The 700-acre Hidden Valley Preserve is mixed forest and meadows with wooded hillsides cascading into the River Valley below .
Macricostas Preserve is 400-acres offering an array of landscapes, as meadows and farm fields blend with wooded ridges and wetlands.
The 998-acre Steep Rock preserve offers hiking trails which follow the river banks and provide access into great hiking trails.
Our goal was to provide fresh produce for members of our community with limited financial resources.
We offer many trails designated for Hiking & Riding for adventurers of all skillsets.
Campers are surrounded by nature offering tent camping at 3 different sites.
Looking to sit back and cast a line? Steep Rock offers fishing at many locations.
Organized group events of 25 or more people, bring family and friends and enjoy the day.
Join us as we work to keep Steep Rock a treasure for generations to come...
We offer many programs and events such as morning yoga and hayrides at Macricostas...
Are you ready for a NEW hiking challenge. Well you've come to the right place...
Dogs are our best friends, but did you know that our beloved companions can also be a significant source of water pollution? Every time it rains, the dog waste found along our trails and in our yards flows untreated into nearby streams, ponds, and lakes. High volumes of dog waste, such as along our trails …
Meet the latest addition the Steep Rock Association staff Kelly Sarandrea! She lives happily in Thomaston with her family and plethora of pets. She is incredibly excited to come on board and help with some of the amazing work that we do here at Steep Rock as our brand new office manager. Kelly was an …
Seasoned hikers of Steep Rock Association’s (SRA) trails likely remember unique closure signs posted in early spring years ago. Northern goshawks (NOGO), a threatened resident bird of prey in CT, had nested in our two largest preserves and these signs were for the mutual benefit of all users – NOGOs to minimize disturbance at nest …
Steep Rock Association’s first ever Van Sinderen Intern, Karlie, shares her experiences at Steep Rock Association this summer: Starting off the Van Sinderen Conservationist Internship with a nest check of a kestrel box containing five screeching kestrel nestlings was an awesome experience. The siblings were all at different stages of development, and the youngest was …
Bushwhacking 101: Nature Preserve Monitoring Have you ever seen those yellow “Steep Rock Nature Preserve” property signs dotting the roads of Washington? Behind those signs is a collective 2,500 acres of pristine wilderness, scattered over 30 individual preserves. Some of that acreage is old growth hemlock forest while other parts are wetlands brimming with biodiversity …
It Takes a Village to Build a Garden and a Garden to Feed a Community Judea Garden is celebrating its 10th season of providing fresh, organic produce for its neighbors in need. Over the past nine season we have grown, harvested and delivered 33,000 pounds of food. None of this would have been possible without …
Eliot Johnson is a part-time farmer and the owner of West Mountain Builders. Eliot lives, farms, and does business on property that once housed his grandfather’s dairy farm – which began in 1941. A spirit of service endures via Eliot’s contribution to the volunteer Board of the Washington Art Association; he also previously served as …
As a senior at Shepaug Valley High School in 2005, I would look forward to when “C Period” would roll around in early afternoon, a time designated to work on a personal project required for graduation. I decided to keep a naturalist’s journal and at the onset of C Period, I would hop in my …
As notified in the previous edition of VISTA, Steep Rock Association has submitted an application for accreditation from the Land Trust Alliance, seeking recognition for excellence as a conservation organization. A vital element under review in regard to policies and practices is the stewardship of our conservation easements. Conservation easements (or “conservation restrictions”) are legal …
Steep Rock Association is a land trust whose mission is to conserve ecologically and historically significant landscapes in and around Washington, CT and the Shepaug River Valley and to enhance the community’s connection with nature.
(860) 868-9131 | info@steeprockassoc.org
PO. Box 279
Washington Depot, Connecticut 06794
Hours: Monday – Friday 8am – 4pm