Mine Hill Preserve

i cannot stress this enough, this place is absolutely beautiful
there’s a ton of mineshafts, otherwise abandoned structures, and generally really pretty things here
it’s quite difficult and long (3.1 miles i believe is the long trail? i didn’t go that way so i wouldn’t know exactly) and the terrain isn’t the easiest to walk through
i normally get exhausted on hikes like these, but if i’m being honest, i enjoyed this the whole way through
there’s a spot with a bench by a lake to kinda just rest and sit with the silence for a while which i really like
there’s a lot of history here (as i mentioned with the mineshafts and structures) and it’s just so beautiful and fascinating to learn about everything
they’re doing research on owls here which i find interesting (no they aren’t doing physical testing on the owls in labs, there’s just towers that track their movement and sound. they’re not that tall and they don’t hurt the owls at all :) thought i’d mention because my friend questioned this when i told them about it)
i wouldn’t recommend bringing children, especially not small children, but i would recommend bringing a buddy or two if you’re planning on going off trail (even if it doesn’t sound like something you’d do i promise there’s a 90% chance you end up doing it)
there’s a geocache somewhere, will not spoil where it is or what’s inside it but just know that is something you can look for (personally one of my favourite geocaches i’ve found by far)
overall 10/10 would give 6 stars if i could
amazing place :)

Lots of parking, trails are a little bit difficult for someone with bad knees but it’s worth a visit, nice scenery.

Wow, we haven't been hiking in awhile and decided to go today when it was super hot. First time here and it was very cool! Lots to see, well maintained trails and a little history along the way.

Coolest part thought was seeing the caves breathe ice cold mist at you. It was like standing in front of an AC, so cool!

This is a fascinating place. It is a short relatively easy hike to the main complex or you can choose a longer hike to the quarry area. There are numerous storyboards that provide a wealth of historical information and pictures. We loved this hike!

What a great hike. The land trust has done a great job of sharing this historic land with the community.
The outer loop which is 3.5 miles is a challenging hike upthe mountainand around and down the other side. The topography is ever changing with streams and ravenes of fallen granite.
Green moss covers fallen trees and rocks. There are remnants of the old mines to see. At the bottom of the trail are the old stone and brick furnaces standing in memory of the once thriving town.
Brilliant