Enjoy an Easy Thanksgiving Ramble at Farrell-Ross Preserve in Southeast

The Glenda Farrell-Henry Ross Preserve in Southeast is easy to get to, relatively flat, and doesn’t take very long at all. It’s a good choice for a beginning hiker, or someone looking for a short hike that doesn’t require a day-trip.

According to the preserve brochure, this property was part of the Gage family farm. Elihu Gage was one of the first settlers in the land know as the Oblong, a once-contested strip of land along the current New York- Connecticut border.

To get to the Glenda Farrell-Henry Ross Preserve, go east on Milltown Road for 2.2 miles from the intersection of Rt. 22. There is wooden sign and a small grassy parking area on the left hand side of the road. Be careful, because there is a drop-off from the pavement to the parking area.

A footbridge over a small stream gets you from the parking area to the trailhead. The first section of the trail has lots of brush and a few areas with a ground covering of pachysandra. A few dozen yards in, you will hit a long boardwalk that takes you over a wetlands area. After the boardwalk, there is a short, slightly uphill section through a very rocky area. Navigating this rocky section is probably the most difficult part of the trail. Follow the red plastic trail markers on the trees to get you through this “field of rocks.”

The path climbs through a break in a stone wall, and heads up a hill. At this point on the trail, the underbrush is gone and the forest floor opens up. Pass through another stone wall at the crest of the hill and, following the arrow sign, make a right turn immediately after the wall. The trail is straight for a short while, following along the stone wall.

A trail intersection gives you a choice to take either the Red Trail or the Yellow Trail. We went left to stay on the Red Trail. Near an old, fallen, and rotting tree on a small plateau there is a marker for Old Campsite #1. There is also an Old Campsite #2 but I haven’t been able to find it.

The Red Trail passes over a small stream on a wood plank bridge. On the far side of the bridge, there are arrow markers on a nearby tree. Both directions indicate the Red Trail, because from this point the path will make a loop and eventually bring you back to this spot. So remember how you got to this spot.

We went left to go clockwise around the loop. A short distance past the start of the loop, a big tree, broken maybe 20 to 30 feet off the ground, hangs over the trail. To be safe, we went around it.

The trail goes up through a depression between two rock outcroppings. At the top of the rise, there is a small overlook with a decent dropoff. There are a few flat spots, so we stopped to nibble on the baked pumpkins seed we made on Halloween. They really weren’t that good, but we ate them because we made them.

Heading downhill again, there is another large rock outcropping up ahead. When you get close to the outcropping, take a look at the “splayed hickory” that grew up the side of the rock.

Passing behind the big rock formation, the trail turns to the right and follows a stone wall. Look for the tree-stand on the left as trail curves to the right. A plank bridge will take you over another wet area. After the bridge, there is another ‘rocky field.’ A stream will be on your left. Follow the water downstream and you will soon be back at the bridge where the loop began. Make a left and go back over the plank bridge. You will begin to see familiar territory as you pass through the campsite again. Trace your steps back to the parking area.

Our hike took about an hour and fifteen minutes. I’ve been to this preserve during all four seasons and each has something to offer—the autumn colors, the stillness of winter, the vernal pools and skunk cabbage in spring, and the mature greenery of summer.

The Glenda Farrell-Henry Ross Preserve is owned by the Putnam County Land Trust. You can download a trail map at their website at www.pclt.net, or email me and I will send you a link.

I recently joined the Board of the Putnam County Land Trust. I figured that since I spend so much time hiking on and writing about Putnam County’s natural wonders, I should do my part to help take care of them.

Steven Mattson has been a resident of Brewster for 10 years. He is currently writing a family-oriented book about the sights and adventures in and around Putnam County. He can be reached at dutchess92@comcast.