Roxbury Township, Litchfield County, Connecticut
56 acres
Saw Mill River Parkway north to its end (at mile marker 29); get onto US 684 and go about 11 miles (to mile marker 28) to exit 9E for US 684 east; drive about 10.2 miles to get off at Exit 7 for Route 7 north; drive a mile to get off at Exit 1 for Federal Road; at the light make a left turn; drive down to the next light and turn right onto Federal Road north; drive about 1.6 miles to make a right turn onto Route 133; at 3.5 miles you cross the bridge over the Housatonic River (and you are in Bridgewater); keep going until you reach a T-intersection, the intersection with Route 67; turn right onto Wellers Bridge Road; drive into the town of Roxbury.
From the Town Hall in Roxbury, follow Route 67 south for 2.4 miles and turn right onto Squire Road. Parking for the Preserve is 0.5 mi. on the left.
An alternate route from the Town Hall is to take South Street. Squire Road is 2.2 miles south on the left. The Preserve entrance is 0.9 mi. on the right.
History:
There was a saw mill on the upper northeast corner of the Tierney Preserve.
1974 -- gift of Dr. and Mrs. Robert Sherman.
The trail loop of 1.8 miles begins at the memorial plaque. The hike is moderate in difficulty with some steep, rocky climbing. It heads in a southwesterly direction; the trail climbs towards the western border and passes through a stand of Hemlock and several rock outcroppings.
On the way to the high rim that forms the western boundary, the trail is rocky and steep. It passes through an area called a "glacial erratic", a geological term describing the deposition of boulders that were carried long distances by the glaciers. At the top of this switchback section, the hiker will see a fairly long section of stone wall. Passing mountain laurel and beech, the trail heads north and begins to descend.
Next comes Jack's Brook and a series of waterfalls called The Cascades. The last leg of the trail follows the brook with the hayfield on the other side.
8/02/2005. On a very warm, humid day, dog Sonar and I parked in the parking lot of the Preserve. A field lies straight ahead across which the hiker must march. Just a brief stop. I noted down some of the plants around the parking area and then left to find the location of another park/preserve. Dr. Patrick L. Cooney.
PLANT LIST:
Dr. Patrick L. Cooney
* = plant(s) blooming on date of field trip, 8/02/2005
Trees:
Acer saccharum (sugar maple)
Fagus grandifolia (American beech)
Juniperus virginiana (red cedar)
Pinus strobus (white pine)
Prunus serotina (black cherry)
Quercus rubra (red oak)
Ulmus sp. (elm)
Shrubs and Subshrubs:
Berberis thunbergii (Japanese barberry)
Elaeagnus umbellata (autumn olive)
Kalmia latifolia (mountain laurel)
Rhus glabra (smooth sumac)
Rosa multiflora (multiflora rose)
Rubus occidentalis (black raspberry)
Rubus sp. (blackberry)
Vines:
Celastrus orbiculatus (Asiatic bittersweet)
Humulus japonicus (Japanese hops)
Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper)
Toxicodendron radicans (poison ivy)
Vitis labrusca (fox grape)
Herbs:
Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard) *
Ambrosia artemisiifolia (common ragweed)
Chelidonium majus (celandine) *
Daucus carota (Queen Anne's lace) *
Galium mollugo (wild madder) *
Impatiens capensis (orange jewelweed) *
Lepidium virginicum (poor man's pepper)
Oxalis sp. (yellow wood sorrel) *
Plantago lanceolata (English plantain) *
Plantago major (common plantain)
Rumex obtusifolius (broad dock)
Taraxacum officinale (common dandelion)
Trifolium pratense (red clover) *
Verbascum thapsus (common mullein) *
Vicia cracca (cow vetch) *
Rushes:
Juncus tenuis (path rush)
Source and Map:
http://wiki.retrovertigo.com/cgi-bin/WikiX.pl?RoxburyTrails/TierneyPreserve
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