Sunny Valley Preserve

Staying True to Sustainable Farming

Ever since assuming ownership of the Sunny Valley Preserve in 1973, TNC promised to protect the parcel in ways that would also feed the planet's growing population. Here, conservation and agriculture exist together, with 450 acres of working farmland managed alongside 1,450 acres of natural areas. 

Over time, after making significant capital improvements, TNC established four primary farms that are leased to farmers. This investment has paid off with increased local interest in the preserve. It has become a focal point of community interest, offering educational opportunities, outdoor recreation opportunities and habitat to support diverse plants and animals. 

What To See at Sunny Valley

With more than 1,850 acres, including over 18 miles of hiking trails so many good options, it can be hard to decide which parts of the Sunny Valley Preserve to visit on your next adventure. If you’re looking for a sky-high overlook, a vernal pool or a water view, this preserve has all of that and more. Here’s a little bit of help with some must-see spots.  

• Wolf Pit Mountain: This hiking area features a few different trails, with all being moderate-to-strenuous, and an overlook that will have you feeling on top of the world—when the trees aren’t as leafy, expect views of the Housatonic River and western plateaus extending into New York. Travel through an upland hardwood forest and groves of hemlock trees. Find parking at Henry Sanford Road in Bridgewater.
• Iron Ore Hill: Pick up a Blue-Blazed trail here that is part of the Connecticut Forest and Park Association Blue-Blazed Hiking Trail System and leads all the way to Bridgewater Town Park. Find parking at Iron Ore Hill Road in Bridgewater for a 3-miler. While traveling along the Blue-Blazed trail between Iron Ore Hill and the Silica Mine Hill parcel, detour onto the red trail that travels through a variety of typical western Connecticut up-land forest, leading to Lake Lillinonah. 
• Silica Mine Hill is a strenuous hike with many hills and is named for the deposits (veins) of silica that dot the landscape. History of this area tells us the silica was harvested, loaded on carts, pulled by oxen and/or horses and transported to New Milford where the Bridgeport Wood Finishing Company would grind it and add it to paint products for fillers. You can see evidence of this activity today. At marker 138 is a vernal pool. Find parking at Hemlock Road in Bridgewater for a 4-mile trek.
• The Rocky Hill parcel is over 200 acres with a trail that traverses through the center, crossing farmland and upland forest. The yellow trail connects this parcel to the Silica Mine Hill trails. Find parking at Christian Street for a 4- to 5-mile hike.

Other Suggested Hikes

Lake Lillinonah: From the Bridgewater Town Park, travel south on the blue trail to marker 152, take the yellow trail to blue marker 156, travel north to the Bridgewater Town Park for a 2-mile hike.

Big Hike: For a 9-mile outing from the Bridgewater Town Park, travel south on the blue trail to the red trail at marker 300. Take the red trail to the blue trail, marker 122. Travel north on the blue trail to the red trail, marker 137. Take the red trail to the blue trail, marker 145. Travel north on the blue trail to the Bridgewater Town Park.

Wewaka Brook: The trails at Wewaka Brook travel through grasslands, upland hardwood forests, down to red maple swamps with three miles of hiking trails located on Hut Hill Road and Keeler Road.

Celebrating 50 Years at Sunny Valley

In 2023, The Nature Conservancy celebrated 50 years of working at the Sunny Valley Preserve: In 1973, the land officially came into TNC's care so that it would be protected while supporting sustainable farming and education.

From the start, this unique conservation project, spanning New Milford and Bridgewater, focused on the idea that protecting the planet and feeding its growing population could go hand-in-hand. In response, its 450 acres of working farmland are managed alongside 1,450 acres of natural areas with over 18 miles of hiking trails for the public.

“Sunny Valley has certainly evolved over the decades, but the heart and soul of this work has remained the same: to protect the land and all of its wildlife and vegetation while nourishing local communities through farming methods that work with the land, rather than just making use of it,” says Wayne Woodard, TNC's Sunny Valley preserve director.

At Sunny Valley, TNC continues to carry out the science-based conservation vision of George Pratt, Jr., who donated the land. His father purchased Sunny Valley Farm in 1934, and Pratt went on to protect more than a dozen separate pieces of open or wooded lands in the area from developers. In 1973, he donated them to TNC. Over time, after significant capital improvements, four primary farms were established on the parcel and leased to farmers. The result is one of Connecticut’s most exceptional protected spaces, teeming with educational opportunities, diverse plants and animals, a strong sense of community and working farms.

Sustainable farming methods aren’t just a Connecticut conversation; they’re a global concern, given farming’s connections to greenhouse gases and climate change.

“We’re proud that Sunny Valley is an example of land preservation, and also of the long-term positive impact that sustainable agriculture can have on the environment,” adds Laura Shail, TNC's office administrator for Sunny Valley. “So many people of all ages across our state have had the chance to hear about that work, while also learning about the natural habitats that are supported here. We look forward to the next 50 years and beyond.”