Rocky Neck State Park

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Rocky Neck State Park
View from the pavilion on Rocky Neck

View from the pavilion on Rocky Neck

location East Lyme , New London County (USA)
surface 287 ha
Geographical location 41 ° 19 '  N , 72 ° 15'  W Coordinates: 41 ° 18 '36 "  N , 72 ° 14' 43"  W
Rocky Neck State Park, Connecticut
Rocky Neck State Park
Setup date 1931
administration Dept. of Energy & Environmental Protection, State of Connecticut
f6
View from Tony's Nose Overlook at Rocky Neck

Rocky Neck State Park is a state park and beach on Long Island Sound in the area of East Lyme , Connecticut . The observation pavilion is the tallest building in Connecticut from the time of the Great Depression . The park was founded in 1931 . Some conservationists bought the land at this point to protect it from speculation before the land purchase was authorized by the state government.

The park has its own connection (exit 72) to Interstate 95 .

geography

Rocky Neck is bounded on the west by the Four Mile River , a tidal river, and on the east by a broad salt marsh . A few kilometers to the west, the Connecticut River flows into Long Island Sound. Surrounded by densely populated areas all around, the park offers a small piece of nature.

nature

Rocky Neck was known to the early settlers as a refuge with an abundance of fish and wildlife. Today penetrate in the spring at high tide herring in the Bride Brook in order further away inland to spawn . The osprey is a regular visitor in summer. In autumn come cranes , herons and swans , which in the vast cattail make inventories directly and marshes rest. Seasonal hikes bring mackerel , sea ​​bass , tautog, and flounder to the area, making Rocky Neck a popular destination for anglers too.

pavilion

The Ellie Mitchell Pavilion was completed as a utility program at the time of the Great Depression in 1936 by the Works Progress Administration . The National Park Service Rustic style building was designed by Russell F. Barker with others. The curved building stretches for more than 100 m and is up to 24.4 m wide.

Construction began in the early 1930s to disperse the crowds that gathered at Hammonasset Beach State Park . Most of the timber and granite used were extracted from local warehouses, as well as from the remains of an abandoned fertilizer factory. The buttresses were made from trees that were each felled in one of the other state parks. The pavilion was handed over to the state government in October 1936. it opened as the Ellie Mitchell Pavilion . Visitors could buy food and drinks there and warm themselves around 8 fire pits during the cooler seasons.

In 1986, the pavilion with the surrounding 2.6 hectares of land was entered on the National Register of Historic Places .

Historic bridge

The park is cut by the Northeast Corridor , the Amtrak railroad's main line from New York City to Boston . This line follows a right of way created by the New Haven and New London Railroad in 1848 . Since 1934 a pedestrian bridge has been leading over the railway line from the pavilion to the parking facilities. The steel arch bridge with a span of around 11 m was documented by the Historic American Engineering Record , which it calls "an unusual surviving example of a railroad footbridge." designated.

free time activities

Picnic, fishing and swimming are available in the park. Various footpaths lead to the salt marshes and points of interest such as Baker's Cave , Tony's Nose and Shipyard . There are 160 campsites with wooden huts or free spaces as overnight accommodation. A small information center at the campsites provides information on local fauna and natural history. Educational programs and hikes are also offered there.

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Shoreline: Rocky Neck State Park, East Lyme. Connecticut Office of Culture & Tourism, accessed February 18, 2015 .
  2. ^ A b Virginia H. Adams, Matthew A. Kierstaad: Rocky Neck Park Trail Bridge. In: Historic American Engineering Record. Library of Congress, accessed January 27, 2015 .
  3. ↑ a b Rocky Neck State Park. In: State Parks and Forests. Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, accessed February 5, 2013 .
  4. ↑ Local Landmarks: Rocky Neck State Park. East Lyme Historical Society, accessed February 18, 2015 .
  5. ^ Secret Route List. In: Connecticut Roads. Kurumi, accessed February 18, 2015 .
  6. ↑ a b c Abundant Wildlife Drives the History of Rocky Neck State Park. In: ConnecticutHistory.org. Connecticut Humanities, accessed October 7, 2013 .
  7. ↑ Connecticut State Parks. Hartford Courant, accessed October 7, 2013 .

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