The Mill Pond Overlook Trail is CCF’s newest trail, opened to the public in 2022. The trail traverses a nine-acre assemblage of conservation land that stretches from Stage Harbor Rd (just to the left of the Atwood Museum) to Mitchell River, offering peaks at the Mill Pond. Unfortunately, the upland of this area is heavily impacted by invasive plant species with the understory being dominated by honeysuckle, privet, porcelain berry, and bittersweet. Our initial efforts to expand native plant populations on the property are focused on the entrance corridor directly adjacent to Stage Harbor Road where we are removing invasives and replanting with native shrubs, trees, and herbaceous plants. One important issue to address in our restoration is water control during storm events. In 2024, CCF is installing rain gardens along the beginning of the trail to manage excess water runoff in an environmentally responsible way. Many homeowners experience the same issue, and we hope our project will demonstrate an effective and beautiful solution. The rain gardens will be planted with moisture-tolerant shrubs plus a variety of native perennials and ferns, with bloom times throughout the growing season.

Use the button below to view the current planting plan. More information on the Mill Pond Overlook rain gardens and how to create a home rain garden can be found on Educational Resources.