Devil's Den Preserve
Encyclopedia
For other places with the "Devil's Den" name, see Devil's Den
The Lucius Pond Ordway Devil's Den Preserve in Weston
and Redding
, Connecticut
, encompassing 1746 acres (7.1 km²), is the largest preserve in Fairfield County, Connecticut
and one of the larger preserves in the metropolitan New York area
. The preserve's name derives from local lore: charcoal makers in the hilly, rocky area would say that a hoof-like mark made in a boulder was the footprint of the Devil
.
Devil's Den is the most frequently visited preserve (and largest contiguous preserve) run by the Connecticut chapter of the Nature Conservancy, with 40,000 visits per year. The main entrance is at the end of Pent Road in Weston. The park is open from dawn till dusk.
The New Canaan Nature Center
runs programs and hikes in the woody park. The preserve has 20 miles (32.2 km) of trails, and maps and a self-guided tour booklet are available at the Pent Road parking area.
The preserve is part of the watershed
of the West Branch of the Saugatuck River
and part of the extended 70 miles (112.7 km) "Saugatuck Valley Trails System".
Flora and fauna in the preserve include more than 500 types of trees and wildflowers, the pink Lady's slipper
, Cardinal flower, and Indian pipe, such animals as red fox
, Bobcat
, Coyote
, eastern copperhead snake, and more than 140 bird species, including Wood duck
, Ruffed grouse
, Pileated woodpecker
.
The park was founded by the late Katharine Ordway, who bought 1100 acres (4.5 km²) from the Bridgeport Hydraulic Company in 1966 and added more land to the original purchase from 1966 to 1968.
Devil's Den (disambiguation)
Devil's Den is a name, or part of a name, of numerous places and other entities.The most famous Devil's Den is on part of the Civil War battlefield at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania-Places:United States:*Devil's Den State Park in West Fork, Arkansas...
The Lucius Pond Ordway Devil's Den Preserve in Weston
Weston, Connecticut
Weston is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut. The population was 10,179 at the 2010 census. The town is served by Route 57 and Route 53, both of which run through the town center. About 19% of the town's workforce commutes to New York City, about to the southwest.Like many towns in...
and Redding
Redding, Connecticut
Mark Twain, a resident of the town in his old age, contributed the first books for a public library which was eventually named after him.-Government:...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, encompassing 1746 acres (7.1 km²), is the largest preserve in Fairfield County, Connecticut
Fairfield County, Connecticut
Fairfield County is a county located in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The county population is 916,829 according to the 2010 Census. There are currently 1,465 people per square mile in the county. It is the most populous county in the State of Connecticut and contains...
and one of the larger preserves in the metropolitan New York area
New York metropolitan area
The New York metropolitan area, also known as Greater New York, or the Tri-State area, is the region that composes of New York City and the surrounding region...
. The preserve's name derives from local lore: charcoal makers in the hilly, rocky area would say that a hoof-like mark made in a boulder was the footprint of the Devil
Devil
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
.
Devil's Den is the most frequently visited preserve (and largest contiguous preserve) run by the Connecticut chapter of the Nature Conservancy, with 40,000 visits per year. The main entrance is at the end of Pent Road in Weston. The park is open from dawn till dusk.
The New Canaan Nature Center
New Canaan Nature Center
The New Canaan Nature Center is a botanical garden, arboretum and nature preserve located at 144 Oenoke Ridge, Route 124, about north of the center of New Canaan, Connecticut....
runs programs and hikes in the woody park. The preserve has 20 miles (32.2 km) of trails, and maps and a self-guided tour booklet are available at the Pent Road parking area.
The preserve is part of the watershed
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
of the West Branch of the Saugatuck River
Saugatuck River
The Saugatuck River is a river in southwestern Connecticut in the United States. It drains part of suburban and rural Fairfield County west of Bridgeport, emptying into Long Island Sound.-Description:...
and part of the extended 70 miles (112.7 km) "Saugatuck Valley Trails System".
Flora and fauna in the preserve include more than 500 types of trees and wildflowers, the pink Lady's slipper
Lady's Slipper
Lady's slipper orchids, lady slipper orchids or slipper orchids are the orchids in the subfamily Cypripedioidea, which includes the genera Cypripedium, Mexipedium, Paphiopedilum, Phragmipedium and Selenipedium...
, Cardinal flower, and Indian pipe, such animals as red fox
Red Fox
The red fox is the largest of the true foxes, as well as being the most geographically spread member of the Carnivora, being distributed across the entire northern hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, Central America, and the steppes of Asia...
, Bobcat
Bobcat
The bobcat is a North American mammal of the cat family Felidae, appearing during the Irvingtonian stage of around 1.8 million years ago . With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States...
, Coyote
Coyote
The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
, eastern copperhead snake, and more than 140 bird species, including Wood duck
Wood Duck
The Wood Duck or Carolina Duck is a species of duck found in North America. It is one of the most colourful of North American waterfowl.-Description:...
, Ruffed grouse
Ruffed Grouse
The Ruffed Grouse is a medium-sized grouse occurring in forests from the Appalachian Mountains across Canada to Alaska. It is non-migratory.The Ruffed Grouse is frequently referred to as a "partridge"...
, Pileated woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
The Pileated Woodpecker is a very large North American woodpecker, almost crow-sized, inhabiting deciduous forests in eastern North America, the Great Lakes, the boreal forests of Canada, and parts of the Pacific coast. It is also the largest woodpecker in America.Adults are long, and weigh...
.
History
People have used the area for hunting as far back as 5,000 years ago, according to archaeological evidence found in the park. A sawmill was once located below Godfrey Pond in the preserve, a part of the area's history as a lumbering and charcoal-burning center, especially in the Nineteenth century.The park was founded by the late Katharine Ordway, who bought 1100 acres (4.5 km²) from the Bridgeport Hydraulic Company in 1966 and added more land to the original purchase from 1966 to 1968.