The Grobe Preserve is a natural area of 25.2 acres in the northwestern Bethany greenway purchased from the Mendell/Grobe family. It is an important conservation tract because of its continuous forested habitats, wildlife utility, aesthetics, protected network connectivity, landscape position, and provision of ecosystem services. It is a topographically complex parcel with steep to moderate slopes, valley features, and at least three summits ranging to about 700’ above sea level.
The Grobe Preserve is part of continuous forest block of 186 acres, whose geometry fosters sensitive forest-interior-dwelling wildlife and whose size serves as both reservoirs of diversity and as sources for wildlife that will range beyond the preserve’s borders. The Grobe Preserve’s complex terrain provides a wide range of growing conditions from drier hilltops to mesic lowland valley locales. The woodland is in the understory reinitiation stage of forest succession, and past logging activity (ca. 20 years ago) has generated additional diversity in the realms of light regimes, age classes, and structural elements. The primary cover type is deciduous forest growing on a stony substrate. Oak, maple, birch, hickory, black cherry, and tulip poplar are the most common tree species with an occasional eastern white pine seen.
Trails:
- The Green Grobe Gadabout Trail (0.36 miles; moderate) begins at the White Birches Trail in Mendell’s Folly, passes through forested areas blanketed in ferns during the summer and climbs over a ridge where an abandoned foundation can be seen, eventually connecting with the Woodward Nature Preserve.
- A trail (0.51 miles, difficult) climbs the abandoned portion of Northrup Road along the preserve’s eastern border up to a parking area at the end of the paved section of Northrup Road.
Address: 339 Beacon Road (Route 42), Bethany CT (for access, see parking)
Size: 25.2 acres
Parking: Being surrounded by other open space, the Grobe Preserve is accessed via trails connecting form other parcels including Mendell’s Folly and the Woodward Nature Preserve. The closest access point is through an entrance to the Woodward Nature Preserve at the end of the paved portion of Northrup Road, where roadside parking is available. It is about 0.2 miles from this parking area to the Green Grobe Gadabout Trail.
Trail Map
Gallery
