Cranesville Swamp

Visit

• Before You Go

  Although all trails are fewer than two miles and not difficult to walk, hiking boots are recommended as trails may be muddy and some sections may be wet or underwater; be prepared to get your feet wet!

  We encourage you to use sunscreen when appropriate, avoid poison ivy along the trail, and use insect repellant to protect against chiggers, mosquitoes, and ticks—especially deer ticks— which can carry Lyme disease.

  Camping, pets, bicycling, and motorized vehicles are not permitted on the trails.

  • Bring plenty of drinking water, sun protection (sunscreen, hat, sunglasses), rain gear, and bug protection. Binoculars, field guides, and a camera may be useful.
  • Wear socks and waterproof shoes.
  • Wear light colors to help you spot and remove ticks.

  The following are not permitted at Cranesville Swamp Preserve:

  • Pets
  • Biking and mountain biking
  • Camping 
  • Driving an ATV or off-road vehicle
  • Smoking
  • Horseback riding 
  • Removing any part of the natural landscape 
  • Snowmobiling
  • Geocaching 
  • Cooking or campfires
• What to Do

  If you want to see, hear and smell the swamp’s plant and animal life—take a hike! There are five trails to choose from, all less than 2 miles long. There are some wet and boggy areas, so please bring proper footwear.
  

  One of the highlights of the preserve is the 1,500-foot boardwalk, which allows for easy exploration over the wettest parts of the bog. 

• What to See: Plants & Animals

  The cool, wet environ of Cranesville Swamp has over thousands of years fostered the formation of peat – made of compacted sphagnum moss that creates a nutrient-poor environment as it breaks down. 

  Few trees can survive in the resulting bog, but tall eastern hemlock, red spruce and tamarack prevail in the acidic environment.  Lower to the ground, plants like sundew, cranberry and sedge thrive in open areas.  
  

  Throughout these rare and diverse wetlands communities, visitors to the preserve can witness a spectacular range of birds and mammals. Lucky visitors may spot the rare northern water shrew, or catch a glimpse of a bear rummaging through the shrub thickets surrounding Muddy Creek. 

  Patience and binoculars may afford others a glimpse of any one of the more than 100 bird species found at Cranesville, such as alder flycatcher, Blackburnian warbler or the saw-whet owl, which nests in stands of red spruce and hemlock in the conifer swamp forest.