The Whitney Forest is an 84-acre gem of protected woodland, nestled in the heart of Lebanon. It was donated to the Connecticut Forest and Park Association (CFPA) in 1998 by Dorothy D. Whitney of Avon, CT. It was the desire of the Whitney family that the property be managed as a working forest in perpetuity. The forest is now an educational site for sustainable forestry practices. CFPA undertook a timber harvest on the property in 2015 to improve the forest for oak and pitch pine regeneration. The same year, CFPA's trails program built the blue-blazed loop trail to better showcase the property and open it to the public. The trail features red maple swamps, fieldstone corrals, a tumbling stream and views over a neighboring marsh.
The loop trail is named for John Hibbard, one of Connecticut’s premier conservation heroes. Hibbard served as CFPA’s executive director and secretary/forester from 1963 to 2000. Trained as a forester at UConn, Hibbard was a visionary who worked on big legislative issues that have had long-lasting impacts on conservation and recreation across the state. His forceful advocacy was integral to providing tax relief for farm, forest, and open space lands (PA 490) which currently total 484,000 acres statewide. He worked on legislation that established town conservation commissions to protect our local air, water and open space resources.
Notice a trail problem? Report it to CFPA.
Parking is available in the dirt lot on the north side of Oliver Road in Lebanon. Look for the large "Whitney Forest" entrance sign.
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