Coney Rock

Coney Rock Preserve

Joshua’s Trust Property and Town of Mansfield Park

Location: 134 acres in Mansfield, CT

Parking:

• Small pull-off near 501 Chaffeeville Rd Storrs, CT
• Shoulder parking near 107 Woodland Rd Storrs, CT

Trail Map          Trails: 5 miles           Rating: ★★★☆☆

This is a combined entry for both the town park and the Joshua’s Trust property.  A steep hike on town white-blazed trail leads to a great scenic view of Mansfield Hollow and beyond.  From there you can hike a couple other trails (all named for their former land owners) adding up to five miles.

Further exploration across Chaffeeville Rd from the parking area, you can visit the ruins of the former Chaffeeville Silk Mill as well as catch the blue-blazed Nipmuck Trail for longer hikes.

Additionally you could start near the end of Woodland Rd and hike through the Joshua’s Trust Proposal Rock property up to the overlook.  It’s a slightly longer hike up to the overlook but a more moderate climb.

I often trail run a section of this park as part of a 10 mile loop combining the Mansfield Hollow yellow loop, Dorwart Preserve, Coney Rock, down to the Nipmuck Trail and over to 50 Foot Cliff, through the iron bridges section, and back onto the Mansfield Hollow yellow loop.

Proposal Rock – 17 Acres

At the northeastern edge of Coney Rock is a separate parcel owned by Joshua’s Trust known as Proposal Rock.  It serves as a separate entrance to Coney Rock off Woodland Rd.  The trail is an old cart path that connects to Mulberry Rd and the Dorwart Preserve with options to head uphill on either the Woodland Rd Trail or the Mullane Trail.  It is called Proposal Rock because the donor Leonora Mullane’s father proposed to her mother on one of the large boulders on the property.

History: 

Alfred Oden owned Coney Rock until 1933 when he sold the west half to Knute Olsen and the east to Warren Chapin.

Olsen’s half was bought by the town in 2001 and is part of the 61-acre Dorwart Family Preserve. In response, David Storrs Chapin, Warren’s son, sold his half to Joshua’s Trust in 2002, who added 9 acres.

In 2009, this was connected to Proposal Rock by another 5.9 acres.

Links:

• Peter Marteka – Coney Rock, an Autumn Beauty in Mansfield (2010)
• Peter Marteka – Coney Rock Preserved as Part of Joshua’s Tract in Mansfield (2003)
• Peter Marteka – A ‘Bargain’ Preservation (2003)
• JT Archived Page – Key 5.9-acre Parcel Purchased which Connects Coney and Proposal Preserves