Edna L. Delano Nature Sanctuary & Rodell’s Roost for Robins

The Name of This Place is Longer Than The Trails Here
Edna L. Delano Nature Sanctuary & Rodell’s Roost for Robins, Bethany
May 2024

I had an hour to kill. About as long as it took me to type the title above.

I kid, I kid. I had a couple shorter Bethany Land Trust hikes on my mind, so off I went to do just that. There are three (!), possibly four (!) places to park for this place, but I solidly recommend just one: Behind the carriage barn at the First Church of Christ. Unless you happen to be hear on a Sunday morning, then park where I did at the Clark Memorial Library across the street.

The maps suggest parking on Falls Road, but that’s sketchy at best. The fourth option would be at Peck Pond or the Bethany Community School but good luck finding the connecting trail to this parcel.

Just park at the church goshdarnit.

The Delano Sanctuary was given to the Bethany Land Trust in 1996 by Hubert and William Delano. It is named in honor of their mother, Edna Delano, who lived for many years in the Lysias Beecher House to the north side of the property. The Beecher House, built in 1762, is one of the oldest homes in Bethany.

A different home on Falls Road

I guess I saw the house through the trees? Maybe?

If you start at the library like I did, you’ll have to walk through some muck and brush off of Route 63 before getting up the side of the hill on the well-marked yellow trail. In short order, you’ll walk along the church’s parking lot, which is why you should park there.

While the trail is blazed well, it was not cleared well in May of 2024. Though it’s not awful. (Though you can get a sense of things from my pictures.) I swung around from the church lot and began to head north out towards Falls Road. There is nothing interesting on this dogleg trail. But I hiked it. For you.

I doubled back and took the red-blazed trail up the hill, which took me into the adjoining Rodell’s Roost parcel.

Rodell’s Roost was given to the Land Trust in 1999 by Janet Rodell, her stepson Michael Rodell, and his wife Taffy. It borders the western side of the Delano Sanctuary, with trails leading to the Bethany Community School.

Or so they say. After reaching the western reaches of the property, the trail crossed over a stone wall and the blazes turned painted yellow again and then just… ended. I poked around a bit but gave up after a few minutes, deciding to return at a later date to see if there really still are trails behind the school.

I’m not holding out hope. The trail notes suggest that seasonal views are possible. I’m not holding out hope for that either, but even if they exist in January, the same trail brochure says that those views offer: the Clark Memorial Library, the Episcopal Church and the Bethany Historical Society. To the south is the Congregational Church and the historic Carriage Shed , where parishioners left their horses and carriages while attending services across the street.

All stuff you can literally touch near where you parked your car. If you’re so inclined.

I was not so inclined after descending to Route 63 and hitting the road.