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 trail hiking and fishing. Swimming and picnicking are allowed at the pond near the north entrance near 721 Wadsworth Street (CT Route 157) in Middletown. It is managed by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.[3]

Wadsworth Falls State Park
Map showing the location of Wadsworth Falls State Park
Map showing the location of Wadsworth Falls State Park
Location in Connecticut
Map showing the location of Wadsworth Falls State Park
Map showing the location of Wadsworth Falls State Park
Wadsworth Falls State Park (the United States)
LocationMiddlefield & Middletown, Connecticut, United States
Coordinates41°31′39″N 72°41′25″W[1]
Area285 acres (115 ha)[2]
Elevation174 ft (53 m)[1]
DesignationConnecticut state park
Established1942
Named forClarence C. Wadsworth
AdministratorConnecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
WebsiteWadsworth Falls State Park
Wadsworth Falls State Park
Part ofWadsworth Estate Historic District
NRHP reference No.96000775
Added to NRHPJuly 25, 1996

History

The park bears the name of Colonel Clarence S. Wadsworth (1871–1941), an academic, linguist, conservationist, and member of the New York National Guard. Wadsworth developed the property that the park occupies in the early years of the 20th century as part of his Long Hill estate.[4] He established the Rockfall Corporation as a charitable foundation to administer his properties and further his conservationist interests.[5] Following his death, the corporation gave 267 acres (108 ha) of Wadsworth's estate to the people of Connecticut for preservation as Wadsworth Falls State Park.[3]

In 1996, the portion of the park that lies within the town of Middletown, some 130 acres, was added to the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Wadsworth Estate Historic District.[6] The district's central feature, the Wadsworth Mansion at Long Hill, lies adjacent to the park and may be reached from the park by way of the purple-blazed hiking trail.[4]

Waterfalls

Two natural waterfalls lie within easy reach by park trails: the Big Falls,[7] on the Coginchaug River, and the Little Falls,[8] on Wadsworth Brook. The larger of the two, Wadsworth Big Falls, drops the 52-foot breadth of the Coginchaug River some 30 feet (9.1 m) over a shelf of Hampden basalt.[9] Wadsworth Little Falls is found along Wadsworth Brook and descends approximately 40 feet (12 m) over an outcrop of sandstone known as Portland arkose.[9]

Activities and amenities

In addition to scenery and heavily forest lands, the park features stream fishing, and trails for hiking and mountain biking.

References
  1. "Wadsworth Falls State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  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. "Wadsworth Falls State Park". State Parks and Forests. Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. March 2021. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
  4. "History". Wadsworth Mansion. Retrieved September 7, 2016.
  5. "The Wadsworth Legacy". Rockfall Foundation. Retrieved September 7, 2016.
  6. Cunningham, Jan (November 30, 1995). "Wadsworth Estate Historic District". National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. National Park Service. Retrieved October 3, 2017.
  7. "Wadsworth Big Falls". New England Waterfalls. Retrieved July 14, 2017.
  8. "Wadsworth Little Falls". New England Waterfalls. Retrieved July 14, 2017.
  9. "The Geology of Wadsworth Falls State Park". State Parks and Forests. Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Retrieved October 3, 2017.
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