Wadsworth Falls State Park

Wadsworth Falls State Park
Connecticut State Park
Wadsworth Falls
Named for: Clarence C. Wadsworth
Country United States
State Connecticut
County Middlesex
Towns Middlefield, Middletown
Elevation 174 ft (53 m) [1]
Coordinates 41°31′39″N 72°41′25″W / 41.52750°N 72.69028°W / 41.52750; -72.69028Coordinates: 41°31′39″N 72°41′25″W / 41.52750°N 72.69028°W / 41.52750; -72.69028 [1]
Area 285 acres (115 ha) [2]
Established 1942
Management Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Location in Connecticut
Website: 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.[3]

History

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.[4]

Features

Waterfalls

Two natural waterfalls can be found within Wadsworth Falls State Park. The larger of the two falls, often informally distinguished as "Big Falls" or "Wadsworth Big Falls",[3][5] drops the 52-foot breadth of the Coginchaug River some 30 feet (9.1 m) over a shelf of Hampden Basalt. Big Falls may be reached by car or by hiking from the main entrance on Route 157. The smaller of the falls, referred to as "Little Falls" or "Wadsworth Little Falls", is found along Wadsworth Brook and descends approximately 40 feet over an outcrop of sandstone known as Portland Arkose.[6] Little Falls may be reached from either park entrance with a hike along the Main Trail and Little Falls Trail.

Historic mansion

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 / 41.53556°N 72.67611°W / 41.53556; -72.67611. 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.[7]

Activities and amenities

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.[3] A small brown bridge leads to the falls via the hiking trails.

References

  1. 1 2 "Wadsworth Falls State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
  2. ↑ "Appendix A: List of State Parks and Forests" (PDF). State Parks and Forests: Funding. Staff Findings and Recommendations. Connecticut General Assembly. January 23, 2014. p. A-4. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 "Wadsworth Falls State Park". State Parks and Forests. Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. July 18, 2016. Retrieved September 7, 2016.
  4. ↑ "History". Wadsworth Mansion. Retrieved September 7, 2016.
  5. ↑ Parsons, Greg; Watson, Kate. "Wadsworth Big Falls". New England Waterfalls. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
  6. ↑ Parsons, Greg; Watson, Kate. "Wadsworth Little Falls". New England Waterfalls. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
  7. ↑ "Parklands". Wadsworth Mansion. Retrieved September 7, 2016.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.