QUICK TRAIL FACTS
- Preserve Size: 40 acres
- Trail Mileage: 1.5 miles in network
- Pets: yes
- Difficulty: easy
- Sights: field, gardens, fit stations
By Sam Shirley
Stone Soup Gardens, located down a dirt driveway off Farmington Falls Road, has plenty of parking, a trailhead map, and snowshoes available to borrow in the winter.
Run by the Farmington-based nonprofit Life Enrichment Advancing People (LEAP), the property includes community gardens and two hiking trails. One of them has fit stations for warming up, strength, aerobics, and, perhaps the best exercise, contemplation.
Dogs are allowed, though they must be leashed. Two loop trails head into the woods at the back of a field. The 0.6-mile Fitness Trail makes a short loop, while the 0.9-mile Walking/Upper Loop Trail goes farther back into the property. There are a variety of interesting features along them, including interpretive signs, an old orchard, and an old stone well.
The trails are generally wide and easy to walk, though there are some muddy spots in the springtime. The forest, which has seen recent timber harvesting, is rather open, so it’s worth noting that there isn’t much shade in the summer.
Along with the gardens, LEAP offers residential services, case management, and trainings. It uses Stone Soup Gardens “to educate and advocate for healthy outdoor activities such as gardening and physical fitness for people of all abilities.” The organization takes care of the property with donations, grants and volunteers, and encourages visitors to relax or work out “while enjoying the benefits of a natural environment.”
Directions: The address is 482 Farmington Falls Road, about 1.8 miles south of the intersection with Main Street in Farmington.
