Wolf Rock Nature Preserve

Posted By on October 7, 2016

Wolf Rock Nature Preserve

1.64 miles; Mansfield, CT

Today was a Garden Club visit to check out a letterbox on this Joshua’s Land Trust Preserve. We saw TONS of mushrooms, a cool glacial erratic on a cliff top overlook, a snake, and a cairn. It was a perfect autumn day for a hike.

The Rock of Wolf Rock

The Rock of Wolf Rock

This is the Wolf Rock of the Wolf Rock Nature Preserve.

On the Overlook

On the Overlook

It stands by itself atop an impressive overlook. The blue-blazed Nipmuck Trail traverses this preserve, and was part of the short loop hike we did here.

Beautiful Beech Tree

Beautiful Beech Tree

The trees are just beginning to turn in central Connecticut. They’re maybe a bit less further along than the western part of the state. We saw a few stunning red maples.

Pholiota Mushrooms

Pholiota Mushrooms

These were generally identified for me as members of the Pholiota genus, but a more specific i.d. isn’t possible without a microscope. We also saw Chicken of the Woods, Hedgehogs, Corals, Turkey Tails, Amanitas, and many more that I hadn’t a clue about. It was a target-rich mushroom environment.

Garter Snake

Garter Snake

We also saw this little guy grabbing a last bit of the warm sun. He was pretty sluggish already, and barely moved while we crowded around to check him out.

You can find out more about the Wolf Rock Nature Preserve and find a link to a trail map on this webpage.

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