Sharon Hills Nature Preserve Loop

In 2000, Legacy Land Conservancy accepted the gift of 67 acres of oak-hickory forest, kettle wetlands, and tiny remnant prairie in Sharon Township, seven miles north of Manchester. Located on the western edge of the rolling Sharon Short Hills, this preserve is characterized by its geology. It is an “end moraine” in the locally important geological formation, the Jackson interlobate area, and marks the maximum advance of the last glacier. This geology was formed between three glacial lobes 13,000 to 16,000 years ago. Because of poor, easily eroding soils, for many years the majority of Sharon Hills was used as grazing land for cattle instead of being clear cut to grow crops. It now contains a range of habitats including a prairie remnant, meadows, wetland, shrub swamp, and mixed oak forest. Although the preserve is heavily infested with invasive species, controlled burns and manual removal are slowly making progress toward restoration of this interesting property. From the parking lot, the outer loop, Tolen Trail, is a good mile hike with various trails leading off the exterior loop making 2.2 miles of trail in total. It's recommended that you take a copy of the trails map with you when you walk, as the winding trails and convoluted land forms can be confusing. This is the only Legacy preserve where horseback riding and falconry (with a permit) are allowed.