This area is very popular with children in Thetford but little known outside the area even though it is an Upper Valley Land Trust conserved location and also a Valley Quest spot. There is an easy and wonderful loop hike on the approximately ¾ mile Linny Levin Trail. Boots may be helpful in some seasons.

Listen for American Bittern, seen flying in the photo above, and look for many species of ducks. In the woods are Brown Creepers, Winter Wrens, and many other wonderful birds. At the far side, the beavers have carved amazing sculptures.

You enter the area and immediately have a choice of straight ahead for a clockwise tour or a right turn to hike counter-clockwise.  I will almost always head straight ahead to be sure I can cross an area that is sometimes wet and challenging.  I would not want to loop the area, especially with a heavy lens and tripod, only to find I needed to retract my steps when I got near the end.

After navigating the initial wet area you enter some beautiful upland woods.

There are a number of spots where you can walk to the water’s edge. Here is one. And there is even an American Bittern in the photo!

Can’t find the bittern? Here is another photo from the same spot of the same scene where I have zoomed in a bit.

Below is another photo of the bittern. It has not moved, but it did turn its head.

Here is the bittern up much closer.

One visit I heard the beautiful and complex song of a Winter Wren, but in spite of standing right near where the song came from for along time, I could not spot it. This has happened to me before. But I have gotten photos of them before at other locations. Here is a photo of this wonderful bird.

I did get photos at Zebedee of an elusive Brown Creeper, a common bird that is rarely seen. But I’ve seen them at Zebedee several times. It is interesting how the light appears to change to color of the bird as it moves from sun (L) to the bluer shade (R).

The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker below was photographed in April. In November I photographed one of my favorite late season “flowers”, the Devil’s Darning Needles, Clematis virginiana. This is plant also know as devil’s hair, love vine, traveler’s joy, virgin’s bower, Virginia virgin’s bower, wild hops, and woodbine.

One spring I found a somewhat rare species of ducks for our area at the wetlands, Green-winged Teal.

DIRECTIONS: From I-91 Exit 14, head west on Rt. 113 for less than a mile to Houghton Hill Road on your right. In about 1/4 mile you will see a small parking area on your right or you can park along the road. If you would like a map, CLICK HERE.