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It seemed like there was a sting of gloomy days between Christmas and the start of the New Year. Getting outside on those gloomy days was not on the top of my list of things I felt like doing. However, I know that sometimes the hardest part is just getting my coat on and getting out the door. Once I’m outside and moving my attitude and mood most often improve, and by the time I come back in I’m happy that I pushed myself out the door.
On one of the many gloomy days that week, my husband, son, and I decided to head to Woodbury for a walk in the woods at Whittemore Sanctuary. I did have an ulterior motive for choosing this location. Not far from our hiking destination there is a quirky little store called Soulbury that sells unique handmade items, plants, books, and all sorts of rustic treasures. And right beside Soulbury there happens to be a donut and coffee shop. Some days (especially the really gloomy ones) I need a little more incentive to get going. Luckily for me both locations were open after our hike.
But first, the hike. Whittemore Sanctuary is located exactly 2.5 miles down Sherman Hill Rd (route 64) on the left. I say exactly because it is very easy to drive right by the entrance. There is a large sign by the entrance but it is set back and positioned so that you can’t see it until you are right upon it. There is plenty of parking in the lot and a kiosk with maps and information about events at Flanders Nature Center (also in Woodbury) which manages Whittemore Sanctuary.
There is a network of trails in this almost 700 acres piece of property and they are all marked very well, almost too well! The white trail is approximately a 4 mile loop that goes around the perimeter of the sanctuary. There are other trails that intersect through the middle if you’re looking for a shorter hike.
To make our hike a little more interesting we chose to get closer to the bog in the middle of the sanctuary. We began on the white trail, crossed over to the yellow, and finished up on the blue trail. This ended up being about 4 miles and took us just under 2 hours. We took our time, stopping to appreciate the three sturdy benches that are positioned on an overlook of Lake Quasapaug. We spent some time checking out a bird observation shelter on an overlook of the bog, and stopped a few times to read some plaques.
The trail is listed as moderate; however the majority of the trail is flat and relatively easy. There are areas that get a little rocky, rooty, and steep, but overall I’d consider the path we took a good walk in the woods for a casual hiker. I didn’t think poles were necessary but the trail did get slippery with the wet leaves and wooden boardwalks and bridges.
I enjoyed the terrain on this hike and was really paying attention to how often it changed. We went through areas that are fairly open, other areas where the vegetation is thick with mountain laurel, and sections that are mainly beech trees. My favorite sections included the tall pines and hemlock trees. There are water features that include a stream, the lake, a pond and a bog. There are rocky sections where the trail cuts through, and the man made features I mentioned earlier.
Whittemore was a perfect option for the day and I was happy to walk on some trails there that I hadn’t explored before. Even though we were getting a little rained on toward the end, it felt refreshing to be out in the quiet woods. As I was hoping, a hot cup of coffee and a donut were a nice way to warm up and wrap up our outing.
It seemed like there was a sting of gloomy days between Christmas and the start of the New Year. Getting outside on those gloomy days was not on the top of my list of things I felt like doing. However, I know that sometimes the hardest part is just getting my coat on and getting out the door. Once I’m outside and moving my attitude and mood most often improve, and by the time I come back in I’m happy that I pushed myself out the door.
On one of the many gloomy days that week, my husband, son, and I decided to head to Woodbury for a walk in the woods at Whittemore Sanctuary. I did have an ulterior motive for choosing this location. Not far from our hiking destination there is a quirky little store called Soulbury that sells unique handmade items, plants, books, and all sorts of rustic treasures. And right beside Soulbury there happens to be a donut and coffee shop. Some days (especially the really gloomy ones) I need a little more incentive to get going. Luckily for me both locations were open after our hike.
But first, the hike. Whittemore Sanctuary is located exactly 2.5 miles down Sherman Hill Rd (route 64) on the left. I say exactly because it is very easy to drive right by the entrance. There is a large sign by the entrance but it is set back and positioned so that you can’t see it until you are right upon it. There is plenty of parking in the lot and a kiosk with maps and information about events at Flanders Nature Center (also in Woodbury) which manages Whittemore Sanctuary.
There is a network of trails in this almost 700 acres piece of property and they are all marked very well, almost too well! The white trail is approximately a 4 mile loop that goes around the perimeter of the sanctuary. There are other trails that intersect through the middle if you’re looking for a shorter hike.
To make our hike a little more interesting we chose to get closer to the bog in the middle of the sanctuary. We began on the white trail, crossed over to the yellow, and finished up on the blue trail. This ended up being about 4 miles and took us just under 2 hours. We took our time, stopping to appreciate the three sturdy benches that are positioned on an overlook of Lake Quasapaug. We spent some time checking out a bird observation shelter on an overlook of the bog, and stopped a few times to read some plaques.
The trail is listed as moderate; however the majority of the trail is flat and relatively easy. There are areas that get a little rocky, rooty, and steep, but overall I’d consider the path we took a good walk in the woods for a casual hiker. I didn’t think poles were necessary but the trail did get slippery with the wet leaves and wooden boardwalks and bridges.
I enjoyed the terrain on this hike and was really paying attention to how often it changed. We went through areas that are fairly open, other areas where the vegetation is thick with mountain laurel, and sections that are mainly beech trees. My favorite sections included the tall pines and hemlock trees. There are water features that include a stream, the lake, a pond and a bog. There are rocky sections where the trail cuts through, and the man made features I mentioned earlier.
Whittemore was a perfect option for the day and I was happy to walk on some trails there that I hadn’t explored before. Even though we were getting a little rained on toward the end, it felt refreshing to be out in the quiet woods. As I was hoping, a hot cup of coffee and a donut were a nice way to warm up and wrap up our outing.