Spiderweed Preserve has become a popular location lately. It features a 3.25 mile loop hike and the awesome ruins only a 1/4 mile in. Watch our video then read about our trip below.
Located on the eastern end of Middletown, this preserve was donated by the land owner along with what remained of her house. There is a narrow gravel road with a steep incline you'll have to park on and the day we went, this place was packed. Recently photos of the crumbling home have been all the rage on local facebook groups.
While the park provides a single trail of 3.25 miles [with a loop near the lower 1/3] many people come here just to see the home. This is easy enough as it is located only about a 1/4 mile into the preserve and only requires a hike up a somewhat steep hill.
This is one of the better preserved ruins in the state. The front wall of the home has sadly collapse on to the ground but the other walls remain intact. Still, explore at your own risk.
The imposing chimney is in good condition, although there is a plethora of glass on the ground. Behind the home is a small area under the chimney... I'm really not sure what it was used for. Concrete side porches remain intact and a single pillar removed from the house stands alone, likely for a roof overhang.
And that's about it!
The rest of the property contains many stone walls as you hike along side them but this is the real highlight.
We continued on the trail looking for the two vista points. The first vista appears shortly after the home and is worth a visit. Pictured to the left, a partial view but for the little effort required to get here? It's worth it. After this point the trail heads downhill rather steeply and continues along a stream and stone walls.
If you're smart you'll take a left at the fork in the trail and have a nice downhill walk... we went right and walked up hill for most of our trip! The second view point is of lesser quality and that's with no leaves on the trees. If you come down here, do it because you enjoy a wooded New England hike, not for the view. There are some huge glacial boulders and even an undercut that makes a small "cave" like area. Generally speaking this hike is pretty and we enjoyed ourselves.
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