Ground Pine Sanctuary & The Mahony Gift
Sport Hill Road, Redding, Fairfield County, CT
61 acres

Directions:

Route 58 to Meeker Hill, right onto Poverty Hollow, second right onto Sport Hill Road, left into Charles Sanford Road (unpaved).

History:

Brian Mahony donated 7.1 acres off Sport Hill Road to the Redding Land Trust.  It provides access to an old logging road.

The Town of Redding acquired Ground Pine Sanctuary in 1973.  It was the former farm of First Selectman Jesse Sanford.  James Ellsworth designed and put into effect the trails here.

Trails:

1.25 miles of trail. The Sanford Trail heads northeast to the northeast corner of the sanctuary then heads south and southwest to the border with the Mahony Gift.  A short circular trail can be made from the trail by using the Grouse Run to head back to the Sanford Trail and to the parking area.

The Sanford Trail curves southeast and then east and southeast again to a ledge at the southeast part of the sanctuary.  From the ledged the trail heads west to Sport Hill Road a short distance south of the parking area.  A southeast loop can be made of the Sanford Trail by taking The Swipe Trail north to the start of the clockwise loop trail.

http://www.historyofredding.com/HRhiking.htm

Redding Conservation Commission. 1992. The book of trails III: A guide to the use and protection of open lands in Redding, Connecticut. Third edition.  Printed at Stratford, CT: Remiltho, Inc. 

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