalie White Memorial sculpture.

14. Glaves Preserve
5 acres.
No public access or trail.

15. Brian E. Tierney Preserve
56 acres
Access: Parking lot off Squire Road, near Apple Lane intersection.
Trails: 1.8-mile trail loop of moderate difficulty. Requires some steep, rocky climbing along high rim that forms the western boundary. Less difficult walk along Jack's Brook and edge of field to the Cascades.
Features: Large glacial boulders. Jack's Brook. A series of waterfalls called the Cascades. Old stone walls. Hemlocks, mountain laurel, large beech trees. Open hay fields.
Allen S. Hurlburt Preserve
25 Acres
Future Access: Off Flag Swamp Road to connect to the 1.8 mile Tierney Preserve trail.
Features: Gently rolling wooded hills with pristine wetlands.

16. Leander Woods Preserve
34 acres
Access: Off Flag Swamp Road
Trails: None
Features: Hemlocks. Old stone walls.

17. River's Edge Preserve
24 acres
Access: Off Lower River Road. Park at gate and walk in along road bed.
Trails: Under development.
Features: Meadow, sweeping bend of the Shepaug River.

18. River Road Preserve, Erbacher Preserve & Golden Harvest Preserve
453 Acres
Access: All three preserves are accessed through the River Road Preserve off River Road.
Trails: The River Road trail is a 1.5 mile loop of moderate difficulty with some steep climbs and access to the Shepaug River.
The Erbacher trail starts to the left after crossing Volunteers Bridge (0.75-mile in from the start of River Road trail) and is a 1.2-mile loop of easy to moderate hiking along an old railroad bed and through hilly terrain.
To access the Golden Harvest Preserve, turn right after crossing Volunteers Bridge and follow the railroad bed to the farm fields on the right.
Features: Pond (with sandy beach and lifeguards during summer). Good fly-fishing along Shepaug River. Picnic tables at Volunteers Bridge, a suspension bridge built entirely by volunteers in 1991. Old railroad bed.

19. McMahan Preserve
44 acres
No public access or trails.

20. Fulkerson Preserve
9 acres
No public access or trails.

21. Orzech Family Preserve
112 acres
Access: Limited to east side of Botsford Hill Road. Cross Orzech field at the blue gate to the old railroad bed and the Kress Family Trail. This trail connects to the River Road, Erbacher and Golden Harvest Preserves.
Features: The majority of the Orzech Family Preserve continues in active farming.

22. Jagiri Loomba Preserve
5 acres
Access: Off Route 67 near Mine Hill Road
Trails: None
Features: Shepaug River with fishing allowed.

Trail Stewardship

1. Please do not disturb any structures.
   
2. The collection of plants or animals is prohibited.
   
3. Dogs are welcome, but must be kept under owner's control and preferably leashed.
   
4. Hunting or trapping activities are strictly prohibited, as is the use of firearms or any other weapon.
   
5. Please carry out all trash.
   
6. Camping and open fires are not permitted without the written permission of the Roxbury Land Trust.
   
7. All preserves close at dusk.
   
8. Motorized vehicles are not allowed.
   
9. For safety reasons, horses are allowed on designated trails only.
   
10. Please be respectful of farming and do not traverse planted fields.

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