Higby Mountain Preserve

Why You Should Visit
A mile-long hike to the top of a ridge on the Higby Mountain Preserve offers wide views to the south, west and north over Connecticut’s central valley. At the summit, a hiker stands near the edge of a geoligic fault on a ridge of basalt dating from the Triassic Period some 200 million years ago.

Location
Middlefield and Middletown

Hours
Dawn to dusk

Size
158 acres

Conditions
The Mattabessett Trail follows the top rim along a sheer drop of 400 to 500 feet. (Not a hike for acrophobics!)

How to Prepare for Your Visit
Please see our “Preserve Visitation Guidelines” page.

Directions
From the north:

• Take Interstate 91 south to exit 19; turn left off the exit. 
• Take first left onto Preston Avenue and proceed as below.

From the east:

• From Route 9 in Middletown, drive west on Route 66 to Interstate 691; take the first exit (#13 for East Main Street, a left exit.).
• Take a right at the first light, onto Preston Avenue. 
• Drive 1.1 miles, turn right onto Preston Avenue and proceed as below.

From the south:

• Take Interstate 91 to exit 16 for Main Street; turn right on Main. 
• Turn left on Preston Avenue, just before the Route 66 east on-ramp. 
• Drive 1.1 miles, turn right onto Preston Avenue and proceed as below.

From Preston Avenue:

• Follow Preston Avenue to a dead end. 
• Enter the preserve through a gate; you will walk about 150 paces before reaching Nature Conservancy property and sign.

What to See: Plants
The geological properties of trap rock ridges such as those at Higby Mountain result in the presence of species at the edge of their ranges; some species found on Higby Mountain, such as yellow corydalis are more common to the southern Appalachians, while bearberry, also found here, is more typical of the summits of New Hampshire’s White Mountains.

What to See: Animals
Hawks and other raptors often take advantage of the mountain’s updrafts, circling above.  The native black racer snake may be glimpsed, and is known to rattle its tail in dry leaves, simulating a rattlesnake; rest assured, there are no rattlers on Higby Mountain.

Why the Conservancy Selected This Site  
This preserve contains trap rock ridges, which support specialized plant species that are of special interest because they reach the limit of their range here. About 122 acres were donated here in 1979 by Howard and Frances Houston, with another 37 acres given anonymously in 1986.

What the Conservancy Has Done/Is Doing
The Conservancy supports research and conservation of trap rock ridges, one of Connecticut’s important environments.