Feb 29, 2008
Weston hike explores human activity
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The New Canaan Nature Center has scheduled a hike in Devil’s Den in Weston for Saturday, March 8. Participants will search for signs of human activity dating back thousands of years.
Volunteer guide Al Noe of Weston will lead hikers through the natural beauty of The Den to see evidence of the semi-nomadic Native Americans who once called the area home.
The hike features a 3.3-mile hike that includes a vista from Deer Knoll, examination of the mechanical remains of a portable sawmill, a Native American shelter site, Godfrey Pond and the ruins of a water powered sawmill, and a charcoal-making site. Depending on the amount of interest at each site, this moderate hike should be completed in two to two-and-a-half hours.
Mr. Noe has been leading hikes for adults and school groups at Devil’s Den for more than six years. In additional to his vast knowledge of the trails at Devil’s Den, he has trekked the Himalayas in Nepal and the Andes in Ecuador.
Devil’s Den is the most frequently visited preserve in Connecticut, hosting more than 50,000 people per year. The preserve is 1,756 acres in Weston and Reddingand has 20 miles of walking trails.
The Den’s trails are a part of the extended 70-mile Saugatuck Valley Trails System, all within contiguous forest and watershed lands of nearly 15,000 acres.
Devil’s Den Preserve is the largest contiguous preserve and the largest tract of protected land in densely developed Fairfield County and is under the care of The Nature Conservancy.
Participants will meet at 1 p.m. at the map shelter at the Pent Road entrance of Devil’s Den. All hikes are free of charge but pre-registration is required by March 7. Interested hikers may call 203-966-9577 to register.
© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers
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