Poliak Pond Preserve

Ownership

Redding Land Trust

Acreage

32

Entrance

Railroad Crossing at 193 Simpaug Turnpike
Note: This is a legal private crossing, but there are no gates and no warning lights. Please be careful.

Parking

Along Simpaug, Limited. Do not park in 193 driveway.

Trails

Double loop with spur, .9 miles

Trail App

Poliak Preserve

Background: The bulk of this preserve was donated by Saul and Janice Poliak. Longtime residents of Redding, they were active members of the community and generous philanthropists. Saul was a pioneer in the industrial convention business. Jan and Saul traveled the world and Jan often told of her experiences at the Mark Twain Library.

Their home was further North on Simpaug Turnpike, and their property included a beutiful pond, know to longtime residents as "Catfish Pond." Each summer, the Poliaks would host a summer party at their house on the Saugatuck. Families brought picnics and there were games for the kids.

Key Features: The loop trail around the pond is a wonderful stroll. Beavers have been active lately - numerous trees have been girdled, and a lodge is at the North end of the pond. Go near sunset and the beavers may slap their tails in the water to warn you away. A second loop passes through forestland, with views of a boulder-strewn hillside. Here, the Furlough Trail has been granted access by private owners to bring hikers onto the Henry and Lotte Fields Preserve, also accessible via George Hull Hill Road. ❧