Spring Hill Conservation Area

The land includes a 12-acre scrub field, mature sugar maples bordered by old stone walls, and historic woods roads once used for small-scale timber harvesting. Located adjacent to other protected lands—including Audubon’s West Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary—the property provides important wildlife habitat, with prime forest soils and proximity to BioMap Core Habitat.

Opening for passive recreation such as hiking and birdwatching, this special place offers visitors a chance to experience the quiet beauty that inspired generations of the Nye family.

Hiking difficulty: Moderate

Access and parking: Parking is available off of West Hill Rd. in Plainfield. Look for the Spring Hill Conservation Area sign. From the parking area there is a small trail that takes you to a sitting area that overlooks a series of old beaver ponds.

Management of the property: Spring Hill has an old field that is annually mowed to maintain its open character. The property is bisected by a brook and a series of beaver ponds. This wetland’s riparian boundary is dominated by Spruce and has a wide and open character, great for observing wildlife and birds. The moist slope rising beyond the brook has White Pine and Northern Hardwoods with Hemlock. Future forestry work will be thinning Sugar Maple, creating some small patch cuts for bird Habitat and removal of declining Hemlock. A small 2 acre Hardwood stand north of the parking area will be cleared, while retaining some legacy Sugar Maples to encourage a thicket of poplar and other hardwoods. These operations along with allowing the East side of the Brook’s spruce /white pine stand to be left alone, will create a dynamic and complex series of habitats. The dominant hardwood stand, west of the brook, will yield quality and quantity of timber in the future. This will be achieved by silvicultural activities that create uneven aged stands through thinning and timber stand improvement.