CTMQ

Destroying the myth that there is nothing to do here

green mountain modern house
  • CTMQ’s Town Guides
    • Town Completion Celebrations
  • Museums
    • Museum Visits
  • Hikes, Bikes, & Paddles
    • CFPA Blue Trails Challenge
    • Land Trust Trails
    • State Parks, Forests, Reserves, Preserves, & WMAs
    • Town Trails
  • Food & Drink
    • Best, Historic, & Unique Restaurants & Foods
    • Classic Diners & True Taverns
    • Homemade Ice Cream, Cheese, & Chocolate Trails
    • Breweries, Brewpubs, & Cideries
    • Wineries & Meaderies
    • Distilleries
  • Everything Else
    • National Designations
    • Firsts, Onlies, Oldests, Largests, Longests, Mosts, Smallests, & Bests
    • Geography
    • Biology & Geology
    • Sports, Thrills, Tours, & Events
    • Houses, Communities, Libraries, & Businesses
    • Towers, Bridges, Tunnels, Roads, Canals, Dams, Airports, & Ferries
    • Religion, Remembrances, & Outdoor Art
    • Cultural & Historic Trails
    • Books, Movies, People, & Stories
  • Non-CT
    • Travel & Vacations
    • Highpointing and Peakbagging
    • Top 100 Novels Project
    • Oscar Movies Project
  • About
    • FAQ
    • Family
    • Smith-Magenis Syndrome
    • Press
CTMQ > Hikes, Bikes & Paddles > Land Trust Hikes > SLC: Hugh M. and Howard W. Alcorn Wildlife Preserves

SLC: Hugh M. and Howard W. Alcorn Wildlife Preserves

2 Comments

There’s a Chimney Here Too!
Suffield Land Conservancy (SLC): Hugh M. Alcorn and Howard Wells Alcorn Wildlife Preserve

~.5 Mile, December 2017

When I began looking into where to hike in Suffield and came upon the Suffield Land Conservancy’s website, I knew I was in for some difficulty. The SLC owns a ton of little parcels and they provide decent directions to them… but there are no maps. And, I’ve learned, they often mention trails that may or may not exist.

I can now report what exists (for my selfish CTMTQ purposes) and what does not. The Alcorn Preserves certainly exist! And there’s even a blazed and maintained little loop trail through Howard’s.

This parcel is right across Mountain Road (Route 168) and yes, chimney fans, it holds another old chimney. (The Spencer Woods Wildlife Preserve across Mountain Road also has a chimney, about half a mile away!)

This parcel also has a lovely sign. And a plaque! Two, actually!

At the trailhead, I suspect 99% of hikers follow the blue Metacomet Trail north towards the Massachusetts border. And this is a fairly exciting stretch of trail, as it was a roadwalk to the border for YEARS until recently (2016 or so).

For those of us adventurous (read: Weird) types, there’s also the white blazed loop trail of the Suffield Land Conservancy. It is short. It is unexciting.

Unless… unless you love old chimneys.

There’s even a sign pointing the way to the chimney, which connects the “back” of the loop to the Metacomet.

Which took me back to my car through, I believe the Hugh M. Alcorn Preserve.

Further up the Metacomet, one can access the Root-Colson and Prekop Properties of the SLC which, I believe, don’t really contain anything, let alone another awesome chimney. There may be an access trail from the Metacomet to Mountain Road, but really, no one needs to bother with that.


Suffield Land Conservancy
CTMQ’s Suffield Conservation Commission Trails Main Page

Facebooktwitterreddit

Filed Under: Hikes, Bikes & Paddles, Land Trust Hikes, New Post Tagged With: Hartford County, Suffield, suffield land conservancy

Sponsored Links

Comments

  1. brian garvey says

    September 21, 2020 at 7:20 am

    A comment and a grave concern: The trail from the top of the hill past the chimney is gradually being destroyed by ATVs accessing the trail from a trail coming from the east. Their wheels are creating deep ruts and digging up and moving large rocks on the trail. The signs warning vehicles off the trail are rusted, unreadable and even facing in the wrong directionj.
    I suggest creating new emphatic signs at various locations. I would also like to suggest that when a large tree falls across the trail, we leave it where it falls and NOT put a chain saw to it. I’m sure hikers would not mind walking around are over what is natural occurence especially if it helps save the trail from people who produce noise and destruction in such a beautiful area.

  2. Mike Roccanti says

    November 25, 2020 at 6:40 am

    Yes, I agree, it is also troubling to me. I maintain the trail and have started to leave the trees across the trail if it can be walked over. I’ve once spoken to the kids when I’ve been there and seen them riding the quads and motorcycles on the trail but being young teenagers, I think it fell on deaf ears. Now that the trail is a national trail ( The New England Trail), motorized vehicles are specifically not allowed.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Become a CTMQ Patron!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Vimeo

Press & Media Inquiries

Latest Museum Visits

The heart of CTMQ

Totally Random Post!

  • Argentina: Aby’s BakeryArgentina: Aby’s Bakery

Sponsored Links

Recent Comments

  • Denise Eldridge on I AM A GIANT MASTER
  • W. Rose on New England 50 Finest
  • claudia uehlein on Clinton Land Conservation Trust Intro
  • Padraic W Hagan on Lost Ruby Farm
  • Madi on Beelzebub Road, South Windsor
Disclaimer
Mission Statement
Copyright © 2020 - CTMQ