The properties are open to the public. The small parking lot (mulched, not paved) off Sperry Road has recently been enlarged to acommodate more vehicles. Note: There is no curb-cut off the street. 

 

The property blue-blazed trails loops around the entire preserve, and offers views into Kolstad Woods.  An easier trail was recently added as an alternative to the main straightaway trail steps that lead to the ridge top.

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Dogs on-leash are welcome. Please pick-up after your dog and dispose of properly.

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Background History

Elizabeth Carpenter resided with her family on 45 acres of hilly forested property that included what is now the Brooke Preserve.  The property was acquired over time by her father and had served as a summer retreat for her family beginning in the 1920s. She hoped to see it preserved as she had always known the land to be... wild and little changed by the imprint of man. The family managed the land for wildlife habitat and timber, with the most recent forest thinning occurring about 20 years ago.  Mrs. Carpenter's wish was fulfilled when CLT Acquired 40 acres in 2005. The remaining family land, 1.4 acres, was acquired in 2018. 

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Nine years later, in 2014, Dr. Leonard and Karen Kolstad donated an adjacent 4 acres of woodlands to the Cheshire Land Trust, creating Kolstad Woods, and enlarging the overall protected land to 44 acres. 

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