The trails pass through pine and hardwood forests that were lightly managed by donor Quentin Hutchins. You’ll see pines that were thinned and pruned many years ago, and evidence of recent forest management by the Forest Society designed to further improve the forest stands. Look for pines where the lower branches were pruned off (you can still see telltale marks in the tree bark where a branch was sawn off). There is a large beaver meadow in the northerly portion of the property, which can be seen from Route 132.
There are small, struggling remnants of the once robust population ofAmerican Chestnut growing in the understory of the forest. These trees survive by sprouting from the old root system, over and over. Sadly, as the tree stems grow large enough to be able to flower, an exotic invasive disease, chestnut blight, chokes the tree’s circulatory system,causing the stems to die. To learn more about the effort to combat chestnut blight and return this majestic tree to our forests, go to http://www.acf.org/.
Help us care for this property by following these guidelines during your visit:
There is one small pull-off on Route 132 for a few cars to park at the trailhead to the Hutchins Forest. Trails are marked with yellow rectangles. There is another pull-off at the former log landing on Pickard Road. The landing is blocked with several large boulders. There are no signs or maps at the landing area.
Open dawn to dusk
Please note that this property may be difficult to access in winter due to winter roadside parking bans and/or unplowed parking areas.
Full list of use guidelines available HERE