areas of Branford and East Haven by salt marsh, riverway, and other wetlands. The hill is steep, with talus slopes in several locations, and offers scenic vistas of Long Island Sound and protected salt marsh from a number of outlooks. Several hiking trails cross the property, most notably the Branford Trail, which loops around the circumference of the town of Branford, passing through a number of scenic conservation areas. Short Beach, also a Branford Land Trust property, lies 1 mile (1.6 km) to the south of Beacon Hill along the Branford Trail. An historic trolley, run by the non-profit Shoreline Trolley Museum, drops hikers and picnickers at a platform at the base of Beacon Hill. The Shoreline Trolley is the oldest running suburban trolley in the United States. Parking for Beacon Hill and the Branford Trail is located on a cul-de-sac at the end of Dominican Road in Branford, less than 0.25 miles (0.3 km) south of U.S. 1 near the East Haven border. Beacon Hill and several surrounding parcels were conserved by the cooperative effort of the Branford Land Trust, the state of Connecticut, the Town of Branford, and other partners. See also Metacomet Ridge References Farnsworth, Elizabeth J. Metacomet-Mattabesett Trail Natural Resource Assessment July 17, 2004. Cited November 1, 2007. Raymo, Chet and Raymo, Maureen E. Written in Stone: A Geologic History of the Northeastern United States. Globe Pequot, Chester, Connecticut, 1989. Branford Land Trust. Cited Dec. 21, 2007. Branford Electric Railway Association Cited Dec. 22, 2007. Bass, Sharon. "The View From: Branford; Trolley Rides in the Cause of Open Space." The New York Times, March 26, 1989. External links Beacon Hill trail map and brochure. Dated 2016-06-02. Retrieved 2019-07-27. Branford Trail map and brochure: Short Beach. Dated 2016-06-02. Retrieved 2019–07.27. Branford Land Trust Town of Branford Branford, Connecticut Metacomet Ridge, Connecticut Protected areas of New Haven County, Connecticut Mountains of Connecticut Landforms of New Haven County, Connecticut Nature reserves in Connecticut