Mindfulness Trail

My map of the Mindfulness Trail is a bit scraggly because there are a dozen stops along the way where you can scan a QR code and learn about about the land’s natural history. At most of the stops, you can rest on Adirondack chairs while you read about the feature of interest.

The Mindfulness Trail has some unique offerings for a walk, including a visitor’s center in a barn with exhibits on the history and ecology of the land. There is also what the land’s owner, Ed Noyes, calls the Maze Trail. This is a winding network of unmarked trails within the main loop. He encourages walkers to roam these as they try to make it from Point 1 to Point 4, to test their sense of direction and observational skills. “Let yourself get lost in the amazing life of the forest,” he says on his website.

“That’s the point of mindfulness, just being aware of your surroundings and being in the moment,” he told a reporter. “That’s what’s allowed us to make the discoveries we’ve made so far.”

Noyes explained that he created the trail first for his children to run on. But as he walked it daily himself, he kept seeing new aspects of it, including evidence from colonial settlers. He has unearthed the remains of what was likely a small homestead that relied on subsistence farming, including rock piles accumulated by their efforts to clear the land for agriculture. Other stations include information about trees and glacial features.

The trail is easy and well marked with colorful arrows. The white arrows lead people around the main loop, while the yellow ones indicate ways to enter the Maze Trail. The walk begins in a small field behind the visitors center and loops through the woods.

Directions: The Mindfulness Trail is located at 661 Highland Road in East Warren, a loop road off Route 90. Drive up the driveway to the house. You’ll see four spots for guests to park in on the left, in front of the Science and History Visitors Center in a red barn.