Crane Wildlife Refuge - The Trustees of Reservations

Property Description	697 acres \| Established 1974
Along with Castle Hill and Crane Beach, the Crane Wildlife Refuge was once part of the vast early 20th century summer estate of Chicago industrialist Richard T. Crane, Jr. The Refuge is a patchwork of coastal and island habitats that includes a portion of Castle Neck and seven islands in the Essex River Estuary (Choate, Long, Dean, Dilly, Pine, Patterson, and Round). Surrounding the Crane Wildlife Refuge is the Great Marsh, the largest contiguous salt marsh in New England, covering more than 25,000 acres from Hampton Harbor, NH to Gloucester. The largest of the Refuge's islands, the 135-acre Choate Island supports myriad birds and mammals including deer, fisher, coyote, and otter. The spruce forest planted in the early 20th century attracts golden crown kinglets and sharp-shinned hawks, while Choate Island's grasslands provide critical habitat for bobolinks and Savannah sparrows. Gulls, sanderlings, and sandpipers feed along the Island's shore. Well before the arrival of European settlers, the Agawam tribe of Native Americans established semi-permanent agricultural villages here, harvesting shellfish in and around the islands in the warmer months. During the 18th and 19th centuries, Choate Island and Long Island, connected by a causeway, comprised a prosperous farming community. The c.1778 Proctor Barn on Long Island and the c.1725-40 Choate family homestead stand as reminders of this agricultural past. The Refuge was established in 1974 as a gift of Mine S. Crane in memory of her husband, Cornelius Crane; both are buried at the summit of Choate Island.

Trails
3.5 miles of gravel roads and mown foot trails lead from the dock to the landmark barn on Long Island, past the 250-year-old Choate House, and up to the Crane burial site at the top of Choate Island. Moderate hiking.

Facilities
Boat dock on Long Island offers limited public access; private boats may not tie up on the front side of this dock.

Literature
Literature about events at the Crane Estate, other Trustees properties to visit in the region, and membership in The Trustees of Reservations is available from the bulletin board at the Long Island dock. You may download trail maps from this web site or mail order trail maps in advance of your visit.

Hunting Advisory
Seasonal hunting (deer only) is permitted only as part of a deer management program administered by The Trustees of Reservations. Contact The Trustees' Northeast Regional Ecologist for details. Click here for general information about hunting on Trustees of Reservations land.

Property Acquisition History
Original acreage a gift of Mine S. Crane in 1974, with endowment, by bequest, in 1991. Additional land given by Mr. and Mrs. Walter A. Swan in 1981, Robert S. Hardy and Ann R. Hardy in 1993; Beatrice Woodbury in 1995; and Janet Hopkins in 1995. Purchase of Pine Island in 2000. Gift of additional marshland by Keddah Trust in 2001.