​​​Date Acquired: 1998

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Address: 260 Red Bridge Road, NB

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Trails: Red, Blue, Yellow, Orange, Black (Partial), Purple (Partial)

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          Wilson Mountain is home to the Red, Yellow, and Blue trail systems. An additional trail entrance is located at 200 Red Bridge Road, and contains the Orange, Black and Purple trails. As the first property acquired by the Meduxnekeag River Association, Wilson Mountain has been used extensively for environmental education programming with local schools.

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          This 56-hectare property hosts a diverse forest ecosystem, ranging from moist lowlands dominated by eastern white cedar and associated hardwoods, to a tolerant hardwood ridge bordered by mature hemlock and red spruce. Along the Yellow Trail, visitors travel beside and over a tributary stream of the Meduxnekeag River, passing through a rich cedar wetland that transitions into a mature floodplain forest. Depending on the season, understory plants such as bloodroot, red trillium, starflower, blue-bead lily (Clintonia), and mayflower can be observed along the trail.

 

          The Yellow Trail terminates at the beginning of the Red Trail loop, where visitors encounter a young forest dominated by balsam fir and red spruce, interspersed with maple and aspen regeneration. As the Red Trail progresses, forest conditions shift into a mature mixedwood stand featuring large white and yellow birch and towering eastern white pine overlooking the valley below. For moss and fern enthusiasts, the stream that meanders throughout the trail supports a wide variety of moisture-loving plants, and local amphibians are commonly observed in this section of the preserve.

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          Accessible via the adjacent ATV trail or from the midpoint of the Red Trail, the Blue Trail offers a quieter route around the summit of Wilson Mountain. The Blue Trail differs from the Red and Yellow trails through its distinctive forest composition. The summit supports a classic tolerant hardwood stand dominated by American beech, sugar maple, and yellow birch, while the midslope is characterized by mature hemlock and red spruce. Unique to this section of the preserve, rare painted trilliums can be found beneath the undisturbed forest canopy.

 

          Starting at the alternative trail head, users may experience the more difficult terrain of Wilson Mountain on the Orange trail or embark into neighbouring properties using the Purple and Black trail. The Orange trail is a loop of mixed forest that travels along the floodplain section of Wilson Mountain, joining with the yellow trail near the overlook of the Meduxnekeag River. Descending a steep hill, this trail is more difficult than the Red, Yellow and Blue trails, but provides exceptional opportunities for witnessing wildlife that use the dense cover in this area. This section of forest is often used by white-tailed deer for fawning, and the diversity of browse means that a ruffed grouse’s drumming is never too far away to hear.

Utilizing the Wilson Mountain trailhead, the interconnected trail system allows visitors to customize the length of their hike to suit their schedule. For visitors up for a challenge, try out the Orange Trail and the VanDine Falls trailhead, or connect on to the trail using the yellow trail for an extended hike.

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          Written by Devon Bustard