The Nature Conservancy in Connecticut - Lucius Pond Ordway/Devil’s Den Preserve

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Fast Facts

Location
Weston & Redding

Hours
Dawn to Dusk

Size
1,756 acres

Conditions
The preserve's 20-mile trail system winds past dramatic rocky crests, outcroppings, and cliffs forming high ledges partly covered with grasses, mosses, and lichens.

Trail Maps
Devil's Den trail map
Saugatuck Valley trail map
Link to Aspetuck Valley trail map

Directions
For electronic navigation and mapping enter the address "33 Pent Road, Weston, CT 06883."

From the south and the Merritt Parkway
Take exit 42 and go north on Route 57 for 3.8 miles to the blinking light. Continue straight on Route 53 (be sure not to continue on Route 57, which forks to the left) toward Redding 1.7 miles to the next traffic light, turn left on Godfrey Road.
Continue for a half-mile, then turn right on Pent Road, which dead-ends at the preserve's main parking area.

From the north and Route 107 in Georgetown
Go south on Route 57 for 2.7 miles.
Turn left on Godfrey Road and go for a half-mile. Turn left on Pent Road and follow to end in preserve's parking lot.

From I-84 in Danbury
Take exit 3 to Route 7 south.
Follow Route 7 for approximately 10 miles to intersection with Route 107 in Georgetown. Take left onto Route 107, then right onto Route 57 heading south, and continue as above.

Explore Devil's Den Preserve with Steve Patton, preserve director.

Why You Should Visit

The Lucius Pond Ordway/Devil's Den Preserve is the Connecticut Chapter's largest contiguous preserve and the largest tract of protected land in densely developed Fairfield County. Its patchwork of woodlands, wetlands, rock ledges and series of north-south ridges and valleys woven with streams and swamps make the Devil's Den ideal for passive outdoor activity such as hiking and bird watching.

What to See

Plants
A wide variety of flora and fauna live on the preserve, including more than 500 types of trees and wildflowers, the beautiful pink lady's slipper, cardinal flower, and indian pipe.

Animals
Devil's Den is home to red fox, bobcat, coyote, eastern copperhead, wood duck, ruffed grouse, pileated woodpecker and more than 140 other bird species.

You can also play a role in the Conservancy’s long-term success at places like Devil's Den when you make a safe and secure online gift to support our conservation work.

Why the Conservancy Selected This Site

The Den provides a valuable oasis for species that require interior woodland for successful reproduction. Research has shown that, for a variety of reasons, such large, "unfragmented" forest areas are vital to the health of a variety of species. Devil's Den also represents a significant portion of the watershed of the west branch of the Saugatuck River, habitat to a variety of aquatic species, including several uncommon species of mussel.

Devil's Den is also of historical significance; archaeological evidence indicates human use of the area, mostly for hunting, as long as 5,000 years ago. The remains of an up-and-down sawmill below Godfrey Pond testify to the importance of the lumbering that dovetailed with charcoal burning. The production of charcoal was an important commercial activity in the 1800s and marks dozens of sites.

The Den was created by the late Katharine Ordway through a series of donations from 1966 through 1968, beginning with a 1,100-acre purchase from the Bridgeport Hydraulic Company.

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What the Conservancy Has Done / Is Doing

Devil's Den is the chapter's most frequently visited preserve, hosting more than 40,000 people per year. It is ideally located to provide an enriching and educational outdoor experience for residents of surrounding towns such as Redding, Easton, Westport and Wilton, and nearby metropolitan areas including Bridgeport, Danbury, Norwalk and Stamford. The Den is part of the extended 70-mile Saugatuck Valley Trails System, with contiguous forest and watershed lands.

Please download our “Preserve Visitation Guidelines” to get more information on how to get the most out of your visit.

Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo ©and.korn/Creative Commons (Godfrey Pond); Photo © Mike Baird/Creative Commons (Red Fox Pup).