River’s Edge Preserve
River’s Edge Preserve
From the base of the trail as Lake Lillinonah bends to the east, hikers will enter Sherman Park, which is owned by the Town of Roxbury, and come across a cleared picnic and fishing area with a bench. Across the lake are remains of a bridge from the Shepaug Railroad. Continue through the hemlock grove and you will see where the Shepaug River flows into the lake below the rapids created by Roxbury Falls. Continue until you cross a meadow and look for the blue blaze up a steep embankment. Turn right at the top of the hill and you will soon come to a picnic site. Continue through the opening in the stone wall and over another stone wall. Once you reach the gravel driveway where you entered, turn left and follow the driveway to the parking area.
A gift from an anonymous donor in 2000 enabled the Roxbury Land Trust to purchase this property from Connecticut Light & Power, which had been using parts of it as a gravel mine.
Bordering the eastern bank of Lake Lillinonah at the mouth of the Shepaug River, this preserve offers excellent fishing access to the lake, as well as beautiful views of the river. The 1-mile trail loop of moderate difficulty starts about 50 yards down the driveway from the parking area. Turn left at the large boulder with a blue arrow. Continue along the Princess Pine-paved pathway past the wetlands and vernal pool on your left. You will cross a small stream and come to a series of steps down a steep embankment to the lake. Travel along the edge of the lake and look for numerous sites along the way for fishing. The trail continues across Sherman Park and continues up a hillside.