Deer Pond Farm located in Sherman Connecticut is a gift to the Connecticut Audubon Society from the late Kathy and Walter Wriston. The Connecticut Audubon Society received a generous bequest in 2017, from the estate of Kathryn D. Wriston, of 835 acres of rugged hardwood forest, meadows, and wetlands straddling the state border of Sherman, Connecticut, and Pawling, New York.
Called Deer Pond Farm by the Wristons, the property includes a network of 20 miles of trails. All trails are accessible from the visitor parking lot at 57 Wakeman Hill Road, Sherman, CT. The sanctuary is now open year-round, seven days a week, from dawn to dusk. Parking and access to all trails is at 57 Wakeman Hill Road, Sherman.
Deer Pond Farm sits in the highlands along the Connecticut-New York border. About 620 of its 835 acres are upland forest; 125 acres are forested wetlands, and 59 acres is a meadow. About 100 species of birds have been reported on or near the property during the breeding season, including forest birds such as Broad-winged Hawk and Scarlet Tanager, marsh birds such as Virginia Rail, and birds such as American Woodcock, Eastern Towhee, and Chestnut-sided Warbler, which nest in young forests or shrubby areas.
Mammals include bobcat, several bat species, fisher, and long-tailed weasel, beaver and black bear. As many as 11 species of snake possibly live on the property. Numerous reptiles and amphibians breed in its 11 vernal pools. The Deer Pond Farm list includes spotted salamanders, slimy salamanders, dusky salamanders, and wood frogs.
Trail maps can be downloaded online for the Eastern Trail, and the Western Trail. CT Audubon Society trails remain open at this time. We ask that guests practice social distancing, enjoy the trails with members of your household, and if parking is busy, please consider choosing another site. Deer Pond Farm has 835 acres with several miles of wide trails – most around 10’ wide.
