#12 White Memorial Conservation Center

 Perhaps the most popular place in Litchfield is the White Memorial Conservation Center. There are over 40 miles of trails and areas for kayaking, fishing and camping  in this 4000 acre preserve of forest, fields, and wetlands. In 1908, Alain White, whose family was from France,  decided to preserve the land around the  family estate in Litchfield  as a conservation area. Five years later, he and his sister formed the White Memorial Foundation and  amassed over 5700 acres, stretching all the way to the New York border. Eventually, they donated all of the land to towns and the state with the requirement that it be used for parks and conservation areas. Today, the Conservation Center is operated as a non- profit  and maintains the area and facilities.  In addition, the original family homestead is used as an education center and each week there are interesting lectures, nature hikes, and programs all centered around nature.

If you are looking for a great place to enjoy nature, you should visit White Memorial. However, keep on the lookout for bears as it is not uncommon to see them in the woods.

Interesting note: when the Whites were buying the land, the locals were very suspicious as they thought the Whites were buying up the land to develop. 








Comments

  1. BJMJuly 31, 2025 at 12:17 AM

    Another great piece on the CT area.....keep them coming!!

    ReplyDelete

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