The UConn Forest Moss Tract and North Property (430 acres) and the adjacent Town of Willington-owned Daniel W. Talmadge Conservation Tract (28 acres) and Royal Knowlton Preserve (138 acres) comprise a nearly 600 acre contiguous area of conserved open space. These properties are located in the southeastern section of Willington, northeast of the UConn Storrs campus along the Fenton River. The Moss Tract and Talmadge/Knowlton Properties contain a wide variety of ecological features and 3.6 miles of trails centered around a 1.9 mile section of the Nipmuck Trail. The Moss Tract features extensive late-successional hemlock forests with occasional large white pines bordering on the Fenton River which runs through a ravine at the north end of the property. The other forests in the Moss Tract are largely mid-successional oak-hickory forest, while the Talmadge Property also includes a large section of maple-dominated northern hardwood forests, and the Knowlton Property younger, early-successional forests in areas of recent agricultural abandonment. Current uses of these properties are for education, research, forest management focused on promoting forest health and sustainability, and low-impact recreation.

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Trail descriptions for the Moss Tract and adjacent properties:

A section of the Blue-Blazed Nipmuck Trail traverses the Moss Tract and Knowlton Property generally in a north-south direction, with much of it running alongside the scenic Fenton River through hemlock, pine, and oak dominated forests. The trail has some difficult, very rocky sections and includes a few unbridged stream crossings. The northern section through the Knowlton Property follows an old forest road and passes by several vernal pools. 1.9 miles - Moderate-high difficulty

The Blue-White blazed Knowlton Spur Trail connects the northern part of the Nipmuck Trail to the Mason Road parking area and the Talmadge Spur Trail. This trail is relatively flat and passes through maple-dominated forests and younger, early-successional forests in areas of recent agricultural abandonment. It also passes by a very large “glacial erratic” boulder deposited by the retreating ice sheet in the last ice age. 0.6 miles - Moderate-low difficulty

The Yellow-blazed Talmadge Spur Trail connects the Mason Road parking area to the southern part of the Nipmuck Trail. It traverses across the slope of the Fenton River Valley through rich, maple-dominated northern hardwood forests. 0.5 miles - Moderate difficulty

The Red-Blue-blazed UConn Loop Trail branches off of the Nipmuck Trail and winds through some of the most extensive and impressive late-successional hemlock forest in the area. The trail connects to the Fenton River and follows the river above a very scenic ravine. 0.6 miles - Moderate difficulty.