Despite the unusual shape of this preserve, it contains varied landscapes and species as well as a trail that quickly puts the hustle and bustle of the Route 7 corridor out of sight and sound. Even before parking, one admires the cliffs along Gaylord Road. The trail climbs steeply to a young woodland studded with red cedars, then crosses a small brook and curls around a gentle knoll to the clearing for the Iroquois Gas Pipeline. After crossing the pipeline, note the complexity of the brook, which is fed by underground channels in the marble bedrock. One channel ends in a perfect cylinder. The marble lends richness to the forest with plants like showy orchids, wild oats, and an endangered sedge. The trail continues its climb through an area rich in declining butternut trees and red cedars before reaching towering tulip poplars. At the Sherman town line the trail enters crosses meadows that are studded with carried plantings of conifers and a trailhead at the end of Edmonds Road.

Trail Map

Directions:

From Route 7 in Gaylordsville, take Gaylord Road for 1.7 miles to the south. The road will turn sharply left to cross the brook. There is a pull-out and gate on the bend that provides parking. Please do not park in front of the gate.

You can also access this preserve from 64 Edmonds Road, Sherman, CT 06784.

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