Learn about the world around you! Join us for a weekend hike or program.
Outdoor programs at Woodcock
Be one with nature. Hike our trails!
Learn about the world around you! Join us for a weekend hike or program.
Welcome to Woodcock Nature Center!
General Info
Our trails are open to the public 365 days a year from dawn until dusk for family and individual use unless noted. Trails and grounds close at sunset. There is no cost to visit the grounds.
Visitors are welcome to explore our grounds, visit our birds of prey and use our playground during daylight hours. Please note that access to these areas and some parts of our trails may be limited during Woodcock programming and events.
Visit our Upcoming Events page to see when we may be hosting a program or open house in the nature center.
Upcoming Nature Center Open House Days
Check out our indoor animal enclosures and say hello to your favorite Woodcock ambassador animal. Plan a longer visit by enjoying our grounds, trails and playground. No reservations necessary. See a list of upcoming open house days on our Events Page.
Group Visiting
Group use of the trails or grounds must be arranged in advance with our office. Woodcock runs programs and events daily that may limit your parking or enjoyment of the area. Please contact us to find out the best time for your group visit.
Trails and grounds
To help protect the fragile habitats found here and to respect all visitors to Woodcock, recreation on the preserve is limited to hiking and passive activities (bird watching, photography, etc.). Biking, horseback riding and the use of motorized vehicles is prohibited as are hunting, camping, and fires. Please stay on the marked trails and do not disturb plants or wildlife. Collecting (flowers, plants, rocks, etc.) is not permitted. The releasing any wildlife on the property in prohibited.
Winter use. During the Winter months hiking, snowshoeing and cross country skiing are welcome. Ice skating is not permitted, please keep off the ice. Please do not attempt our driveway or parking if we have not yet been plowed.
Dogs
Dogs must be leashed on all areas of the property at all times. Student field trips, summer camp and other WNC programs take visitors out on our trails throughout the year. Dogs are welcome on our grounds and trails however, for the protection of our students, the preserve, and other visitors your dog must be on a leash at all times. Please clean up and pack out your dog’s waste. We have implemented this policy for the following reasons:
• Unfamiliar sights, sounds, and smells can disturb even the calmest, friendliest, and best-trained dog, causing them to behave unpredictably and run from their owners.
• Many people, especially children, are frightened by dogs, even small ones. Uncontrolled dogs can present a danger to other visitors and to children attending WNC programming.
• Dogs can chase and threaten wildlife, scaring birds and other animals away from nesting, feeding, and resting sites. The scent left behind by a dog can signal the presence of a predator, disrupting or altering the behavior of wildlife in the preserve. Small animals may hide in their burrow the entire day after smelling a dog and may not venture out to feed.
Restrooms
Our buildings are not open to the public regularly. Bathroom facilities are only open when the nature center is open to visitors (see schedule above). During summer a port-o-potty is accessible at the Gilly Lane trailhead.
Parking
Parking is available in our lower lot (closest to Deer Run Road) and along our driveway. Please parallel park when in the driveway and read parking signage closely *During Winter months, please do not attempt our driveway or parking if we have not yet been plowed.
Trash
We have a “Carry-In/Carry-Out” policy for all garbage. Please pack out all your trash and dispose of at home. Thank you.
Directions to the Woodcock Nature Center
56 Deer Run Road in Wilton, CT
Coming from the South: Take Rt. 33 North for 4 miles from Wilton Town Center to Millstone Rd. on the right. (During the 4 miles you will go through a stop sign, past a fire station on the left, and look for the “Millstone Rd.” sign which is on the left side of the road). Take a right onto Millstone Rd. and follow to the second left, which is Deer Run Rd. Follow Deer Run Rd. for one mile until you see the stone sign for Woodcock Nature Center on the left. Go up the gravel driveway for the Nature Center (first red building on the right) and Staff House/Offices (brown house at top of driveway).
Coming from the North: Take Rt. 102 to Nod Rd. Nod Rd. is a left turn if you are traveling west from Rt. 7, and is a right turn if you are traveling east from Ridgefield Center. Follow Nod Rd. for 1½ miles to Deer Run Rd. on the right. Follow Deer Run Rd. for a ¼ mile until you see the stone sign for Woodcock Nature Center on the right. Go up the gravel driveway for the Nature Center (first red building on the right) and Staff House/Offices (brown house at top of driveway).