Brownstone Exploration and Discovery Park – Portland, CT

http://brownstonepark.com/


Brownstone Park is a unique place. Build around an old brownstone quarry, the park features zip lines, rock climbing, cliff jumping, swimming, kayaking, scuba divine, wakeboarding, and inflatables.

The natural site itself (ignoring the park) is a unique geological site for Connecticut. The years of excavation have created shear brown stone cliffs surrounding a clear, spring fed pond. The site is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Stone excavated from this quarry was used to build the historic brownstone buildings in cities like New York, Boston, Chicago, Hartford and others. A series of floods and hurricanes in the 1930s flooded the quarry, creating the swimming opportunity that exists today. However, this flooding (along with demand for different building materials) essentially ended large-scale commercial excavation on this property. Several unsuccessful attempts were made to drain the quarry. The theory was that the storms opened up new spring fed water sources, making draining the water impractical. The result is a picturesque swimming site with deep, clear water.

The commercial park is as unique in Connecticut as the geology of the site. The park is spread out around the quarry with three centralized locations. Parking is available in a lot just a short walk away. Shuttle busses are available, but it seemed quicker and easier to just walk. After parking, I suggest heading to the second park location to get your bracelet. As you walk from the parking lot, the first place you will see is the central hub for most of the activities. This location is the start of 2 zip lines, the slide, and the cliff jumps. Walk past this area to the check in station. Be sure to fill out a waiver at the picnic table outside the check in area before waiting in the check in line. I believe the admission cost is $27. After paying that fee, there is little else requiring money. Nearly all the activities are included. I believe there may be a small fee for scuba and some other specialized items. However, for the most part, the admission price gets you everything you need for a full day of activities. I personally paid no extra money once inside the park. There is a small snack shack available, but it’s possible to bring in your own food. I’m not sure if coolers are allowed, but backpacks are allowed, and bag lunches/snacks would certainly be OK to bring in. Because of the nature of the activities, no alcohol is allowed in the park. Life jackets are required to be worn on the docks and in the water at all times. The park provides life jackets. There was a big selection, so it was possible to find one that fit well, so the life jackets were not an inconvenience.

The activities in the park were a lot of fun, but most are not for the faint of heart. If you are terrified of heights, you may not want to spend the money for this park. The zip lines and slide had long lines, so upon arrival the first activity I did was the cliff jump. This is about a 30-foot plunge off the cliff face. It takes a little courage, but it’s worth it. Next I tried the tall zip line. This requires climbing a rope ladder to the top of a tower. Waiting in line I did not have many nerves, but upon getting up on the tower, the height of the zip line was a little scarier than I anticipated. The zip line takes you across the water. On this side of the lake there are other activities. This is where the wakeboarding and rock climbing are located. Due to the long lines, I did not get a chance to do these activities, so I swam back across to my original location. However, along the swim are several inflatables. These include slides, trampolines, and towers. I climbed up a few of those before returning. I tried the second zip line, which was lower and shorter. I did the cliff jump a few more times, and also tried the slide. The slide was quite fun. It’s different from the standard water slide you might find at a water park. Instead of sliding directly into the water, the end of the slide drops you about 15 feet into the pond. Quite fun. I went headfirst. Some people went legs first. There were some people that went legs first that actually stopped in the middle of the slide. Apparently you need to keep your feet up to maximize speed. This was not an issue when going headfirst. The slide and the cliff jump were both fun and had shorter lines.

Overall the park was quite fun, but there were some negatives. The lines were quite long and slow. The wait for the tall zip line was approximately 2 hours. Due to the long lines I was not able to do as many of the activities I wanted to try. I feel that with some better design, the park could improve the wait times. There are clear bottlenecks in the process. I will not go into details since if you are waiting in line for 2 hours you will have plenty of time to observe and ponder the process yourself. The park is relatively new, so perhaps these improvements will come. Avoiding peak times is a good idea to avoid lines. The second negative was the ground. The walking paths are generally covered with a combination of sand, rocks, and mulch. It is not the most comfortable for walking. It seems the park tried to improve the situation with the mulch, but it is inadequate.

The thrill of the park activities easily overcame these negatives. One observation I made was that there were a lot of older kids, which normally would want to be on their own, having fun at the park alongside their parents. Although it’s not a place for young kids, older kids, teenagers, and adults can equally enjoy Brownstone Park.

The park is a little tricky to locate, as the directions from both Google Maps and Mapquest are not very good. The park is on the east side of the river just past the end of the Arrogini Bridge. Follow the sign that directs you to the historic brownstone quarry.

Devil’s Hopyard State Park – East Haddam, CT

A Shared Landscape A Guide & History of Connecticut's State Parks & Forests


The primary attraction of Devil’s Hopyard State Park is Chapman Falls, which falls over 60 feet along a rocky trail. Chapman Falls is just off the road near the south entrance of Devil’s Hopyard State Park.

In addition to the falls, Devil’s Hopyard State Park features fishing holes, picnicking, camping, and several hiking trails. My family and I took the orange trail, which starts just after the covered bridge in the picnic area. The trail makes an approximately 2 mile loop with a scenic overlook at the halfway point. The overlook gives a nice vista view of the valley below. The trail goes through the woods. It is easy hiking. There are only a few hills and some medium boulders to negotiate. My 5-year old son made it with no problems.

One bonus: While driving around exploring the park we saw several deer. I don’t remember the exact count, but something like 4 or 5 sets of deer.

The state link to the park is below:
http://www.ct.gov/Dep/cwp/view.asp?A=2716&Q=325188

Kent Falls State Park -- Kent, CT

What: Kent Falls State Park
Where: Route 7, Kent, CT. Just south of the boarder with Cornwall.
What's Available: Picnicking, fishing, hiking, some swimming
Facilities: Not much. It's basically a parking lot, a big field, and a hiking trail along the falls. Bathrooms are available, but are not open all the time.

I happened to be in the area on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, so my family and I took a short excursion to Kent Falls State Park, or just Kent Falls as it is locally referred. We spent about 90 minutes hiking the short trail (about 1 mile one-way) to the top of the falls, hanging out by the stream at the bottom of the falls, and enjoying an ice cream from a cart that set up shop in the parking lot.
A lot of people were taking advantage of the first warm weekend of spring at Kent Falls. There were several picnics in process. Charcoal grills and tables are available at the park. There were several people fishing for trout in the stream at the base of the falls. The trout were visible from the shore. There is a 2 fish limit, and I believe the stream is frequently stocked. There were some kites, some Frisbee, some football, some wading in the water, but mostly Kent Falls is just a place to hang out and relax while enjoying the picturesque falls. It's a popular stop for bikers (both motorcycle and pedal cyclists), and tourists enjoying the rural area.
I believe there is usually a $5 fee for parking at the falls. The state had not yet opened their collection booth, so on this weekend the park was free. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Interesting Fact: The park was created as part of the New Deal public works programs during FDR's administration. There is a plaque near the covered bridge that crosses the river that commemorates the establishment of the park.

Hubbard Park -- Meriden, Connecticut

If you are looking for a big playscape for the kids, Hubbard Park on West Main Street in Meriden has one of the biggest and best playscapes I have found in central Connecticut.

There are climbing features, tunnels, swings, ropes, and more. Not to mention that Hubbard Park is over 1800 acres with trails, ponds, and frequent organized activities.

The park is open to the public (i.e. it's free).