East River Preserve and Eastwoods

Photo credit: P. Kindlmann

The East River Preserve is the largest conservation holding of the Town of Guilford. The property is owned by the Town of Guilford and is bordered by properties owned by GLCT, including the 95-acre Eastwoods. This area of connected open space provides miles of marked trails including a section of the New England National Scenic Trail (NET) and represents some of the most successful collaboration of conservation groups in the region.

Difficulty: Easy to moderate hike with uneven ground of roots and rocks and a few small ups and downs.  

Duration: 2.5 hours at an average pace

Location: Park on Clapboard Hill Rd across from the riding stables, #575. 

  1. Begin on the blue trail, staying to the right.  Pass an old bridge foundation and continue on blue.  Look for some evidence of an old dam a bit further up on the right side of the trail.  
  2. Cross over road (Duck Hole). 
  3. After walking through an area with big boulders take the hard right on the green trail.  The green also goes left, so do not take that route.  
  4. Stay right on green at intersection of red and green
  5. At the Y, green goes left and right. Taking a right will lead to Podunk Road trail head
  6. Cross under the power lines and once back in the woods look for the intersection of yellow and green, stay left on green (crossing over the stream). Trail turns to the left and at the top of the small hill and then you will stay right continuing on the green trail
  7. At the gravel road, travel roughly 40’ and take the footpath on your left that runs along the gravel road.  This remains the green trail and it bends back into the woods.
  8. At the intersection of blue and green, take green to the right.
  9. At the kiosk turn right onto the yellow trail.  When you come to another Eastwoods kiosk, continue down the gravel road, picking up the yellow woods trail at the bottom of the hill on the left.  
  10. When the yellow trail ends with = stay left on green.  (This is where you crossed over the stream earlier.) 
  11. Take a hard left back on blue at the boulder filled creek bed, and head back towards the parking area, crossing the road, and following the blue trail.