2022-3-8, Birch Rocks - Pratt Glen Nature Reserve, Brookfield, CT

On 2022-3-8, I visited the Birch Rocks - Pratt Glen Nature Reserve in Brookfield, CT.  I made an interactive map of the preserve with location numbers.  Here is a link to the interactive map: https://arcg.is/1P9Dvr0  .

Here's a static screenshot of my interactive map.



1.  There was a gravel parking area that could fit maybe eight cars. According to https://brookfield.mapxpress.net/ags_map/ , both the Birch Rocks and the Pratt Glen preserves are now owned by Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy.  It seems that Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy was formed from several land trusts.



1.  A map kiosk by the parking area.  The map is available at https://ctland.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/BirchRocksPrattGlen.pdf  .  Another connection with the yellow trail has been created for the red trail since the creation of the map.



2.  A blaze.  I have attempted to cause the blazes to be usefully rendered at this map site: https://hiking.waymarkedtrails.org/#?map=16.0/41.4816/-73.3685 .



4.  I thought there may have been an extreme wind event in the last five years on this section of the blue trail.



5.  A bench courtesy of BSA Troop 135.



6.  There was a blue-blazed spur trail that may have once gone somewhere.

7.  There was evidence of recent ATV traffic near here.  It seemed to be fairly clear which house the ATV was coming from.



9.  I don't know if Weantinoge Heritage still exists.



8.  A view over a new house.



10.  A view of Lake Lillinonah, a dammed-up portion of the Housatonic River.



11.  Strange sand in a little stream.  The sand looked like wet cement.



12.  



13.  



16.  An impressive new bridge on the red trail.



14.  At the end of an unblazed spur trail off the red trail.



15.  Evidence of recent blow-down cutting.



17.  There were several of these signs in the Pratt Glen preserve.



18.  Another impressive bridge, this one on the yellow trail.


19.  There didn't seem to be any good parking opportunities where the yellow trail met Obtuse Road North although you could probably walk along Obtuse Road North to the parking area.


3.  One of the largest trees in the preserves, a sycamore, I think, maybe four feet in diameter.  There were some hemlocks, tulip-poplars and black birches in the two-to-three-foot range.



Here's a static screenshot from https://hiking.waymarkedtrails.org/#?map=16.0/41.4816/-73.3685 .

















David Reik

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