A Home to History: The Maple Hill Preserve Hiking Trail

The 200-acre Maple Hill Preserve in Blairstown is a perfect place to enjoy an afternoon of gentle hiking. In the fall, the majestic hardwood trees that shade the preserve explode into a riot of bright reds and yellows. Located on private farmland that is kindly open to the public year-round, the Maple Hill hiking trail is a loop that is just shy of three miles. If you have about an hour to explore Maple Hill Preserve, you’ll be rewarded with the best this local land has to offer: history, scenery, and a deep sense of peace.

Hitting the Trail

The hike begins with a gradual slope down through the woods, then veers to the right. Hikers will walk along a private drive for a few feet until they cross the driveway and continue deeper into the woods. What follows is a gentle walk through forested hills. This wooded habitat is home to a chorus of migrating songbirds that may be nesting away in the springtime or stopping for water at the brooks and ponds that run through the property. The diversity of woodlands housing wetlands next to expansive fields allows for a wide range of species to find their home here.

The most difficult part of the trek to navigate is around a half mile into the hike when another grassy road intersects with the main trail. Hikers should not follow this road, or it will lead them off the Maple Hill hiking trail and onto private property. Instead, trekkers should continue straight toward the old rock wall, following along until the wall dips lower: This is where hikers can cross over the wall and continue along the path. Next, the trail slopes gently uphill along another rock wall until it ultimately turns right toward one of the preserve’s star attractions: the lime kiln.

A Step Back in Time

Historic and impressive, the lime kiln is a remarkably preserved stone structure from a bygone age. There are lime kilns like this one scattered throughout this area, as they were once very important for the farming industry. The kilns would reduce limestone found in the surrounding area to calcium oxide — or lime, which was used by farmers to increase crop fertility on top of ridges where the soil was poorer. The lime kiln in Maple Hill Preserve is notably large and has retained its shape over the years.

Next to the kiln is a pond that’s beauty is matched by its ecological importance. Many amphibians and reptiles live in the still water, while other animals rely on this area as a place to drink and rest. The pond is a tranquil smudge of colors, with a reflection that paints a new picture every day as the seasons change. Continue along the south side of the pond and hook around it to the left to follow the trail into the forest. Here is where the path ultimately loops. Whether hikers turn right or left, they will eventually be put back on course to retrace the trail back to the parking area.

Getting There and Around

Public access to the trail is tucked away on 47 Maple Lane in Blairstown to the immediate left off a private driveway. The parking area is a gravel pull off that is large enough to accommodate two to three cars. There are brown signs marking both the designated parking and the trail entrance. The sign that points right marks the beginning of the trail.

Maple Hill Preserve is a conservation easement, meaning that the land is privately owned. Public access is permitted on the designated trail from dawn to dusk, but it is very important that all hikers follow the rules and stay on the trail. The trail is generally very easy to follow by reading the trail markers every few feet, but in the warmer months the path may be a bit overgrown and not a reliable way to track through the forest. Maps are available for download on the Ridge and Valley Conservancy website for further direction.