Not far from New Haven, in the town of Hamden, is West Rock Ridge State Park. It's a fairly small park, with about 15-20 miles of trails crisscrossing the park. Last Sunday my husband and I hiked the southern portion of the park, covering almost all of the trails on the southern ridge. It was a lovely fall day, and due to the closure of the park to motorvehicle traffic it was nearly deserted and very hiker friendly (except for 2 teenagers who were lighting a fire in the middle of the woods like morons).
The main trails - used for horseback riding, biking, and driving to the main highlights of the park - are paved. But once you get off the well beaten path their are well marked "blue-trails" with some great hiking and spectacular views.
One of the best features of West Ridge is the range of accessability. The offer handicapped access for fishing and paved routes to picnic areas, but also ridge-edge hiking.
A touch of history - their is an area in the park known as the "Judge's Cave" where 2 of the signators on the declaration for the death of King George hid out for a few weeks in early May in the 1600's. This "cave" consists of a bunch of boulders leaning up against one another (The very same boulders that my hubby is standing on). It's pritty intense, and is great bouldering - as you can see w/ my husband on top of one. Their are interesting rock formations throughout the southern portion of the park - and I imagine throughout - that are great for scrambling over. (such as the ones I'm on in this pic)
Another cool thing about this spot is the view - holy moly! It is reported on their website that you can see up to 200 sq miles on a clear day. From the spot where we perched for a snack and water you could see Long Island and the sound - which I thought was pritty freaking cool. (and you can see on the horizon of this last picture - it was more clear to eyesight, but you can kind of make it out).
All in all, it was a great hiking experience, with the exception of the pyro-teens (and they weren't really so bad, just misinformed).
And now I'd like you to share your experiances. E-mail me at darleneemccullough@gmail.com and I will add you to our member list so you can publish your CT hiking info!
