Valentino Family Community Forest

The Valentino Community Forest Loop begins and ends at a small trailhead on Stuffle Street in Brunswick, offering an easy and rewarding hike through a diverse northern forest. Hikers can travel in either direction to complete the route, which forms a well-marked loop that gently winds through deep hemlock groves, hardwood stands, and lowland wetlands. Stay left at the first junction to follow a clockwise route past mossy ledges and several cascading streams. Interpretive signage appears throughout the forest, highlighting local ecology and land-use history. Old stone walls, cellar holes from 19th-century homesteads, and remnants of logging activity provide a glimpse into the area’s past. Further along, the trail skirts a large pond framed by a broad beaver dam, and passes an Adirondack-style lean-to and a traditional maple sugar house. Seasonal highlights include brilliant fall foliage, spring wildflowers, and the calls of migrating songbirds. With year-round access and low elevation gain, this quiet community trail is one of the best day hikes near Troy for those seeking a mellow forest experience close to home.