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Cross Lots Preserve

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Cross Lots, also known as the Harriet Cheney Downing Nature Preserve, is located near downtown Essex and features a pollinator garden, majestic Beech and conifer trees, and a Dogwood and an American Chestnut orchard. 
Trail Activity
Hiking Walking
Length
1.4 miles, Network
Difficulty
Easy
Town
Essex
Surface
Packed Earth/Dirt, Grass
Pets
Permitted
Fees
No

Description

Cross Lots is maintained as open field bordered by hedgerows, a vanishing habitat that was once common in Connecticut. The trails are a combination of packed dirt and mown grass. The entire preserve is bounded by stone walls facilitating easy navigation.

Because the understory is sparse much of the preserve is viewable from any point in its bounds. From the lowest point in the preserve to the highest is a generally gentle elevation change of about 70 feet. Cross Lots is best described as an open hilltop, wooded groves and rolling meadows along with finely-coursed stone walls topped with monolithic capstones. 

Trail Manager

Essex Land Trust
P.O. Box 373
Essex, CT 06426
https://essexlandtrust.org/

Trail Tips

Plan Ahead and Prepare
Be prepared to find your way home. Familiarize yourself with the area before you set out and bring your map and compass along.

Trailhead Information

Park Entrance:

The entrance to Cross Lots is located between two private residences, on 40 West Avenue Essex CT, diagonally across from the Essex Public Library. Granite pillars mark the entrance of the 150ft driveway ending in a gravel parking lot next to a barn.

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