Nestled between two ridges, this secluded property contains a beautiful loop trail around a bog that teems with flora and fauna. One featured attraction, a 100-foot long bog bridge, was added in 2017 to connect the loop. As you cross it, keep an eye out for wood ducks and turtles; in the spring, you’ll hear the call of frogs and toads. Whether you enter from East Street, Bowne Road or Tichnor Road, you will find pristine rambling streams, hardwood forest stands with lush wild grasses, rocky hills covered in mountain laurel, plus old charcoal pits and stone walls from hundreds of years ago. The trail system has been maintained to equestrian standards, and is open year-round to horses.
History
Sharon Mountain Preserve is actually composed of five distinct parcels. One of the land trusts first acquisitions, the 30-acre Lynch parcel was donated in late 1986 by Emily Sue Lynch and abuts Bowne Road. In 1999, Robert and Ellen Calinoff donated what is now the central 93-acre parcel. It abuts the Lynch parcel to the south and East Street to the east. In mid 2001, Alfred and Anne Frueh bought a 17-acre parcel from the children of Alfred’s brother, Robert Frueh, and donated it to the land trust in memory of Robert. This abuts the Calinoff parcel to the northeast and Tichnor Road to the south. Lastly, the children of Barbara Frueh Bornemann donated a 19-acre parcel in 2014 that abuts the Calinoff parcel to the northwest, the Frueh parcel to the west and Tichnor Road to the south. Thanks to these generous donors, the 159-acre Sharon Mountain Preserve was born. Work on a trail system linking Bowne Road, East Street and Tichnor Road was started in 2015 and a 2-mile loop trail with its 120-foot long bog bridge was finished in 2017.
