Rattlesnake Preserve

Rattlesnake Preserve – The Rattlesnake Preserve consists of 90 acres and features old stone bridges and a concrete well. It combines 5 separate elements: the Gloeckner, Paul, Prud’homme, Rogers, and Van Valkenburg parcels.

Parking – There are two areas for parking located at either end of the trail, both on Rattlesnake Road. The south entrance features a handicap accessible viewing platform, a generous donation from a neighbor, which overlooks the marsh lands and provides a great vantage point for birding.

Level of Difficulty – Easy: An easy walk in the woods while slowing at the marsh. There, walkers should watch for logs and stones to walk across if there has been a lot of rain.

History – The Rattlesnake Preserve is over 90 acres of woodlands and fields with easy trails. The circuit follows two different colored blazes and takes about 45 minutes. Look for the beautiful stonewalls and three old stone bridges… and the old bathtub tucked away off the red trail. More natural features include wildflowers such as trillium and jack-in-the-pulpit. Several white oak trees are over 100 years old. A stream bisecting the preserve is crossed twice, using a wood bridge on the yellow trail and flat rocks on the red trail. Travel through pine forests, a woodland glade, and at the southern end of the property a large wetland, home to a variety of birds. On the yellow trail you will also see evidence of beavers. Note the water levels and dams.

At the southern end of the preserve, you can see the spire of the North Cornwall Church built in 1826. From Rattlesnake Road, the trail crosses a stone bridge, wetland, and then follows a stonewall back into the main preserve.

This generous donation is a collaboration by the North Cornwall neighbors Gloeckner, Paul, Prud’homme, Rogers and Van Valkenburg.

– Emilie Pryor