Louis and Gladys Bond Preserve
Louis and Gladys Bond Preserve
Town: Montville
Maintained Uses: walking, riding, birding, biking, jogging, photography, bow hunting in season, equestrian, cross country skiing.
Difficulty: Easy to moderate for the primary infrastructure. Relatively level grass/gravel roadway trails from prior gravel operation and prior farming have been cleared and opened. Beaver activity has partially submerged some low spots (marked on map) The main roadway cleared areas are the black lines on the map and the side spur narrower trails are being evaluated for clearing in the near future (marked as red lines.)
Length: 5 miles of total trails (2 interconnected Loop Trails)
Type: Interconnected loop network proposed
Surface: Designated Accessible Parking installation is in process; grass/meadow and packed earth/dirt
Pets: Permitted (dogs on leash, horses)
Year Preserved: 2026
Acres: 670.22
Trail Description
***WHILE PRESERVE OPENING CONSTRUCTION IS ONGOING, THERE IS LIMITED PARKING AVAILABLE OUTSIDE THE MAIN GATE***
The Louis and Gladys Bond Preserve features relatively flat open mowed trails near the entrance and bordered by woodlands or wetlands as you go deeper in. The property has principally been in a gravel operation for the past half-century and farming before that with a circumnavigating network of farming/graveling roads. The proposed trails shown on the trail map are identified by their current state.
Starting at the 777 Chesterfield Road entrance, you will come to planned designated accessible parking on the left. Sweeping flat roadway trails pass an open “sand desert” and a large man-made pond on the right beyond which the gravel road passes the more recent rock excavation area with some remaining large piles of processed materials and ledge. Continuing north traverses the first of two “loop areas”, the first of which circles clockwise through one short area of partially submerged trail from beaver activity at a pond/wetland (see map note.) The first loop then connects to a second loop fairly level through the east side of the preserve. Highlights off the trail include multiple pond areas and exposed excavated ledges, with likely spotting of various wildlife including deer, beaver, turkey, etc.
