Features

Herb Hadfield is arguably the Westport Land Conservation Trust’s most popular property – and for good reason. With a diverse natural setting, well-maintained trails and boardwalks, and easy access via two parking areas, Herb Hadfield is a place that outdoor enthusiasts of all ages can enjoy.

The trails at Herb Hadfield Conservation Area lead to Angeline Brook, a pristine coldwater stream

The property’s standout feature is Angeline Brook, a coldwater stream where rare sea-run brook trout spawn. In 2016, the Buzzards Bay Coalition helped the Westport Land Conservation Trust add 50 acres to Herb Hadfield Conservation Area to help protect the forests and stream buffers along Angeline Brook.

Trails

Herb Hadfield Conservation Area has two parking areas: one on Adamsville Road and another down a short gravel drive off Cornell Road. The property’s main trail, the red trail, runs for about 1 mile between these two parking areas, providing an interesting walk with several offshoots to explore. (Download trail map)

For an easily accessible hike that takes under an hour, follow the red trail north from Cornell Road to a meadow. This is the place where Herb Hadfield’s cabin once stood. Turn right onto the blue trail, and you’ll find a system of boardwalks across Angeline Brook. To extend your hike, turn onto the yellow trail or the green trail; all three of these trails eventually loop back to the red trail to return home.

Habitats & Wildlife

Herb Hadfield Conservation Area preserves a mix of pine-oak forest, meadows, and wooded wetlands. In the center of the property, the meadow where Herb Hadfield once built his cabin is now being restored to a native grassland habitat.

The forests and wetlands at Herb Hadfield protect Angeline Brook, a coldwater stream that flows to the West Branch of the Westport River. Angeline Brook provides a home for native sea-run brook trout, or “salters.”

The presence of these rare fish speaks to the pristine, undeveloped condition of the land around Angeline Brook, which the Coalition and the Westport Land Conservation Trust are working to protect.

Property Owned By

Westport Land Conservation Trust

The Westport Land Conservation Trust is a nonprofit corporation that has worked since 1972 to acquire and preserve natural resources, farmland, and wildlife areas for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.