QUICK TRAIL FACTS
- Preserve Size: Not sure
- Trail Mileage: ~4 miles in network
- Pets: yes
- Difficulty: easy to moderate
- Sights: Basin Pond, Marsh Stream
The town’s 4-mile trail system criss-crosses the land east of Basin Pond — a mostly undeveloped 29-acre pond — and also brings walkers to points along the long and winding Marsh Stream. Don’t miss the little two-fingered point on the pond — it’s beautiful, and it looks as if you could take a swim here on a hot summer day. (I marked it with a red icon on my map.)
You might find that some of the trails are easier to follow than others. Several were marked with faint blazes when I visited. For other stretches of trail, I felt as if I were pushing through woods, following with blind faith the little orange flags that appeared to mark the way. Also, the Shore Trail had flooded. I walked it anyway, so it is marked on my map. The southern section of the Shore Trail is nice, though, as you walk along a prominent esker for part of the way — keeping you dry and giving you a vantage of the lake through trees.
If you stick to some of the more popular trails, you should be able to follow them with no issues. These include Logger Trail, Hemlock Trail, and the Ledges Trail. Ledges Trail brings you along a tall rocky outcrop in the forest. I did love looking out over Marsh Stream, though. If you make your way to this end of the preserve, try Logger Trail to Fogg Trail.
Directions: (From the town) From the village of Monroe, drive 3.5 miles west on Route 139. As you crest the hill, look for the “Butterfly Tree” on the left and then continue another 50 yards. Turn left into the small parking area, big enough for three or so cars. Look for a “Basin Pond Trails” sign set back from the road.
