Westside Nature Preserve

33 acres of woodlands and wetlands located on the campus of Western Connecticut State University. Nature trail with a diverse collection of fauna and flora.

From a misty summer morning to a crisp winter evening, and at all times and seasons in between, the forest of the Westside Nature Preserve (WNP) is enchanted. The giant tulip and oak trees, among which deer wander, on a summer morning, and the stillness in the snow of a winter's evening will magically transport you away from concerns of everyday life.

The Westside Nature Preserve is located on the Westside Campus of Western Connecticut State University, in Danbury Connecticut, approximately two miles off I-84 Exit 4 (going westbound) or approximately three miles off Exit 2 (going eastbound).

Follow the main road on the campus and park on the road, just beyond the tennis courts. Signs direct you to the kiosk at the entrance to the Preserve. Near the kiosk is a brochure box that contains pamphlets that will orient and guide you. The map in the pamphlet will show two trails, both are loops and will bring you back to where you started your hike. The older trail loop is about 3/4 of mile and the newer trail is about one mile. Part of the older trail parallels a brook with three foot bridges over it. The newer trail, horseshoe-shaped, parallels the Central Valley wetland.

There are always interesting things to see because what you see varies with the time of the day and the season of the year, from pileated woodpeckers ton wild turkeys and fawns, from spring ephemeral wildflowers to the so-called snow fleas of winter. A good introduction to all this is found at: www.wcsu.edu/wnptoday.