Meadow Brook Preserve and Swan Lake State Park (Swanville)

My sons and I went on two hikes in Swanville today. Here is a map of our hikes. 

We started at Meadow Brook Preserve, a 372 acre wooded preserve managed by the Coastal Mountains Land Trust.  We took the Hauk-Fry trail (2 miles total), a well marked trail traversing through woodlands, occasionally over log walkways, leading out to views of Meadow Brook and the Hurd's Pond watershed.  The trail was easy to follow and an easy walk.  At the end of the trail there is a picnic table overlooking Meadow Brook with views of a large beaver lodge.  A small section of the trail crosses the brook to the opposite shoreline; however, due to the recent warm temperatures and snow melt, the trail was underwater and impassable. 

 

We next visited Swan Lake State Park.   Best known for its lakefront beach, the park in the winter provides solitude and a chance to walk along the shore of Swan Lake without crowds.  The front gate of the park was closed, so the roundtrip distance from the road to the shoreline and around the park totaled 1.7 miles.