Steere Hill

The two major preserves administered by the Glocester Land Trust -- Steere Hill and Sprague Farm -- offer some of the most varied and extensive hikes of any in the state. Both were originally the site of large, conjoined family farms, and both feature old stone walls, cemeteries, and cellar holes amidst vast tracts of hardwood and pine forest.

I'm going to start with Steere, though, as it's the closest to Providence and the easiest in access -- and, at the moment, since hunting is allowed at Sprague Farm, the one at which you don't need to worry too much about wearing orange.

Steere Hill was originally four different adjoining properties, each acquired separately by the land trust -- Phillips Farm, Steere Hill Nature Preserve, Heritage Park, and the LePlat Woodland.  A wonderful array of trails can take you to every corner of the preserve, which currently encompasses 448 acres -- you'll see young pine forests, mixed forests of hardwoods and pine, fields still mowed for hay, and fields and orchards gone wild.

My recommended hike starts at the parking area on Route 44. The main central artery of the trail system, the Steere Hill Trail, begins here, blazed with red rectangles, and follows an old cart road. There are smaller trails that shoot off to the left (where one can follow the edge of Phillips Farm and see some abandoned farm machinery), but I prefer the trails to the right. The first, the Stone Dam Trail, takes you (as advertised) across a lovely old stone dam. You'll shortly intersect with the Ridge Trail (purple dots), which takes you over and around a series of stone-topped ridges for a good aerobic workout. When you see the Beech Trail (orange dots) to your right, take that; it winds through more rocky ledges and a stand of beech trees on its way to linking up with the white-blazed Heritage Steere Trail. Take a right there -- this is the connecting trail to the Heritage Park area -- heading northwest. Pass by the Andrews Trail (called the Woodworth Trail on the map) -- you'll take it later. You'll come next to the Outer Loop Trail, blazed with red dots, which true to its name makes a large loop through more mature forest; scattered here and there, exercise stations await those in search of such activity. A lovely wooden bridge near the Chestnut Oak Road entrance marks the beginning of your return. As you see the trail to the parking area, keep left; you'll be on the return loop, passing an all-seasons Xmas tree on your left. Soon after, you''ll close the loop and start your return hike.

The mighty Tree atop Steere Hill

When you get back to the Heritage Steere trail, retrace your steps until you get to the Andrews Trail (orange rectangles) on your right, and then follow it. You'll pass through dense mixed forest, seeing the stone foundation of a large barn, and ascend into an open meadow. Stay to the right as you approach the hilltop -- this area was originally an orchard, and part of the Steere Farm (a branch of the family still runs an orchard nearby -- don't forget to stop off and buy some apples there after your hike). You'll come to a left turn back onto the Steere Hill trail, which passes through a vast hilltop meadow, at the center of which the shade of a lone tree, with a bench conveniently beneath it, beckons. An old cemetery is nearby, though the only stones standing are the posts which once held its rails. Across the path, a couple of picnic tables provide another spot for a rest or snack.

Return by the Steere Hill trail; by the time you get back to you car you'll have had nearly two hours of hiking, and be ready for some apples and cider!