Author: Cecilia

Flanders Nature Center & Land Trust
Flanders holds more than 2,100 acres of open space in trust in Woodbury, Bethlehem, Southbury and Middlebury.  This includs seven nature preserves and sanctuaries.    The trails are not wheelchair accessible, but are mostly short and some may be easy enough for you.  Call first. Phone 203-263-3711  Here is the website for the Trust.
?   Van Vleck Farm and Nature Sanctuary in Woodbury  “Landscape includes  stone walls, fields, meadows, forests, wetlands, marshes, streams and ponds.”  Trail monitor Dave says the trails are level for the most part.   Map
?  Hetzel Refuge  54 acres”…includes woodlands, hay fields, conifer plantations, swamps and man-made ponds.”  Map
-Leavenworth Preserve  125 acres of wildlife habitat with “low-impact trail system.”  Map
– Fleming Preserve  28.5 acres with “…forests, meadows, trails, apple orchard, stone walls and an overlook.”  Map
– Whittemore Sanctuary 686 acres  “Ecological habitats include woodlands, streams, ponds, a large bog and abutting lake.”  Map

Woodcock Nature Center
Woodcock Nature Center in Wilton is 179 acres with 3 miles of trails through a mixture of habitats, including woods, a pond and wetlands.  The trails are open to the public 365 days a year from dawn until dusk.  “…recreation on the preserve is limited to hiking and passive activities (bird watching, photography, etc.).”
Jeanne Young, their office manager, was kind enough respond,  “I would not deem our trails wheelchair accessible in general…”  But they have had  school children on their easier trails using modified wheelchairs (with larger tires) and with assistants to help them get over roots and rocks.
“As for the elderly/infirm, a portion of some of our trails are relatively flat with minor obstacles like roots and small rocks” which can be obscured by leaves and snow.  “Hikers could travel a portion of the trails and then turn around and double back.”:
Phone 203-762-7280  Here is their website.   Trail Map
Yellow trail to the board walk that leads out over the wetlands.  Beyond the boardwalk the trail becomes challenging.
Red trail about 0.25 mile up a slight incline where it levels out turn around at green trail intersection.
Blue trail 0.23 mile a level hike for the first few hundred feet. There is a slight incline before leveling out again for the remainder of the trail. 

 

White Memorial Conservation Center
Located in northwestern Connecticut, the White Memorial Foundation and  Conservation Center has 4,000 acres of forest, fields, and wetlands.  There are 40 miles of trails and a nature museum.  Here is their website.
Detailed Map      Overall Map  Trails  Phone 860-567-0857
0.3 mile  Trail of the Senses/Braille Trail  Interpretive plaques along the trail “…encourage you to smell scents in the air, feel changes in the ground, and take part in other sensory activities in order to discover the natural world. ”  “There are some waterbars and roots on the trail, so assistance may be needed to navigate.”
? Interpretive Nature Trail 0.5 mile loop  “While relatively flat, the trail does include boardwalks, heavily rooted areas, and a slight incline at the end. It can be completed in 45 minutes -1 hour.”
? Little Pond Boardwalk Trail  loop 1.2 mile elevated wooden walkway  “…that allows visitors to explore the wetland environment around Little Pond.”  Although the boardwalk is easy walking, getting on and off it may require some steps.