The Granby Land Trust (GLT) is excited to announce that its new Emery/Hart Trail to the Crag Mountain Lookout is now open. This is an incredible addition to the Seth and Lucy Holcombe Preserve trail system, with spectacular views to the south, east and west.
To enjoy this trail: 1) park in the lot for the Seth and Lucy Holcombe Preserve in North Granby; 2) start your hike from the Seth and Lucy Holcombe Preserve trail head located next to the lot (if you haven’t already done so, stop to read about the Holcombes on the trail head kiosk); 3) hike up the orange trail to the ridge line, where you’ll find a trail junction; 4) turn right onto the yellow Emery/Hart Trail and follow it over the Emery and Hart Preserves to the summit of Crag Mountain; 5) enjoy the view to the south and east from the comfort of a bench swing; and 6) enjoy the view to the west, from the comfort of two Adirondack chairs.
The GLT has so many people to thank for making this trail a reality. First, longtime GLT members and enthusiastic conservationists Seth and Lucy Holcombe who, in 2016, bequeathed more than 150 acres of land, including much of Crag Mountain, to the Granby Land Trust, making every additional donation even more meaningful. Second, GLT Vice President Dave Emery and his wife Jenny, whose 2024 gift of more than 29 acres of land directly adjacent to the south of the Seth and Lucy Holcombe Preserve, ensured the preservation of yet more of Crag Mountain and an important connection to its highest point. And third, Will Hart Jr. and his sister, Sarah Koeniger, whose 2025 gift of 44 acres directly adjacent to the south of the Emery Family Preserve includes the mountain’s summit and incredible lookout.
The GLT also thanks volunteer board members Lowell Kahn, Dave Emery and Eric Lukingbeal, and GLT mapping expert and jack-of-all-trades Steve Perry for mapping, clearing and marking the trail; for building and installing benches along the trail and for the bench swing and Adirondack chairs at the lookout. During the trail clearing, this crew also removed several winter blow downs from the Seth and Lucy Holcombe Preserve, so the trails on all three preserves are in great condition and ready for visitors.
Finally, we thank the Granby Greater Together Community Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving for awarding the GLT a grant of $1,400 to help pay for trail enhancements.
The new trail map has been added to the Seth and Lucy Holcombe Preserve trail kiosk sign, to the GLT website and to the Avenza app. As with all GLT properties, we ask that you keep dogs on leash and stay on the trail when you visit. While part of the GLT’s mission is to give visitors a place to enjoy nature, we also seek to protect the flora and fauna that live on these properties and walking off-trail, or letting your dog walk off-trail, can be harmful to the wildlife. Please respect our rules by staying on the trail and keeping your dog leashed. Our trails are open dawn to dusk.
Make sure your summer adventures include a hike on the GLT’s Seth and Lucy Holcombe, Emery and Hart Preserves, and perhaps a picnic at the lookout. (Pack out what you pack in. Please leave no trace.) As you take in the view, give thanks for the generosity and vision of those who made these gifts of land, and for those who made their vision come alive. Go to GranbyLandTrust.org to see a map of all GLT trails, including this one; and to support our work by becoming a member of the Granby Land Trust.