Looking for a local hike? Climb St. Catherine Mountain and enjoy a bird’s eye view of the lake and the Adirondack Mountains in the distance.

Green Mountain College’s Lewis Deane Nature Preserve is an 85-acre parcel of land located on the eastern slopes of Mount St. Catherine, part of the Taconic Mountains. More than 285 plant species provide a habitat to more than 50 species of birds, nine species of mammals, five species of amphibians, and one reptilian species. Endless Brook is home to indigenous brook trout. The brook snakes its way along the east side of the nature preserve, going underground as it nears Lake St. Catherine, earning the brook its intriguing name. Two trails climb to the top of the mountain, a favorite site for picking blueberries and enjoying the view.

Since its acquisition in 2002, Green Mountain College has utilized the preserve as an outdoor classroom. A number of classes have incorporated Deane Preserve into their curricula. Students from Images of Nature classes have helped to build and maintain these trails.

Trail head parking is on the west side of Endless Brook Road just past the pink bed and breakfast, Toad Hall, about one mile southeast of Route 30. A kiosk provides visitors with background information on the geology, hydrology, ecology, and history of the reserve, and it highlights how the preserve is being used by Green Mountain College for education, research, and recreation.

Map by Green Mountain College

Visitor Guidelines

All visitors to the preserve are asked to follow these guidelines:

1. Leave-no-trace: carry it in, carry it out.
2. Travel on foot only, except for handicapped access or approved management practices.
3. Hunt only by permission.
4. Engage in no illegal activities.
5. Camp only in designated areas.
6. Build no fires, except in designated areas.