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Places We Protect

Lucius Pond Ordway/Devil’s Den Preserve

Connecticut

A wooden foot bridge over a small creek leads to a trail through leafy green woods.

TNC’s largest preserve in Connecticut and the largest tract of protected land in densely developed Fairfield County.

In addition to checking this page, you can call our visitor information line (203-226-4991 and select “4") to gain up-to-date visitor information about Devil’s Den.

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Overview

Description

At 1,800 acres, Devil’s Den is The Nature Conservancy's largest preserve in Connecticut. Devil’s Den protects a significant portion of the watershed of the west branch of the Saugatuck River, habitat for many of aquatic species including uncommon mussel species. 

Why You Should Visit

The Lucius Pond Ordway/Devil’s Den Preserve is TNC's largest continuous preserve in Connecticut and the largest tract of protected land in densely developed Fairfield County. Its patchwork of woodlands, wetlands and rock ledges and a series of north-south ridges and valleys woven with streams and swamps make Devil’s Den ideal for low-impact outdoor activities such as hiking and bird watching.

Access

Limited Access

Hours

Sunrise to Sunset

Size

1,800 acres

Explore our work in Connecticut

A dirt path winds through a forest.
Devil's Den Preserve The Nature Conservancy's Devil's Den Preserve is in Weston, Connecticut. © The Nature Conservancy/Andrew Benson

Why TNC Selected This Site

Devil's Den provides a valuable oasis for species that require interior woodland for successful reproduction. Research has shown that such large unfragmented forest areas are vital to the health of a variety of species. Devil’s Den also represents a significant portion of the watershed of the west branch of the Saugatuck River, habitat for many of aquatic species, including several uncommon species of mussel.

Devil’s Den is also of historical significance; archaeological evidence indicates human use of the area, mostly for hunting, as long as 5,000 years ago. The remains of an up-and-down sawmill below Godfrey Pond testify to the importance of the lumbering that dovetailed with charcoal burning. The production of charcoal was an important commercial activity in the 1800s and marks dozens of sites.

What TNC Has Done/Is Doing

Devil’s Den is the chapter’s most frequently visited preserve, hosting more than 40,000 people per year. It is ideally located to provide an enriching and educational outdoor experience for residents of surrounding towns such as Redding, Easton, Westport and Wilton, along with the nearby metropolitan areas of Bridgeport, Danbury, Norwalk and Stamford. The Den is part of the extended 70-mile Saugatuck Valley Trails System, with contiguous forest and watershed lands.

A woman wearing a black sweater holds a white umbrella.
Katharine Ordway Katharine Ordway played a huge role in conserving Fairfield County’s largest preserve, TNC’s Lucius Pond Ordway/Devil’s Den Preserve. © Wallace C. Dayton

A Modest Conservationist With Monumental Impact

Devils Den was created by the late Katharine Ordway through a series of donations from 1966 through 1968, beginning with an 1,100-acre purchase from the Bridgeport Hydraulic Company. The 1,746-acre preserve was partially named after Katharine’s father, Lucius Pond Ordway. After his passing in 1948, Lucius’s five children inherited an estate worth $18.8 million. The inheritance allowed Katharine, then in her 50s and a long-time resident of Weston, to invest in land protection and become one of the greatest private contributors to nature conservation in U.S. history. Sixty-two acres of her former property also comprise TNC’s Katharine Ordway Preserve.

Katharine Ordway was born on the prairies of Minnesota in 1899. She witnessed the tallgrass prairie near her home in Saint Paul completely disappear by 1930—a loss that fueled her passion for conservation and a lifetime of philanthropy that comes second only to John D. Rockefeller Jr.

Widely known as the woman who saved the prairies, using some of her inherited estate to protect 31,000 acres of Great Plains prairies and the 4,000-acre Prairie State Park in Missouri. Her Great Plains work also helped TNC purchase the Konza Prairie Biological Station, 8,616 acres of native tallgrass prairie in northeast Kansas.

Katharine also invested in education throughout her life. As a student, she graduated cum laude from the University of Minnesota with degrees in botany and art, and attended Yale Medical School and Columbia University to study biology and land-use planning. Later in her life, she supported lands dedicated to education and sustainability.

A modest person, Katharine’s donation that helped TNC purchase Konza Prairie was kept anonymous until after her death in 1979. Her ashes were scattered on her preserve, at her favorite place to visit in October at peak fall foliage. High on a hill, hikers can find a large boulder, surrounded by mountain laurel, that holds a plaque honoring her memory.

A pink flower emerges from a forest floor.
Pink Lady Slipper Pink Lady Slipper is one of many wildflowers growing at TNC's Devil's Den Preserve. © Steve S. Meyer

Conditions

The preserve’s 20-mile trail system winds past dramatic rocky crests, outcroppings and cliffs forming high ledges partly covered with grasses, mosses and lichens.

Visitor Use

Please enjoy your visit to this preserve. The Nature Conservancy welcomes passive recreation, including hiking, birding, nature study and cross-country skiing.

Please refrain from any activities that disturb the natural environment or other visitors, and contact our office at: 203-226-4991 or theden@tnc.org if you notice any problems.

  • Trails and parking lot are open sunrise to sunset.
  • Visitors are only allowed on blazed trails.
  • No dogs, horses or other pets.
  • No bicycles or motorized vehicles.
  • Hiking, running, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing only on blazed trails.
  • Cross-country skiing is permitted on red-blazed trails, but requires 8-10" of snow to clear rocks and roots.
  • Visitors may not hunt; trap; rock climb; fish; swim; ice skate; boat; collect plants, fungi, animals, minerals or artifacts; release animals; smoke; build fires; camp; or drink alcoholic beverages on premises.
  • Please take all trash and your belongings when you leave.

What to See: Plants

The preserve features more than 500 types of trees and wildflowers, including the beautiful pink lady’s slipper, cardinal flower and Indian pipe.

What to See: Animals

Devil’s Den is home to red fox, bobcat, coyote, Eastern copperhead, wood duck, ruffed grouse, pileated woodpecker and more than 140 other bird species.

Resources

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