Heald and Bradley Ponds Reserve

This 802-acre preserve encompasses three little hills — Amos Mountain, Flat Hill, and Whiting Hill — several nice views, and two ponds. Besides that, there are miles of well-marked forested trails and a 0.5-mile packed gravel path, Homestead Trail, which leaves from the Route 5 trailhead near Palmer Lane. At a bog near Bradley Pond, you can watch birds from a platform with a bench, accessible from Perkey’s Path.

I arrived at 10 a.m. in the morning and didn’t leave until after 3 p.m., so you can go for a lengthy walk, or pick one of several smaller loops to do. There are five places to access the preserve, each with parking.

In my opinion, the best views are from Whiting Hill (801 feet), the second best from Flat Hill (891 feet). There are two good viewpoints below Amos Mountain — one from a small boulder with a wedge cut out it, creating a seat. I read that this rock is called El Pulpito, the pulpit. Amos and Whiting have actual handmade benches at their summits. If you hike up Amos Mountain (955 feet) from the north parking lot of Route 5, you can choose to go steeply up or wind your way up via alternative paths, like the easier Heritage Loop Trail. B

Also nice is the short spur to Heald Pond, where there is a rock to sit on and possibly decent swimming?

The elevation gain for the three hills are 495 feet (Amos, from Route 5 on the Rogers Family Trail); 355 feet (Flat Hill, from Heald Pond Road); and 329 feet (Whiting, from Slab City Road).

Directions: There is a parking lot just east of Mill Brook off Slab City Road, two small lots off Route 5, and a lot off Heald Pond Road. Park at the parking lot near Palmer Lane for the wheelchair-accessible path.