Barnard, Schwab, and Wiedel Preserves were acquired through a series of donations from long-standing members of the Danbury community, including founding members of (then) Swampfield Land Trust. The properties are located along Long Ridge Road, which is Danbury’s only designated scenic road. Totaling nearly 108 acres, these three properties feature upland forest, wetlands, and streams and form a contiguous swath connected via the Ives Trail Greenway (a regional trail that connects parks and open spaces in four towns in Fairfield County). The 17-mile Ives Trail traverses Bennett’s Pond State Park and Pine Mountain Reserve in Ridgefield; Wooster Mountain State Park, Tarrywile Park, and the Barnard, Schwab, and Wiedel Preserves in Danbury; Terre Haute open space in Bethel; and Bogus Brook Preserve in Redding.

Parking is available at the Long Ridge United Methodist Church at 201 Long Ridge Road, Danbury, CT. Parking is allowed every day except Sunday. Exit the parking lot and walk approximately 0.5 miles up Long Ridge Road to the entrance of Wiedel Preserve.

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