Elevation 174 ft (53 m) | Area 285 acres (115 ha) | |
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Similar Millers Pond State Park, Chatfield Hollow State Park, Hurd State Park, Indian Well State Park, Mount Tom State Park | ||
Hartford ico wadsworth falls state park
Wadsworth Falls State Park, or simply Wadsworth Falls, is a public recreation and preserved natural area located on the Coginchaug River in the towns of Middletown and Middlefield, Connecticut. The state park's 285 acres (115 ha) offer trails for hiking and mountain biking, pond and stream fishing, swimming, and picnicking facilities. It is managed by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
Contents
- Hartford ico wadsworth falls state park
- HistoryEdit
- FeaturesEdit
- Activities and amenitiesEdit
- References
HistoryEdit
The falls are named after noted academic and linguist Clarence C. Wadsworth, a colonel in the New York National Guard who owned the property where the park now exists. After settling in Middletown, Connecticut, he worked for 45 years to preserve Wadsworth Falls In his will he established the Rockfall Corporation, which is tasked with protecting the land, plants, and animals on his estate. In 1942, 267 acres (108 ha) were given to the State of Connecticut to become Wadsworth Falls State Park.
FeaturesEdit
Wadsworth Falls is 30 feet (9.1 m) high, with 52 feet (16 m) of water trickling over sandstone along the trail. The falls may be reached by car, with parking on Cherry Hill Road, or by hiking approximately 1.25 miles (2.01 km) from the main entrance on Route 157.
The Long Hill Estate mansion once belonging to Clarence C. Wadsworth is adjacent to the park, near 41°32′8″N 72°40′34″W. The restored mansion is owned by city of Middletown and is used as a reception hall. It may be reached from the park grounds by way of the purple-blazed hiking trail and has walking trails around its grounds.
Activities and amenitiesEdit
The park features a swimming pond with a lifeguard-supervised sandy beach, that is paved with soil cement to prevent leakage and water pumped from water wells located near the Coginchaug River. There are picnicking facilities, a stocked river for fishing, and a network of hiking trails. A small brown bridge leads to the falls via the hiking trails.
