• Avery Preserve
• Avery Hill Road, Ledyard, CT
• Trailhead: 41°27’14.53″N, 72° 2’48.72″W
• Last Time Hiked: August 6, 2016
• Approximate distance hiked: 1.3 miles
• Fairly easy.

Every now and again I will venture out on a guided hike. Today, I went on a hike led by members of the Avalonia Land Conservancy. This group protects several properties in southeastern Connecticut including the beautiful Avery Preserve. We followed the orange blazed trail, first stopping by the Sheep Wash Pen, to the Mill Pond Dam at the Billings Avery Brook. We then headed first northerly, then easterly following the white blazed trail. Next we followed the yellow blazed trail back to the orange trail then retraced our steps back to the parking area. Along the way we came upon several toads and the singing of white breasted nuthatches as well as woodpeckers. The forest, abundant with beech trees, also offered birch and tulip trees. The fern covered forest offered glimpses of turkey tail mushrooms, Indian cucumbers, and rattlesnake orchids. There are several more trails here that can increase the mileage of your hike if you so choose to. The orange trail continues to the westerly end of the property before looping back following the northern most perimeter. There is also a piece of the property across the street (at the parking area) that has an unmarked trail the leads to a rhododendron grove.

Thank you Bruce and Amanda for the very informative guided hike.

Trail maps can be found at: Avery Preserve

Fern Covered Forest