Farm River State Park

Farm River State Park

Connecticut State Park

62 acres in East Haven, CT

Parking:

• For hiking there is a small lot near 150 Short Beach Rd, East Haven, CT
• For the marina parking follow the road near 10 Coolidge St East Haven, CT

Trail Map      Trails: 1 mile    Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Though the trails at Farm River State Park are short, this park is prime spot along the Farm River which provides many beautiful views and some nice surprises.

Hiking

The marked trails are only .6 miles, including the Shoreline Greenway Trail, but it is the unmarked and “nature” trails that lead to the scenic viewpoints.  There is also a self-guided nature trail.

From the parking area the trail heads downhill through open forest.  The trail here was redone in 2016 with the expansion of the Shoreline Greenway Trail.  The original trail forks off to the right over a fallen tree.  The upgraded trail is a sandy gravel path down to small open picnic area with a lone picnic table.

The trail continues downhill where rains have begun to erode the path over the last few years.  You’ll cross a set of bridges over seasonal stream beds, both were dry on my late summer 2022 visit.  Off to the left up on a rocky knob is a stone foundation that appears to have been perhaps an old garden wall of the former property.  There is a fair amount of private property around you, but not too in your face for such a dense area.  Someones garden ivy has overtaken much of this area covering both sides of the trail and up the rocks.

The trail then crosses the gravel Brown Road which is a driveway to private residences.  Across the road the trail climbs to a ridge with views of a marsh just off the river.  I was expecting the marshy area, but I wasn’t expecting the rocky ledges the provided the views at different points along the trail.

The trail continues out to an overgrown jut densly grown in with mile-a-minute vine and bittersweet which have pulled down the older trees.  There are a couple spots where the trail is just a tunnel hacked through the growth.  But, you come out to nice river and marsh views and can spot the marina across a tiny cove.  From here the trail loops back through the growth and you can retrace your steps back to the parking area

Boating

Across a tiny inlet, the main marina provides a boat launch and dock space which can be rented by contacting (860) 333-9003 or farmrivermarina@gmail.com as part of an annual lottery.

History:

Designated as a state park in 1998.

Links:

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Last updated September 19th, 2022