Land Trust Preserves and Easements
The New Canaan Land Trust manages close to 400 acres of land across 70 parcels, so there is a good chance that you live near a Land Trust preserve. Use the interactive map below to find an open-to-the-public preserve near you, and use the guidelines at the bottom of the page to ensure that you have a safe and successful outing.
Visitation Guidelines
Open Properties: Preserves that are open for visitation are listed in the “Places to Explore” drop-down menu at the top of the page. Each page has information about the preserve’s location, access, history, and often features a downloadable trail map.
Closed Properties: Some of our preserves, and all of our conservation easements, are not open to the public. Those that are closed may sit on ecologically sensitive sites (wetlands, ponds, etc.), do not have good access, or are simply too small for us to build a trail. We kindly ask that you do not venture on to these closed preserves without written permission from the New Canaan Land Trust. If you are interested in accessing these preserves for research, education, or other reasons, please contact us.
Dog Policy: We do allow furry friends on our open preserves, and our rules are simple:
- Dogs must be leashed at all times on all properties, except for the Watson-Symington Preserve where well-behaved dogs are allowed to be off leash during morning hours.
- Pick up any solid waste left by your dog (even if it is deposited off-trail) and bring it home. Trash receptacles are not provided.
- Limit barking so that others may enjoy the serenity of our preserves.
- You are responsible for any harm that your dog does to other visitors, their dogs, our property, or our neighbors’ property.
- Commercial dog walkers are not allowed on any preserves.
Other Guidelines: Remember that these preserves were generously given to the land trust so that they could be conserved in perpetuity. The Land Trust’s primary responsibility is to protect and steward the land; visitation is a privilege. Help us keep our preserves open to the public by following these guidelines:
- Trails may be used from dawn until dusk
- Camping, campfires, hunting, fishing, and use of any motorized vehicles are prohibited without written permission
- Give wildlife an appropriate amount of space, and do not venture off-trail
- Leave what you find so that others may enjoy it (…except litter)
- Be considerate to other visitors and our neighbors
