West Rock Ridge State Park

	West Rock Ridge State Park
	The Judges' Cave in West Rock Ridge State Park
location	Hamden , Woodbridge , Bethany , New Haven ; United States
surface	6.84 km²
Geographical location	41 ° 21 ′ N , 72 ° 58 ′ W Coordinates: 41 ° 20 ′ 44 " N , 72 ° 58 ′ 20" W
Setup date	1969
administration	Dept. of Energy & Environmental Protection, State of Connecticut

West Rock Ridge State Park is a state park in the US state of Connecticut in the area of the parishes of Hamden , Woodbridge , Bethany and New Haven . It is named after the 120–210 m (400–700 ft) rising diabase formation West Rock Ridge , which is part of the Metacomet Ridge . This formation extends from Long Island Sound to the Vermont border . A similar formation can be found at East Rock . The park's hallmark is the 11 km (7 mi) long cliffs that overlook the New Haven metropolitan area and its suburbs to the west. The park is also home to the Judges Cave , a colonial monument, and Lake Wintergreen . The 11 km (7 mi) long Regicides Trail , part of Connecticut's Blue Trail System , runs through the park. West Rock Ridge State Park is also part of a larger protected area that includes state, urban, and private land.

geography

West Rock Ridge is a ridge of hills that extends 9.7 km (6 mi) north-northwest of New Haven and forms the boundary of the Woodbridge and Hamden parishes. It is bounded to the west by Konolds Pond , Lake Dawson and Lake Watrous , reservoirs of the West River . Lake Wintergreen is on the east side of the ridge . The South Overlook , at the south end of the park, offers views to the west, south and east, including the Sleeping Giant (Connecticut) , East Rock Park with the "Soldiers and Sailors Monument", the urban area and New Haven harbor , the Long Island Sound , and Long Island .

	The West Rock Tunnel (known as the “Heroes Tunnel” since 2003 to honor paramedics, fire service officers and police officers) was driven through the mountain for the “Wilbur Cross Parkway”.

history

In the 17th century, West Rock served as a refuge for Edward Whalley and his son-in-law, Gen. William Goffe , two of the three “ regicide judges ” New Haven also honors with street names. . They had fled from England to the persecution under King Charles II. After the execution of his father I. Karl to escape. The rock hiding place of the two is now called Judges Cave and the Regicides Trail is named so in memory of this story.

Freetime activities

New Haven and New Haven Harbor as seen from the South Overlook .

West Rock Ridge State Park is open daily from sunrise to sunset. Recreational opportunities include hiking, biking, fishing, boating, horse riding, picnicking, cross-country skiing, and rock climbing. The access to Judges Cave and the southern overview point South Overlook is open seasonally, where there are some picnic areas and a pavilion.

There are approximately 21 mi (34 km) of hiking trails in the park, including the Regicides Trail that runs along the cliffs. The main entrance is on Lake Wintergreen on Wintergreen Avenue in Hamden.

literature

Connecticut Walk West. 19th edition. The Connecticut Forest and Park Association. Rockfall, Connecticut 2006.

Web links

West Rock Ridge State Park Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
West Rock Ridge State Park Map Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection

Individual evidence

^ Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey.
^ State Parks and Forests : Funding, Legislative Program Review and Investigations Committee, Staff Findings and Recommendations. (PDF)
^ Betsy Wittemann: A road by any other name… . In: The New York Times , October 19, 2003.

[1] Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey.

[2] State Parks and Forests : Funding, Legislative Program Review and Investigations Committee, Staff Findings and Recommendations. (PDF)

[3] Betsy Wittemann: A road by any other name… . In: The New York Times , October 19, 2003.