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Eastern: Nellie Hill Preserve

Nellie Hill Preserve
© The Nature Conservancy

Why You Should Visit
From atop the rocky summit of a 120-foot calcareous cliff, enjoy gorgeous views of pocket grasslands that resemble savannas, sloping meadows, a rich oak woodland and a limestone woodland. Five springs burble gently through the property, and two ponds rest in the valley below. In the spring and late summer, glorious wildflowers fill the fields with color and vibrancy. Because of its varying habitats, Nellie Hill is a hotspot for migratory birds.
 
Location
Dutchess County, New York

Size
144 acres

How to Prepare for Your Visit
Please see our Visitation Guidelines.

Directions

  • Take Route 22 north toward Dover Plains.
  • Pass Dutchess Route 6 and follow for another 0.25 miles.
  • The parking area is off Route 22; the preserve sign is set back from road.
  • Follow the path up the hill to the preserve entrance.

What to See: Plants
Rare plants at the preserve include green milkweed, New England blazing star, Virginia false gromwell, Carolina whitlow grass, mock-pennyroyal, Torrey's mountain mint, yellow wild flax, large twayblade, and side-oats grama.

What to See: Animals
A resident pair of pileated woodpeckers make oval holes in the trunks of white ash, and you might also spot chestnut-sided warblers, white-eyed vireos, Louisiana water thrushes, woodland warblers and prairie warblers. Red foxes have been sighted at the preserve.

Why the Conservancy Selected This Site
To preserve a rare calcareous red cedar barren plant community, limestone woodlands, and at least ten state and globally rare plants.

What the Conservancy Has Done/Is Doing
The rare plant communities at Nellie Hill are threatened by invasive plants, including autumn olive, black locust, privet, black swallow-wort, buckthorn, bush honeysuckle, Japanese barberry, multiflora rose, oriental bittersweet and garlic mustard. The Nature Conservancy is implementing a model weed management program that relies heavily on volunteer involvement. Large groups of volunteers have already removed invasive species, marked trails and rebuilt an entrance kiosk.