Jefferson Park trail, passing through both State Forest land and Land Trust land, offers an opportunity to see a number of diverse ecological settings. The forest is relatively remote and thus provides an opportunity to see birds that require more solitude. The trail has a sizable loop, the branches of which are quite different in character.
The trail begins at Trailhead 1, and proceeds east along Old Ridge Road with State Forest on the south, and private lands on the north. The old road is bounded by stone walls on both sides. The first 600 feet of the trail is shared with Trail #6 (which then branches south to Lost Pond).
Continuing on the old road to where the trail turns sharply left (north) leads to a moister area in which an occasional yellow birch occurs along with beech, red maple, tulip-poplar, black birch and oaks. Here, the trail passes through dense thickets of small trees and shrubs including witch hazel, high bush blueberry, viburnums, dogwoods, beech sprouts, and red maple, and an intermittent stream and boggy area lined with skunk cabbage and false helebore.
The trail passes another boggy spot before heading up a rise, where at about mid-slope, it splits to form the base of a large loop. Either branch will lead on to Trailhead 2. The right branch cuts along the east-facing slope of a gentle ridge. This section of the trail is characterized by stumps of large beech trees and dense stand of beech sprouts and saplings in the understory.
The trail passes along a stone wall. The land here was cleared and probably pastured as it is too rocky to till. Ironwood is a very common understory tree in some areas. The trail opens onto the power line right-of-way where deer are often seen grazing in the springtime. About 200 feet into the woods, the trail meets the loop’s western branch just by another stone wall.
Here, the trail can be looped to return to Trailhead 1, or by proceeding north on Land Trust land, the trail leads to the Jefferson Park trailhead which connects to the Oil Mill Brook Trail.
Along the west branch of the loop, the trail ascends the slope to its crest and heads south toward the power lines. Dogwoods bloom along the opening’s edges—revealing the importance of sunlight and air movement in drying foliage and preventing infection by the anthracnose fungus that has killed most of this species under forest canopies. Few dogwoods remain in our woods today. The trail passes along a stone wall before turning south once more and along another stone wall. Descending the ridge to the base of the loop at mid-slope will lead back to Trailhead 1.
From I-95, take Exit 61 and head north on Durham Hill Road (Route 79). Continue and take a left onto Green Hill Road, Turn right onto Copse Road and bear right (north) when it joines with Warpas Road. Turn right onto Jefferson Park Road where parking and the trailhead are at the end.
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