Ames Preserve

Town: Old Lyme

Directions: From I-95, take Exit 70. Take a right off the exit ramp to get on Route 1/Boston Post Road. Right on Whippoorwill Road.

Where to park: There is a decent-sized parking lot adjacent to International Coach Works, at 103 Whippoorwill Road. Note that house numbers run out of sequence at one point; keep an eye out for the sign for International Coach Works on your left.

Description: The three or four trails at Ames Preserve provide a variety of options for a 30-minute hike through the woods. There is a large bog on the property and plenty of small bodies of water – including the Bucky Brook – that at times will require hikers to leap or walk over carefully arranged tree trunks and wooden board. Birds are abundant, but unfortunately, so is highway traffic noise.

Amenities: None

Fees: Free

Good to know: Map at entrance is more elaborate than printed map, so it's a good idea to take a photo of this map on digital camera and refer to it during the hike. The green trail runs through private property, and a wrong turn can shoot you straight onto a private residential road.

Owned by: Town of Old Lyme

More information:

www.old-lymeconservtrust.org (page 6 of PDF)