Welcome to the Rand Brook Forest
The Rand Brook Forest (RBF) is a 514-acre forest owned by the Francestown Land Trust protected under a conservation easement held by The Forest Society.
- The best access to (RBF) is via Old County Road South. A parking area and information kiosk are located at the end of the town-maintained portion of Old County Rd. South
- Starting at the closed gate just past the kiosk is RBF’s Forest Road, the main access through the property. It heads westerly for about ½ mile before rising somewhat steeply to a 7-acre field. The Forest Road ends at the field where a trail skirts the east edge of the field to where it meets the Forest Trail (see below). The distance from the parking area to this point is about ¾ of a mile.
- The Forest Trail, dedicated on November 20, 2004, begins where it leaves the Forest Road, a couple of hundred feet in from the kiosk/gate on the right, roughly paralleling it to the north. After about a half mile through the woods and along some stone walls, the trail enters the field and follows its north edge to Driscoll Hill Rd., not far from the top of Driscoll Hill. The Forest Trail’s total distance is about ¾ of a mile.
- The Draper Farm Trail leaves Driscoll Hill Rd. almost opposite where the Forest Trail meets it. It continues westerly to and through the Driscoll Hill Town Forest, passing by the cellar holes of the Draper homestead, and dead ends at the western boundary of the town forest. Its one-way distance is about ½ mile.
- From its intersection with the Forest Trail, Driscoll Hill Rd. travels north or south. It goes north over the top of Driscoll Hill, drops down, steeply in one section, then levels out before crossing Brennan Brook and meeting town maintained Birdsall Rd. To the south, Driscoll Hill Rd. passes by the RBF field, then further down the old School House # 9 foundation, then descends to Rand Brook, where there is no longer a bridge. On the other side of the brook Driscoll Hill Rd. ascends steeply over damp, eroded terrain, levels out, then passes close by a private residence just before meeting Russell Station Rd. The total distance of Driscoll Hill Rd. from Birdsall Rd. to Russell Station Rd. is about 1¾ mile.