Open Space Conservation Areas
General Information, Pictures, Trail Maps, Management Plans
The Conservation Commission oversees the operation and maintenance of the Town’s Conservation Properties. For each property there is a management plan that serves as a guide for the use of the property. Each plan has been prepared in accordance with the “Open Space Management Guidelines and Process” approved by the Town Council. The process assigns overall on-site responsibility for operations and maintenance to the Head Steward and Tolland Conservation Corps in concert with a property steward assigned to each conservation area. Each property is posted with approved and prohibited uses that are based upon the environmental characteristics of the property. Town residents are encouraged to use the property and be respectful of other visitors. Where dogs are allowed, they must be leased according to Town ordinance.
The Commission has developed a comprehensive listing of all the Tolland Connecticut Hiking Trails. This document states the property name, acreage, and all of its trails. For each trail, there is information regarding its type (loop/linear/connector), marking color, mileage, difficulty rating, and features. This is a great overall reference for hiking in Tolland. Maybe you can hike all of the trails!
The letters on the map below correspond to the list of properties that follow the map.
A) Auperin Conservation Area – 28 acres on westerly side of Weigold Road near Coventry town line. Trail access through the Weigold property. Benches provide views from a knoll.
B) Campbell Peaceful Valley Conservation Area – 70 acres on Hunter Road overlooking the “Peaceful Valley”. Trails connect with Stoppleworth property to the north. There are 1.5 miles of trails including a unique bluff and rock outcrop. The ridge trail gives views of the farm area with its open pasture and brook. The exposed ridge line is a remnant of a historic fault line.
C) King Riverside Conservation Area – 173 acres with 30 acres of public access on Dimock Road (off of route 195). There are 1.2 miles of trails following the riverbank of the Willimantic River.
D) Knofla Conservation Area – 72 acres on Bakos Road just east of Hunter Road. There are 2.1 miles of trails plus a bog view trail to a 15 acre cedar bog.
E) C. W. Luce Conservation Area – 83 acres on westerly side of Charter Road. Trails have not yet been established. Contains Charter Brook and outcrop ledges.
F) Palmer Kendall Mountain Conservation Area – 74 acres off Kendall Mountain Road, between Sugar Hill Road and Cook Road. Contains the top of Kendall Mountain with sweeping views, a winding brook and dense Mountain Laurel thickets.
G) John & Mary Parciak Conservation Area – 60 acres with access from Bald Hill Road and Burbank Road. There are 2.8 miles of trails to a quartz rock and a meteor rock. It is the highest point in Tolland.
H) Sage Meadow Conservation Area – 22 acres off Sage Meadow Drive, held with Joshua’s Trust. Trails have not yet been established. Most of the property is an open wetlands meadow divided by Clough Brook. The meadow can be seen from Old Stafford Road.
I) Schindler/Schmidt Conservation Area – 123 acres off Sugar Hill Road just south of Bakos Road. There are 3.8 miles of trails including a scenic rock and a connector to Kendall Mountain Road and the Palmer property. It is the headwater to Charter Marsh and contains dense forest with bogs, caves, and rocky outcrops.
J) Shafran Conservation Area – 65 acres off Eaton Road just west of Willie Circle. There are 1.4 miles of trails with 2 ponds. Property is bisected by Cemetery Brook.
K) Stoppleworth Conservation Area – 55 acres off Hunter Road. Trails connect with Campbell property to the south. There are 1.2 miles of trails with resting bench. Mostly woodland with wetlands and uplands. Contains the historic Aborn Homestead cellar hole.
L) John H. Weigold Conservation Area – 33 acres on westerly side of Weigold Road near Coventry town line. 1.0 miles of trail connects with Tobiassen Memorial Forest (Joshua’s Trust) and Summerwood Ridge. Contains remains of old mill pond with dam by the side of the road, a brook, vernal pools, and a ledge rising 70 feet above the brook.
Please notify the Conservation Commission of plans for an organized group activity on a Conservation Area. This is just to help you be aware of any other planned activities to allow you to choose to avoid potential conflicts. Please complete and submit this form – Request of Use Form
If you have comments concerning any of the above areas please feel free to e-mail Cindy Murdock in the Development Group. E-mail: cmurdock@tolland.org
Other Areas:
Venture Crew 422 has cleared and marked the trails at the Benton Homestead on Metcalf Road. The Parks and Recreation Department has hiking trails at Crandall Park on Cider Mill Road, Heron Cove Park on South River Road, and Cross Farms Recreation Area on Rhodes Road. Joshua’s Trust preserves the Tobiassen Memorial Forest at the end of Noah Lane.
