A new network of trails connected to the existing paths at the Lyman Reserve off Red Brook Road offers nature lovers miles of outdoors exploration. 

The trails, called the Red Brook Trail Network, are a collaboration between the Trustees of Reservations, the Onset Water Department and the Wareham Land Trust. 

Two of the trails — Jasper Trail and Turtle Trail — are open to the public now. 

The trails need a few finishing touches, including additional trail signage and informational kiosks, said Land Trust Executive Director Elise Leduc-Fleming. 

However, as people are already walking the trails, the land trust didn't want to wait for the finishing touches before declaring them open, she said. 

Jasper's Trail wraps around a former cranberry bog. It has since been reclaimed by the forest, but some of the structures used for cultivation and the channels for water can still be seen. 

Turtle Trail loops around the outside of Jasper's Trail. This trail, as well as the third trail called Kora's Trail, include patches of steep and hilly terrain. 

Leduc-Fleming said the trails are a welcome addition to the land trust portfolio, as many of its other trails are relatively flat. 

Both Jasper's Trail and Turtle Trail are on Onset Water Department property. 

The land trust holds a conservation easement on that part of the department's land, said Leduc-Fleming. 

She added the terms of the easement say no new trails can be developed on the property, so the creation of Jasper and Turtle trails involved the rehabilitation of pre-existing, historic trails. 

Kora's Trail sits on land owned by the Wareham Land Trust as well as on the Lyman Reserve property owned by the Trustees. 

That trail isn't open yet. It's a brand new trail, and much of the path still needs to be cut, said Leduc-Fleming. 

Once open, the trail will make accessible a part of the Lyman Preserve property that had previously been cut off from public access, she said. 

In addition to creating new trails, the partnership of agencies is also closing off trails that lead to certain areas of the forest. 

The Trustees want to preserve certain areas of the forest from erosion, and the water department wants to keep unauthorized visitors away from its buildings, said Leduc-Fleming. 

She added the new trails will hopefully guide the behavior of "historic users" away from those areas. 

The Red Brook Trail Network is ultimately a testament to the land trust's volunteer network, which spent many hours putting the trails together, Leduc-Fleming said. 

The land trust will hold a grand opening hike on Tuesday, November 7 at 2 p.m. on the Turtle Trail, and on Sunday, November 10 at 9 a.m. on Jasper's Trail as well as Turtle Trail. Visit the land trust's website at warehamlandtrust.org to register.