Trails of Wilton Hiking Club: Weir Farm

About this event

Lace up your boots and join the Trails of Wilton Hiking Club for a hike through some of Wilton's most beautiful trails, exploring our town's open spaces one step at a time. This outing will take place at Weir Farm National Historical Park and is co-led by hike leaders Whitney Beaman and Dearta Logu Fusaro, who'll share their knowledge of hiking, local flora, and trail history along the way. Walk the same paths that inspired American Impressionist Julian Alden Weir, who acquired this property in 1882 through a still life painting and a ten‑dollar bill. Today, Weir Farm stands as Connecticut’s only National Park Service site, a sanctuary of creativity and natural beauty. Follow the Stone Causeway and Historic Wagon Toad trail to Weir Pond, a moderately challenging trail ideal for photography, sketching, and reflective walks. Quiet and uncrowded, the loop offers tree lined paths across brooks, with vistas of beautiful Weir Pond where native plants thrive. Come walk and let the landscape inspire you. We may also hike into the Nod Hill Refuge which neighbors the park. Please note that this hike aligns with the "Weir Inspired: Works of the Weir Farm Art Collective" Art Exhibition currently at Wilton Library through November 19. Registration required and limited to 25. Carpooling highly encouraged as only 15 parking spots are available. Walk-ins welcome as space allows. Wilton Library will provide water and trail-mix to keep everyone fueled and hydrated. Please wear sturdy hiking shoes and meet at Weir Farm, 735 Nod Hill Rd, Wilton, main parking lot across from the Visitor Center at 12:45. Rain or Shine. Park Ranger Kristin Lessard will welcome us to Weir Farm National Historical Park, provide an introduction, and open the visitor center so we can view exhibits upon our arrival. Kristin has been a National Park Service Ranger since 2008 and with Weir Farm since 2011 and looks forward to answering our questions and sharing insights about the three generations of artists that called Weir Farm home. Whitney Beaman is Executive Director of the Wilton Land Trust and an outdoor enthusiast with a decade of experience advancing sustainable agriculture, conservation, and nature-based land care at organizations including the Northeast Organic Farming Association, New York Wine & Grape Foundation, and Perfect Earth Project. A lifelong hiker, Whitney has backpacked the Catskills, Adirondacks, and Algonquin Provincial Park in Canada. Dearta Logu Fusaro is a published writer, poet, long-distance hiker, and visual storyteller who brings the landscapes, histories, and people into vivid focus. Her book, The Illyrian Way, follows her 700 km hiking journey across 7 countries in the Western Balkans. Raised in Albania and then New York City, Dearta has made Wilton her home since 2013 and is often seen meandering around the beautiful trails our region has to offer. Link to maps of Weir Farm--https://www.alltrails.com/parks/us/connecticut/weir-farm-national-historical-park Re