Join us as we cross the ridge from Bloomfield to Simsbury on a tour of protected lands and fall scenery showcasing Traprock Ridge Land Conservancy and Simsbury Land Trust properties. This free 5+/- mile hike – now in its 12th year – provides an opportunity to enjoy the fall colors and experience a different mode of journeying between the two neighboring towns.
We will meet at 9:00 a.m. at the Flower Bridge in Simsbury. Please park in the commuter lot at the corner of Iron Horse Blvd and Drake Hill Road behind Fitzgeralds. (Google map). A bus provided by Bloomfield Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Services will shuttle hikers to the starting point at the historic Oliver Filley House in LaSalette Park in Bloomfield. Hikers will begin their journey ascending a short hill for great views of the Hartford skyline. The route will connect LaSalette Park to the adjoining trails on TRLC’s Hawk Hill Farm, a working farm with passive recreation trails and a number of notable trees. We will continue to TRLC’s Stout Family Farm, Bloomfield’s gateway to Penwood State Park.
In Penwood hikers will visit Lake Louise and The Pinnacle for spectacular fall views of Simsbury and the Farmington Valley. The yellow trail will take the group to SLT’s Tanager Hill Preserve on our descent into Simsbury. SLT’s Walk Book notes that Tanager Hill is “the most diverse parcel” of preserved land in Simsbury. Tanager Hill connects to SLT’s Owen Mortimer Preserve and the hike will finish with a short walk on the road back to the vehicles.
Please register for this program since there is a limited bus space. Thank you!
Co-sponsored by the Traprock Ridge Land Conservancy (TRLC), Simsbury Land Trust (SLT), and Bloomfield Parks, Recreation & Leisure Services.
We will be back to finish cutting the roses that we started to clear out in September so we can bring in the field and brush mower. You’ll need loppers, hand saws and LEATHER gloves; those roses are fierce! Wear long pants, long sleeves and muck boots, if you have them. Parking is across from 140 Kimberly Road. Please be careful to not block the driveway.
RSVP to our Conservation Chairs at conservation@trlandconservancy.org if you are interested in helping so that you can be contacted in case of changes or cancellations.
CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER
Please join us for a hike with TRLC volunteer Dave Mogul at West Hartford Reservoirs. The planned route is about 3 miles, and it’s expected to take 2-3 hours, depending on our group’s pace.
We’ll be hiking mostly on the Metacomet trail on an out-and-back route. This is a relatively easy hike with a limited number of inclines and areas with rocky footing.
We’ll meet at 9:30 a.m. in the parking lot that’s accessed from the entrance at 1420 Farmington Avenue, in the parking area that’s immediately on the left after taking the left fork just after you enter the park.
Co-sponsored by Simsbury Land Trust.
Being in nature is good for us! Based on Japanese Forest Bathing, forest therapy has holistic health benefits: mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual. A walk in the woods in a group with a guide offers inspiration, energy, and a sense of well-being. All are welcome.
The two-hour program begins with an orientation to the area and a brief meditation followed by three short exercises based on suggestions that involve the senses. Such as “walk as far as the bend in the trail ahead, make yourself comfortable, and sense where the wind touches your body.” After each exercise we will have time for conversation and at the end we will share tea. You will feel lighter and more relaxed after our time together.
The walk will be led by the Rev. Dr. Nancy Wright, a certified Forest Therapy guide, trained in the Forest Therapy School, and assisted by Dr. Lawrence Zemel.
Please RSVP – Limit is 15 adult participants
Bring: water, a foldable chair or cushion, and a snack as needed; sorry that pets cannot be accommodated
Park at the end of Stone Hill Road in Bloomfield. We will walk about ½ mile to a picnic and wooded area in Penwood State Park. Participants can stay there and wander into the wooded area close by or walk further afield.
Join us for a community event showcasing the new trails and plantings within this 2.75-acre urban micro-forest tucked into a West Hartford neighborhood. A short program, which begins at 1:30 pm, will acknowledge the volunteers who cleared debris, removed invasive plants, and planted 200 native plants as part of the restoration efforts. Light refreshments will be provided. Please park at Wolcott School and walk over to our property across from 134 Davenport Road.
We will be helping Environmental Science Professor Dr. Kirsten Martin by cutting (no painting) common buckthorn, Bradford pear, multiflora rose, and bittersweet on the grassland habitat at USJ. Dr. Martin is hoping to turn it into a habitat for pollinators after the invasives are removed.
Bring loppers, hand saws, and dress for poison ivy and ticks. Park in the lot near the Asylum Ave entrance gate at 1678 Asylum Ave. Professor Martin says she will make us lunch!
Please RSVP to our Conservation Chairs at conservation@trlandconservancy.org if you are interested in helping so that we can get a count for lunch and you can be contacted in case of changes or cancellations.
Join us for rose party. There are some huge roses that we need to get out of the way before we can mow at the end of October. Bring loppers, hand saws and LEATHER gloves; those roses are fierce! Wear long pants, long sleeves and muck boots, if you have them. Parking is across from 140 Kimberly Road. Please be careful to not block the driveway.
RSVP to our Conservation Chairs at conservation@trlandconservancy.org if you are interested in helping so that you can be contacted in case of changes or cancellations.
Come be part of the TRLC Annual Gathering. Celebrate in the company of friends and neighbors who love the outdoors and share our mission of preserving open space and farmland.
- Enjoy live music, hors d’oeuvres, non-alcoholic beverages (additional cash bar)
- Learn about our forest restoration project at Wojan Woods in West Hartford, plus other recent successes and exciting future plans.
- Discover possibilities for forest bathing in the woods near you.
Event registration is $40 per person. Additional contributions are welcome (we are a 501c3 tax-exempt organization).
Please register by Friday, September 5:
- Register online now with a credit card.
- Or download and print a PDF form to mail-in with a check.
2025 Event Sponsors:
Oak Level
Willow Level
- Duncaster
- Northwest Community Bank
- The Bluebird Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving
- Windsor Federal Bank
Pine Level
Join us for a weekday hike on September 8th with Dave Mogul at McLean Game Refuge in Granby.
We’ll be hiking a circular path around the eastern end of the property on some of the park’s roads and trails. This is relatively easy hike, although there are a few inclines and some areas with rocky footing. The planned route is about 3 miles, and it’s expected to take 2 -3 hours, depending on our group’s pace.
We’ll meet at 9:30 at the parking lot on 150 Barndoor Hills Road. Please dress appropriately for the weather, and bring water as well as bug spray, if you want to.
Check Facebook or the website for postings or cancellation.
This hike is co-sponsored by Traprock Ridge Land Conservancy and Simsbury Land Trust.
Please join us as we tackle the invasives growing up the trees along the road frontage and put up a couple boundary signs. Parking is across from Burnwood Road or on the apron on Maple Street.
Always dress for the woods – wear long pants, long-sleeved shirt, socks, boots, leather work gloves, bug spray and sunscreen.
RSVP to our Conservation Chairs at conservation@trlandconservancy.org if you are interested in helping so that you can be contacted in case of changes or cancellations.