Hiking in Land Preserves

The Lucius Pond Ordway Devil’s Den Preserve in Weston and Redding encompasses nearly 1,750 acres and is the largest preserve in Fairfield County. Grab a trail booklet at the entrance and take off on a hike that seems best suited to you from among the preserve’s 20 miles of pathways. And if you see something that looks like a hoof mark in one of the stones along the way, well, that’s how this preserve got its name!

From Devil’s Den, head north on Rte. 7 and then pick up Rte. 202 toward Litchfield. Stop in Marbledale for a meal at The White Horse Country Pub, a perfect “in-between” spot where good pub food and natural good cheer seem to be the order of the day.

Next it’s on to Litchfield, where the 4,000-acre White Memorial Conservation Center has long held the flag high for nature and environmental awareness. There is camping here, as well as boating, picnicking, excellent birding and 35 miles of hiking trails, including interpretive nature trails and a boardwalk trail that circles above Little Pond.

Next day, it’s not a long drive to a dirt road in neighboring Roxbury and Mine Hill Preserve, a gateway to the past and the remains of what was once a thriving 19th-century iron-making complex. A 4-mile trail winds its way up and down through the woods past old iron mines, a quarry and the remnants of the roasting ovens and blast furnace used to process the iron ore. Excellent signage helps explain it all