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| Rose-breasted grosbeaks nest at the Guard Hill Preserve. |
Guard Hill Preserve
62 acres
Route 22 and Guard Hill Road, Bedford Village
Google Maps Directions
Trail Map
Visit the Guard Hill Preserve in May or June and you'll see a lush wetland thick with skunk cabbage and cinnamon fern, with lumpy sphagnum hummocks rising between the red maples, and you're likely to hear the songs of black-and-white warblers, rose-breasted grosbeaks and Baltimore orioles. You'll also see the meadows and pastures of nearby farms, including Sunnyfield, from a perspective you don't get from the local roads.
Those are among the reasons the 62-acre preserve is among our favorites. Another reason? We know what would have been there had it not been for the generosity of Amy and Brian Pennington - namely 30 houses. The Penningtons bought the property in 2000 specifically to prevent a development proposal from going through, and then donated it to Westchester Land Trust.
The preserve's trail runs from Guard Hill Road to Route 22, with meadows and pastures on one side, and woods and wetlands on the other. The trail is open to hikers and horseback riders, and is shared with the Bedford Riding Lanes Association.
The trail can be accessed from Guard Hill Road or Route 22. The trailhead is on
the south side of Guard Hill Road just west of the intersection of Clinton Road with Guard Hill. From there, the trail runs southeast along the edge of the preserve. You will notice the pastures of Sunnyfield Farm to the west. After passing the southern portion of the trail system, the Bedford Riding Lanes Association (BRLA) trail continues through Shannon Stables. This portion of the trail is only open to members of BRLA.