Logging and farming both have long histories on these lands. Sheep and cattle grazed here as early as 1750 and the fields were hayed as recently as the 1970s. The fields have recovered quickly, and today the woods and fields form a distinctive mosaic pattern. Foundations and stone walls provide further evidence of the historical use of this land. About four people a day pass through the reserve via the AT, with more on weekends.
Additional trails give a range of hiking experiences of varying lengths.
The course we have chosen takes about 2 hours at a leisurely pace, but you could easily spend all day roaming around the reserve's other routes. Enter the reserve from the main entrance along Quaker Lake Road, immediately north of Quaker Lake itself. On the Yellow Trail you will cross the sluiceway and Duell Hollow Brook before entering one of the reserve's hemlock cathedrals. This one rims the gorge, which was cut by the brook that cascades through it about 50 vertical feet. It follows a steeply sloped wooded ravine parallel to Quaker Lake Road.