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Most of the hiking trails are moderately easy, with more challenging rocky, hilly terrain on the Ravine Trail and portions of the Purple Trail.
The 207-acre Selden Creek Preserve on the west side of Joshuatown Road is owned by The Nature Conservancy (TNC). The Selden White and Selden Blue trails lead to overlooks on vertical cliffs above Selden Creek's wetlands. The orange trail travels between these two overlooks. The preserve's name comes from the creek flowing between it and Selden Neck State Park. It is also a biologically significant site for the lower Connecticut River Valley: its forested hills and freshwater tidal marshes provide habitat for many plants and wildlife, including for wintering bald eagles.
The Ravine Trail region on the east side of Joshuatown Road is owned by both TNC and the Lyme Land Trust (LLT). The White Trail follows an old farm road through hardwood forest and leads into the Brockway-Hawthorne Preserve. Hikers may notice stands of hemlocks that have been destroyed by the invasive hemlock woolly adelgid. From the White Trail, following the Yellow Trail provides an easy route to a deep ravine with steep cliffs on either side, whereas the red-blazed Ravine Trail is a more challenging route which traverses the watershed drainage divide from which the stream flows north to Whalebone Cove and south to Joshua Creek. Blue Trails lead from both Yellow and Ravine Trails to overlooks over an abandoned beaver pond.
The 82-acre Brockway-Hawthorne Preserve, owned by the LLT, is adjacent to the Ravine Trail. The challenging Purple Trail connects the two properties. From the Brush Hill Road parking lot, the loop of White Trail onto the Yellow Trail and back provides a delightful 0.8-mile walk. Visitors may observe natural and cultural features such as healthy stands of hemlock trees along with hardwood trees, ancient oaks and stone walls from former pastureland, mountain laurel groves, and a former quarry.
From the Brush Hill Road parking lot, following the White Trail across Joshuatown Road to the overlook at Selden Creek and back creates a 4-mile round-trip hike.
The Nature Conservancy (TNC) established the Selden Creek Preserve in 1986 through an initial purchase of 55 acres from the late Ferdinand W. Coudert. In 1995, TNC purchased an additional 152 acres. The Ravine Trail, on the other side of Joshuatown Road, originated from a donation of 13 acres to the Lyme Land Trust (LLT) in 1991. In 1998 Ron Phillips donated 9 acres off Mitchell Hill Road to the LLT. Abutting this parcel is the 70 acres that TNC purchased in 2000 in a bargain sale, from Tai Soo Kim and Stanley Fellman, and 6 acres purchased in 2001 from Dr. Clement E. Marks Jr. and the estate of Michael Mercurio. The 82-acre Brockway-Hawthorne Preserve was purchased by the LLT in 2017, in a bargain sale from William and Anna Hawthorne, with funds from the CT DEEP Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Grant Program, the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut, and members of the community, including the Hadlyme Challenge Grant spearheaded by a lead donor.
From CT-9 South, take Exit 10 for CT-82 toward East Haddam/Moodus. Continue on CT-82 for 8 miles, then take a slight right onto Phelps Road. In 0.2 miles, turn left to stay on Phelps Road, and then continue straight onto Day Hill Road. In half a mile, continue straight onto Joshuatown Road. In 0.2 miles, a driveway on the left leads to a few parking spaces at the Selden Cemetery parking lot. Walk the half-mile right-of-way path to access Brockway Hawthorne Preserve. Alternatively, continue an additional mile to the main parking area on the right.
From CT-9 South, take Exit 10 for CT-82 toward East Haddam/Moodus. Continue on CT-82 for 8.6 miles, then continue straight onto Brush Hill Road. In half a mile, the parking area entrance is on the right, just after the Brockway-Hawthorne Preserve sign. Alternatively, continue another 0.2 miles and turn right onto Mitchell Hill Road. Then in 0.7 miles, roadside parking is on the right.
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