Cranesville Swamp

Things to consider during you visit

• What to Do

  If you want to see, hear and smell the swamp’s plant and animal life—take a hike! There are five trails to choose from, all less than 2 miles long. There are some wet and boggy areas, so please bring proper footwear.
  

  One of the highlights of the preserve is the 1,500-foot boardwalk, which allows for easy exploration over the wettest parts of the bog. 

• What to See: Plants & Animals

  The cool, wet environ of Cranesville Swamp has over thousands of years fostered the formation of peat – made of compacted sphagnum moss that creates a nutrient-poor environment as it breaks down. 

  Few trees can survive in the resulting bog, but tall eastern hemlock, red spruce and tamarack prevail in the acidic environment.  Lower to the ground, plants like sundew, cranberry and sedge thrive in open areas.  
  

  Throughout these rare and diverse wetlands communities, visitors to the preserve can witness a spectacular range of birds and mammals. Lucky visitors may spot the rare northern water shrew, or catch a glimpse of a bear rummaging through the shrub thickets surrounding Muddy Creek. 

  Patience and binoculars may afford others a glimpse of any one of the more than 100 bird species found at Cranesville, such as alder flycatcher, Blackburnian warbler or the saw-whet owl, which nests in stands of red spruce and hemlock in the conifer swamp forest.

• Preserve Guidelines

  Read our Preserve Guidelines to learn about permitted and prohibited uses, ways of enjoying these spaces, a note about hunting season and more.