Beacon Hill Preserve, Branford, Connecticut This easy out-and-back trail near Branford spans approximately 0.9 miles, thougha longer main trail covers 2 miles with 236 feet of elevation gain. Beacon Hill is a 100-foot high traprock ridge overlooking the Farm River marshes, withsteep slopes and talus areas offering scenic vistas of Long Island Sound from several overlooks. From early April through May, the preserve displays spectacular wildflower succession including Dutchman’s breeches, wild leek, bloodroot, and columbine. The property adjoins the Shoreline Trolley Museum’s tracks; visitors can take a refurbished antique trolley across the marshes for a small fee and be dropped at the hill’s base. The preserve is open for hiking, picnicking, snowshoeing, and bird watching, andthe renowned Branford Trail loops around the town’s circumference, passing through several scenic conservation areas.