Lake Windwing
South Shore Drive,
Ridgefield, Fairfield County, Connecticut
100+ acres
Directions:
Saw Mill River Parkway to its end (at mile marker 29); get onto US 684 north; drive about 11 miles and get off the exit for US 84 (at mile marker 28); head into Connecticut and get off at Exit 1; turn right onto Saw Mill Road; turn left onto Turner Road; turn right onto Ridgebury Road; left onto Old Stage Coach Road; left onto Bennett's Farm Road; left onto South Shore Drive (has a sign indicating this way to the Ballfields); turn left following a second sign indicating Ballfields. Park.
Facilities:
camping, hiking and a lake for fishing
Trails:
6/26/2005. On a hot and hazy day, Ceferino Sanatana, dog Sonar and I parked by the ballfields at Lake Windwing. I toured the lakeside area and found quite a few plants in bloom. I knew we were blocked by private property from touring the west side of the lake. So I headed south along the lake shore and investigated the east end of the lake. There are a lot of informal trails heading off from the path along the eastern side of the lake. I did not investigate these trails. Crossed over a wooden bridge over the water outlet from the lake dam. I then walked north as far as I could (that was just before reaching the lake's west side). I reached the dead-end area of a street (probably Douglas Lane). One can park at the dead end also, but I am happy with where I parked.
At the southeast end of the lake I picked up the red trail (that will take the hiker up to Pine Mountain). A short distance north on the red trail is an orange trail that heads uphill from the lakeshore. (I am guessing that one connects with the trail of Hemlock Hills.) Returned to the car. Dr. Patrick L. Cooney.
Sources:
Catalog of Ridgefield Open Spaces: http://www.rosaopenspace.org/catalog/index.html#Blacksmith%20Ridge
PLANT LIST:
Dr. Patrick L. Cooney
* = plant blooming on date of field trips, 6/26/2005
Trees:
Acer pensylvanicum (striped maple)
Acer platanoides (Norway maple)
Acer rubrum (red maple)
Acer saccharum (sugar maple)
Betula alleghaniensis (yellow birch)
Betula lenta (black birch)
Carpinus caroliniana (musclewood)
Carya ovata (shagbark hickory)
Carya tomentosa (mockernut hickory)
Cornus florida (flowering dogwood)
Fagus grandifolia (American beech)
Fraxinus americana (white ash)
Juniperus virginiana (red cedar)
Liriodendron tulipifera (tulip tree)
Platanus occidentalis (American sycamore)
Populus deltoides (cottonwood)
Populus tremuloides (quaking aspen)
Prunus serotina (black cherry)
Pyrus sp. (crab apple)
Quercus rubra (red oak)
Quercus velutina (black oak)
Salix sp. (willow)
Tilia americana (American basswood)
Tsuga canadensis (eastern hemlock)
Ulmus rubra (slippery elm)
Shrubs and Subshrubs:
Alnus serrulata (smooth alder)
Berberis thunbergii (Japanese barberry)
Clethra alnifolia (sweet pepperbush)
Cornus amomum (swamp dogwood) *
Elaeagnus umbellata (autumn olive)
Euonymus alatus (winged euonymus)
Hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel)
Kalmia latifolia (mountain laurel) *
Ligustrum sp. (privet)
Lindera benzoin (spicebush)
Lonicera morrowii (Morrow's honeysuckle)
Rhus glabra (smooth sumac)
Rhus typhina (staghorn sumac)
Rosa multiflora (multiflora rose)
Rubus phoenicolasius (wineberry)
Sambucus canadensis (common elderberry) *
Spiraea alba var. latifolia (meadowsweet)
Toxicodendron vernix (poison sumac)
Vaccinium corymbosum (highbush blueberry)
Viburnum acerifolium (maple-leaf viburnum)
Viburnum dentatum (smooth arrowwood viburnum)
Vines:
Calystegia sepium (hedge bindweed)
Celastrus orbiculatus (Asiatic bittersweet)
Lonicera japonica (Japanese honeysuckle) *
Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper)
Toxicodendron radicans (poison ivy)
Vincetoxicum nigrum (black swallowwort)
Vitis aestivalis (summer grape)
Herbs:
Achillea millefolium (common yarrow) *
Agrimonia sp. (agrimony)
Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard) *
Amphicarpaea bracteata (hog peanut)
Antennaria plantaginifolia (plantain-leaved pussytoes)
Apocynum cannabinum (Indian hemp)
Apocynum medium (spreading dogbane)
Arctium sp. (burdock)
Artemisia vulgaris (common mugwort)
Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed) *
Aster spp. (asters)
Boehmeria cylindrica (false nettle)
Cardamine impatiens (narrow-leaved bittercress)
Cerastium vulgatum (mouse-ear chickweed)
Chrysanthemum leucanthemum (ox-eye daisy) *
Circaea lutetiana (enchanter's nightshade)
Cirsium arvense (Canada thistle) *soon
Coronilla varia (crown vetch) *
Dianthus armeria (Deptford pink) *
Elodea sp. (waterweed)
Erigeron annuus (daisy fleabane) *
Fragaria vesca (wood strawberry)
Galium mollugo (wild madder) *
Hieracium caespitosum (field hawkweed)
Hypericum perforatum (common St. Johnswort) *
Impatiens sp. (touch-me-not)
Lemna sp. (duckweed)
Lespedeza sp. (bushclover)
Linaria vulgaris (butter and eggs)
Lychnis flos-cuculi (ragged robin) *
Lysimachia quadrifolia (whorled loosestrife) *
Lythrum salicaria (purple loosestrife)
Medicago lupulina (black medick) *
Melilotus alba (white sweet clover) *
Oxalis sp. (yellow wood sorrel) *
Plantago major (common plantain)
Potentilla simplex (common cinquefoil) *
Prunella vulgaris (self-heal) *
Ranunculus abortivus (kidney-leaved buttercup)
Ranunculus acris (tall buttercup) *
Rumex crispus (curled dock)
Silene latifolia (white campion) *
Sisyrinchium sp. (blue-eyed grass) *
Solanum dulcamara (bittersweet nightshade) *
Sparganium sp. (burreed) *
Taraxacum officinale (common dandelion)
Thalictrum pubescens (tall meadowrue)
Trifolium pratense (red clover) *
Trifolium repens (white clover) *
Tussilago farfara (coltsfoot)
Verbascum thapsus (common mullein)
Veronica officinalis (common speedwell)
Vicia cracca (cow vetch) *
Rushes:
Juncus effusus (soft rush)
Juncus tenuis (path rush)
Sedges:
Carex crinita (fringed sedge)
Carex laxiflora type (loose-flowered type sedge)
Carex lurida (sallow sedge)
Carex pensylvanica (Pennsylvania sedge)
Carex stricta (tussock sedge)
Carex vulpinoidea (fox sedge)
Scirpus atrovirens (dark-green bulrush)
Scirpus cyperinus (woolly grass bulrush)
Grasses:
Anthoxanthum odoratum (sweet vernal grass)
Bromus inermis (smooth brome grass)
Dactylis glomerata (orchard grass)
Elytrigia repens (quack grass)
Lolium perenne (perennial rye grass)
Phleum pratense (Timothy grass)
Phragmites australis (giant reed grass)
Ferns and Fern Allies:
Equisetum arvense (field horsetail)
Onoclea sensibilis (sensitive fern)
Osmunda regalis (royal fern)
Polystichum acrostichoides (Christmas fern)
Thelypteris palustris (marsh fern)
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