Nearby Attractions:
- Restaurants: Downtown Niantic
- Breweries/Wineries:
- Lodging:
- Shopping areas: Downtown Niantic
- Performance art venues:
- Movie theatres: Niantic Cinema
- Galleries/museums:
- Farmer’s markets/farm stands:
- Historical sites: Smith-Harris House
- Public gardens:
- Nurseries/garden centers:
- Geographical features: Niantic River and Niantic Bay Boardwalk
Oswegatchie Hills Nature Preserve
Location Information
Sponsored by:
Friends of Oswegatchie Hills Nature Preserve
Location Entrance:
Memorial Park Drive
Niantic, CT 06357
Location Phone:
N/A
Type: An entire preserve
Alternate trailhead or entry point:
Quarry Dock Road Trailhead and Damon Heights Road Trailhead
Difficulty: Moderate (Gently rising terrain with the likeliness to encounter occasional obstacles)
Primary Walking Surface:
Earth
Hours open:
Dawn to dusk
Suitable for ages: • Children • Teenagers • Adults • Seniors
Number of walking trails: 7
Total walking route length: 2 miles
Admission fees:
Free
Location Website: Oswegatchie Hills Nature Preserve
Location Details
This unique, beautiful 400-acre nature preserve offers varied features, including Clark's Pond and the nearby Niantic River. It is ideally suited for a wide variety of passive recreational pursuits. The opportunities for bird and wildlife observation and photography are abundant with many trails running throughout. The trails provide easy to moderate walking terrain with some steep climbs. They run through woodlands and ridges, which provide a couple of major ravines and interesting rock formations. There are some vistas of Niantic River and Long Island Sound (from top of Mt. Tabor). A stone quarry is located in northeast corner of Preserve.
Location Features
| Landscape settings: | • Stream/river • Pond/lake • Woodland • Wetland • Gentle hill • Steep hill • Vista • Historical site |
| Amenities: | • Interpretative/educational signage • Restroom • Picnic • Reliable cell phone reception • Leashed pets permitted |
| Activities: |     |
| Neighboring towns: | East Lyme |
| Access restrictions: | No motorized vehicles. |
How to get there
| Driving Directions: | Main Trailhead From I-95 (either direction), take Exit 74 and turn right on to Route 161. Travel south about 2.2 miles, just beyond the Sunoco station, and take a hard left onto Memorial Park Drive to the left of sign for “Veterans’ Field, Oswegatchie Hills Nature Preserve.” This leads to the main Veterans’ Field trailhead where parking, maps, and info are available at the trail kiosk.
From Route 156 and Pennsylvania Avenue (Route 161) intersection in Niantic, travel north on Pennsylvania Avenue for 0.7 miles and turn right onto Memorial Park Drive.
Nearest GPS Address: 98 Memorial Park Drive (Niantic, CT).
Quarry Dock Road Trailhead Follow directions for main trailhead, but go to right of sign on Oswegatchie Hills Road. Go 0.6 miles, turn left on to Quarry Dock Road, and follow 0.7 miles to the end. Nearest GPS address: 98 Quarry Dock Road (Niantic, CT).
Damon Heights Road Trailhead From I-95 (either direction) take Exit 74 and turn right onto Route 161. Travel south 0.5 miles, take a left on the south side of Dunkin' Donuts onto Damon Heights Road, and follow the road 0.4 miles to the end. Or from the intersection of Route 156 and Pennsylvania Avenue, go north 2.4 miles on Pennsylvania Avenue to Damon Heights Road on the right and follow 0.4 miles to end. Nearest GPS address: 99 Damon Heights Road (Niantic, CT). |
| Parking: | Ample parking at the trailhead parking lot shared with Veterans' Field. |
| Public transportation: | SEAT (Southeast Area Transit) Bus Route #3 |
Other Items of Interest
| Flora and fauna: | |
| Affiliate Groups: | East Lyme/Niantic Land Conservation Trust and Town of East Lyme |