David E. Alper Nature Preserve

David E. Alper Nature Preserve is a 6 acre property featuring scenic pond views. This trail system is ideal for hiking and kayaking. 6-acre property at the end of Little Herring Pond Road, acquired by the Town in 2015, and it's the public's only access point to Little Herring Pond. A woods road runs along a ridge between Little Herring Pond and Triangle Pond, with a marked Plant ID Trail identifying trees and shrubs along the way, plus a short loop down to a small meadow on Triangle Pond. It's also a genuinely good kayak launch: paddlers can explore the full length of Little Herring Pond, or continue south through an old dam into Carter's Brook, a narrow, current-fed channel that winds about a mile to Great Herring Pond -- note that the put-in access roads are rough and one culvert crossing under Carter's Bridge Road requires a short portage. Try Whiton Woods and Cedar Crest for a similar trail experience featuring pond.

Trail Notes

Official Town guide (V7, April 2026): Walking 1.5-2 miles (~1 hr); paddling around the pond ~1 hr, down to Great Herring Pond and back ~1 hr more. CORRECTED: previous description said this preserve does NOT provide pond access and was only 19 acres -- both were wrong. It's 43.6 acres and is the only public access point to Little Herring Pond.