Property Description
Signal Hill comprises 220 acres with 1.5 miles of trail.
History
Signal Hill is a part of the old chain of signal hills and mountains that date back to the Revolutionary War days when signal fires were lit atop the hills to indicate that the Redcoats were coming. The signal post positioned on the South Summit was part of an extensive and intricate network that relayed warnings using semaphore arms during the day and fire at night.
Small-scale commercial mining of kyanite and copper occurred on this property, with a remnant small open-pit copper mine located uphill from the two small ponds abutting the property. It was additionally used for farming, with several remnant stone walls still scattered throughout the property. The property was purchased in 2002 with funding from the Lebanon Open Space Trust fund and is permanently protected via a conservation easement held by the Upper Valley Land Trust.
Features
Hikers can access the summit field by a trail that ascends directly up the middle of the lower fields along Stevens Road. A second option is to meander up through the forest along the Hudson Parkway trail, with a trailhead located on Alden Road. The summit meadow offers views of Croydon Mountain, Mount Ascutney, Blueberry Hill, Shaker Mountain, Mount Okemo, Mount Killington, and other peaks along the spine of the Green Mountains.
A large amount of edge and field habitat supports a variety of plant and animal life. Plants include Bird’s eye speedwell, blue-eyed grasses, blackberry and blueberry bushes, goldenrod, Canada mayflowers, clintonia, wild strawberries, purple violets, and wild sarsaparilla. The property is also home to deer, bears, red-tailed hawks, chipmunks, squirrels, foxes, woodcock, and songbirds. The fields are mowed on a rotating annual basis to maximize habitat potential.
Access
The conservation property is located approximately 2.5 miles from the Packard Hill Covered Bridge. Follow Hardy Hill Road to Stevens Road, to the intersection of Stevens Road and Alden Road (Class 6 – unmaintained roadway), where a small parking lot is located at the foot of the lower field. A break in the stonewalls provides access to the parking and trailhead kiosk. Parking between the roadway island intersection and the property is an additional option.
Management Plan
View the Signal Hill Management Plan (PDF).
