Tuesday Treks
Date: Tuesdays
Time: 9:00 am
Place: A different Lyme preserve each week
Join us for a refreshing morning walk on a Lyme preserve led by a board or staff member of the Lyme Land Trust. The leaders will alternate each week between Jim Arrigoni, Wendy Hill, Tony Irving, Ryan Quinn, and Kristina White. The walks are about two hours and are moderately easy unless noted. Bring a water bottle and dress for the weather. Reservations are requested. Contact walk leader to register to be notified about last minute cancellations. Walk-ins welcome.
Inclement weather cancels.
The schedule (please note that the schedule may change)
2025
Jan 7, 9:00 am Kristina – Selden Creek Preserve – Canceled due to weather. Hike to both overlooks and view the creek in winter. 2 miles. Steep in parts. Meet at the Selden Creek Preserve parking lot on Joshuatown Rd.
Contact: Kristina.white@lymelandtrust.org
Jan 14, 9:00 am Jim – Beebe Preserve – Gentle 1-mile loop includes an overlook of a beaver wetland and many interesting stone formations along the way. If weather conditions allow, this trek may be suitable for snow shoes or cross-country skis. Meet at the parking lot on Old Grassy Hill Road.
Contact: Jim.arrigoni@lymelandtrust.org
Jan 21, 9:00 am Tony – Plimpton Preserve – Canceled due to weather. This 2+ mile hike represents some of the early history of land use in Lyme. Some moderate inclines, but well worth the walk. Park along Sterling City Road by Stone Post Road, across from the preserve entrance.
Contact: anthonyinlyme@gmail.com
Jan 28, 9:00 am Quinn – Patrell and Chapal Farm Preserve – There are several short trails on this preserve that the Lyme Land Trust shares with East Haddam. Lets explore them all. Meet at the Parking area on Baker Lane in East Haddam.
Contact: ryan.p.quinn@gmail.com
Feb 4, 9:00 am Wendy – Mt Archer Woods/Eno Preserve – We will walk a 3.3-mile loop. When the leaves are gone, there are views of Long Island Sound from the yellow trail. Meet at the Mt. Archer Woods parking lot on Mt Archer Rd.
Contact: openspace@townlyme.org
Feb 11, 9:00 am Kristina – Pleasant Valley and Jewett Preserves– A 2.5 mile walk through the snow-covered fields and forest – Due to icy conditions, you must have either snowshoes or crampons. Meet at parking lot on Macintosh Rd.
Contact: Kristina.white@lymelandtrust.org
Feb 18, 9:00 am Jim – Banningwood Preserve – Mostly gentle 1.5-mile traverses a variety of interesting habitats including the floodplain of Roaring Brook where the Land Trust has been working to restore native vegetation with a variety of partners. Meet at the parking lot on Town Street/Route 82.
Contact: Jim.arrigoni@lymelandtrust.org
Feb 25, 9:00 am Tony – Brockway-Hawthorne Preserve – There is much history here of the early use of the land by colonists and how that impacts the land we see today. Meet at the Brush Hill Road parking lot entrance.
Contact: anthonyinlyme@gmail.com
Mar 4, 9:00 am Quinn – Beebe Preserve – This will be an easy 1 mile hike along the orange trail with a stop by the Beaver Brook pond overlook. Meet at the Beebe Preserve parking area on Old Grassy Hill Rd.
Contact: ryan.p.quinn@gmail.com
Mar 11, 9:00 am Wendy – Hartman Park – Let’s explore the southern part of the preserve and see what the beavers are up to. Meet at the main entrance.
Contact: openspace@townlyme.org
Mar 18, 9:00 am Kristina – Johnston and Jewett Preserves – Hike a big loop to the overlook in Johnston, onto the red trail in Jewett , and come back into Johnston. 4 plus miles or so. Meet at the Johnston parking lot on Rte 82.
Contact: Kristina.white@lymelandtrust.org
Mar 25, 9:00 am Jim – Brockway-Hawthorne Preserve – A gentle 2-mile walk will pause to explore the edges of vernal pools for eggs of Spotted Salamanders, Wood Frogs, and other early spring critters. Meet at the parking lot on Brush Hill Road.
Contact: Jim.arrigoni@lymelandtrust.org
Apr 1, 9:00 am Wendy – Johnston Preserve – One of my favorite preserves with its diversity of topography. Great views at the overlook. Great views at the overlook. We will walk 2.5 to 3 miles, gentle to moderate with some moderate inclines.
Contact: openspace@townlyme.org
Apr 8, 9:00 am Quinn – Thach Preserve – Winter is ending and things are turning green again! Lets enjoy a hike through the Thach preserve. This is a 1 mile loop with a variety of interesting habitats to explore. Meet at the Thach Preserve parking area, 131 Brush Hill Road.
Contact: ryan.p.quinn@gmail.com
Apr 15, 9:00 am Wendy – Burnham Brook Preserve, Dolbia Hill Rd., East Haddam – About 3 miles, blue trail loop in pristine upland forest with a section along vibrant Burnham Brook plus the new red trail which has beautiful scenic vistas.
Directions: At the end of Rte. 156, take a right onto Rte. 82, travel 2.7 miles, take left onto Woodbridge Road, travel 1 mile (stay to the right), take left onto Dolbia Hill Rd. Park by Preserve sign along the side of the road.
Contact: openspace@townlyme.org
Apr 22 – 9:00 am Kristina – Nehantic State Forest, Sterling Hill Road Entrance – we will check out what Nehantic looks like after the timber harvest and head to Brown Hill. 3 miles or so. Some rough terrain. Park at top of Sterling Hill Rd by the entrance that is demarcated with large boulders.
Contact: Kristina.white@lymelandtrust.org
Apr 29 – 9:00 am Wendy – Ames Family Open Space, Evergreen Trail, Old Lyme. We will visit two rock caves. Studies have shown that one of the caves was occupied seasonally as a winter shelter by indigenous people beginning at least 4255 years ago. Directions. Take Boston Post Road (Rte 1) to Boggy Hole Rd. Evergreen Trail is about 1/2 mile down on the left.
Contact: openspace@townlyme.org
May 6- 9:00 am Jim – Johnston Preserve – Meet at parking area on Rt. 82. Bird migration is in full swing, so we will listen for birdsong and look for birds along the gentle-to-moderate 2.5-mile walk through mixed and deciduous forest. Binoculars will be good to bring, but are not essential.
Contact: Jim.arrigoni@lymelandtrust.org
May 13 – 9:00 am Quinn – Plimpton Preserve – Park along the side of Sterling City Road near Old Post Road. April showers bring May flowers. What do May flowers bring… Pilgrims! I doubt we will see any pilgrims on this 1.75 mile hike in the center of Lyme, but I am looking forward to a hilly hike with some lookouts and early habitation sites. With luck we might also see some May flowers!
Contact: ryan.p.quinn@gmail.com
May 20 9:00 am – Kristina – Ravine Trail and Brockway Hawthorne Preserve – Meet at Selden Creek Preserve parking on Joshuatown Road. We will walk up the ravine, to the overlooks and then circle back through Brockway Hawthorne. 2.5 miles. Arduous in some areas.
Contact: Kristina.white@lymelandtrust.org
May 27 9:00 am – Wendy – Chestnut Hill Preserve/Nehantic State Forest to Uncas Lake and back. We’ll look for spring ephemeral plants, and check out the recent forest management in Nehantic along the way. About 2.5 miles. Roadside parking at Chestnut Hill entrance, Sterling Hill Rd, Lyme
Contact: openspace@townlyme.org
June 3- 9:00 am – Jim – Banningwood Preserve – Meet at parking lot on Rt. 82. Mostly gentle 2-mile walk through floodplain and upland forests and check out the native plant restoration project between Roaring Creek and the Red Trail.
Contact: Jim.arrigoni@lymelandtrust.org
June 10 – 9:00 – Quinn –Mt. Archer Woods – Meet at the Mt. Archer Woods parking lot. Let’s go hike around the top of Mt. Archer. This hike will be a little over 2 miles and we will have a lot of fun exploring the woods just before the start of summer.
Contact: ryan.p.quinn@gmail.com
June 17 – 9:00 am Kristina – TBD
Contact: Kristina.white@lymelandtrust.org
June 24 – 9:00 am Wendy – Johnston Preserve – Meet at the parking area on Rt. 82. About a 2.5-mile walk, with a moderate incline to the overlooks and back. We’ll check out the vegetation that has emerged after the bluff meadow restoration work that was carried out in March. Contact: openspace@townlyme.org






