“That swamp by the side of the road was no longer just a messy patch of water. Now I saw a beaver pond, rich with biodiversity, a wetland, connected to the larger river system working like a vast kidney to cleanse the water.” Leila Philip from her new book “Beaverland: How a Weird Rodent Made America”.
I wrote about beavers in my September 2021 Trail Talk column and their important role in fostering biodiversity and water management. With the release of Beaverland I felt compelled to take up the topic again. Philip does a deep dive into the world of beavers, and I appreciated that she made the effort to look at all perspectives (as they can also be a nuisance), right down to joining a trapper on his lines and even going so far as to participate in skinning a beaver pelt (not sure I could do that). I highly recommend reading her book (available at The Killingworth Library) and then going in search of beavers.
I include links to the trail maps for all the trails described in this post. Further information can be found on the land trust websites. While I did not see any beavers during my visits over the winter, I found evidence of current activity in all these locations in the form of newly gnawed trees. When I revisited Thach Preserve in the spring I was treated to a show. A beaver swam all around, repeatedly slapping its tail.
BAILEY TRAIL SOUTH, Madison. Bailey Trail North and South used to connect, but due to flooding from beaver activity they cannot be done together as a thru-hike. I started at TH-2 (Trailhead 2) at the Georgetown Circle cul-de-sac. The trailhead is prominently marked with a sign, which is helpful because I did feel like I was crossing someone’s lawn to get to it. There is a large beaver lodge and dam visible right at the start of the trail and you can see where a former boardwalk has been completely destroyed. The nice thing about the trail is it follows the river the entire way, so if you love being near running water this is a delightful trail. There is almost always a house in sight so you will not feel very secluded – this can be a good or a bad thing depending on how you look at it. The terrain itself is flat, and relatively easy except there are many tree roots to navigate and one section where the trail crosses a low streambed on rocks. I went as far as the turn-off for TH-3 before turning around for a total hike of 1.8 miles. There are also trailheads and parking on Concord Drive and Summer Hill Road.
Bailey South Trail Map here
One of many gnawed trees near the beaver pond at the Georgetown Circle cul-de-sac
SUMMER HILL AND BAILEY TRAIL NORTH, Madison. After visiting the beaver pond at the start of Bailey Trail South I wondered if I could access it from the other side via the Bailey Trail North. The trailhead is on the left (south) side of Route 80 right after crossing the Hammonasset River into Madison. There is a pullout for a couple of cars on the north side of Route 80, but if you are like me, you may be hesitant to park on the shoulder of such a busy road. I saw from the MLCT interactive trail map that there is a connecting trail from Summer Hill Preserve, so I started there instead. There have been many changes since I last wrote about Summer Hill Preserve, including additional trails on the north side of the pond. Start at the parking lot on Summer Hill Road north of Route 80 and when you reach the first map kiosk and intersection turn right to skirt the southern edge of the pond. The path is a new one to steer hikers around the expanded pond where these intrepid beavers have engineered a secondary dam and pond below the main one. At the next intersection turn right and follow the blue circles. This trail traverses a high pine forest and passes some interesting rock formations. At the one mile mark the trail comes out on Route 80 at the pullout I mentioned earlier. Carefully cross, and continue onto Bailey Trail North. The trail goes along the Hammonsasset River for another half mile, but ends shortly after the Shepherds Trail spur, possibly because of beaver activity as the river appears ponded at this point. I headed up Shepherds Trail and walked along a very impressive ridgeline, turning at the halfway point and retracing my steps for a total of 3.75 miles. The downside to Shepherds Trail is you pass close to numerous backyards. Luckily it was not backyard BBQ weather or I might have found myself waving and asking for a hamburger.
Summer Hill Trail Map here
Bailey North Trail Map here
The stepping stones below the beaver dam on the Summer Hill Trail
THACH PRESERVE, Lyme. This land trust parcel is off Brush Hill Road in Lyme, not far from the East Haddam line. I visited twice -- once in the winter, and once for sunrise in early spring. The first part of the hike is easy, following a wide cart path down to a bluff above the Beaver Pond. From there I took the orange trail to the left, and wandered up the purple offshoot trail to a bench at an overlook high above the pond. You can descend to the pond on any of the trails. There were three beaver lodges scattered around the pond. I followed orange down and looped back on yellow for a total of 1.25 miles. There is a home that fronts the pond to the west, but it is still a nice tranquil spot. The parcel is narrow and abuts property where hunting is allowed, so there are signs recommending wearing orange during hunting season. On YouTube I watched a few videos taken with a game camera by the edge of the pond. One shows both a beaver and a bobcat! Watch the video here.
Thach Pond Trail Map here
The Thach Preserve beaver pond at dawn in late March
BEEBE PRESERVE, Lyme. This 83 acre parcel off Old Grassy Hill Road in Lyme has an easy loop trail (not flat, but the inclines are gentle) blazed in orange. There is a short spur trail that leads to a wildlife viewing platform at the edge of a beaver pond fed by the aptly named Beaver Brook. When I visited I saw two large beaver lodges in close proximity to the platform. The hillside is former farmland, and as you loop around you will see the evidence of this in the numerous stone walls and occasional large white oak tree. I recorded the total loop at 1.4 miles. NOTE: Hunting is allowed in this preserve, so wear bright orange during hunting season (turkey season is late April through May). The preserve is CLOSED on weekdays during deer firearms season (mid-Nov to late Dec).
Beebe Preserve Trail Map here
The viewing platform and one of the lodges at Beebe Preserve
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