Willow's Trail

Dogs Leashed

Features Birding · Geological Significance · Views · Wildflowers · Wildlife

Pets must be leashed. Everything is carry-in, carry-out. There are no parking fees. Trail use is not crowded but expect to see the occasional hiker and runner.

Trail running is manageable, but can be steep, rocky, and muddy in different sections.

Park in a dirt parking lot on Route 183, approximately 0.3 miles north of Taft Farms. Some of the early sections are steep, but manageable. The path continues through some Trustees of Reservations property as well as some private property; users are asked to stay on the trail through these sections.

Approximately 0.25 miles from the parking area, there is a well-labeled turn. There is an option to continue on Willow's Trail to Flag Rock with views of Housatonic Village, and an option to take the Cross Over Trail to the Mohican Monument Trail on Monument Mountain. Willow's Trail continues up and along a ridge through some patches of Elderberry, eventually leading to a ledge at Flag Rock overlooking Housatonic Village to the west.

At the end of June there were surprisingly few biting insects. Birds can be heard in the canopy. Abundant deciduous forest and patches of Elderberry grow on either side of the upper trail portion after the Cross Over Trail split.