1,691 acres in Hamden, Woodbridge, and Bethany, CT
Parking: Main parking near 1134 Wintergreen Ave, New Haven, CT if the gate is closed park across the street at West Rock Nature Center
Trail Map Trails: 20 miles Rating: ★★★★★
West Rock Ridge State Park is massive.
And while I have been here, I feel like I’ve seen so little that this should have the standard disclaimer that this is a partial/incomplete page as I “have not yet ‘fully’ explored the property”.
I have visited a few of the big features in the southern half such as the vistas along the traprock ridge-line, which the DEEP suggests one can see 200 square miles along its length. Then there is Judges Cave, with its unique history. There is Lake Wintergreen for boating and fishing. The park is also the southern terminus of the blue blaze Quinnipiac Trail.
With so much to offer this park is worth several visits and I hope to one day fully do it justice, though Hiker Tom has already made a guide that is already near-complete.
The park has had a bit of a resurgence in popularity due to some recent sport and mixed route development on the South End.
From the Mountain Project site,
The south end hosts the majority of the recent development, route-wise with the largest documented sport and mixed lead climbs in the state. The south end is slightly off angle making most of the routes slab with exception of the old quarry on the southern tip which is entirely sport.
It is recommended any climbing in the quarry on the north be belayed from the top and any climber wear multiple helmets and even shoulder pads. Your rope can easily dislodge large flakes and blocks and recent visitors have found this out the hard way. While the cliffs soar almost 300ft and cause the mind to wander, it's a sketchy area. Take all precautions you can but understand that might not be enough if some kids decide to trundle some boulders off the top. There are reportedly some trad lines in this area but we have no record of them as of now.
WEAR YOUR HELMET AT ALL TIMES, FROM FIELD TO CLIFFS!LOOSE ROCK AND PEOPLE THROWING ROCKS OFF THE TOP ARE COMMON.
Established as a state park in 1975. This park was featured in the inaugural DEEP Sky’s the Limit Hiking Challenge in 2015 and again in 2022.
West Rock Ridge Park Association
Tom – West Rock User Guide
Mountain Project - West Rock State Park Rock Climbing
Peter Marteka – A Castle In The Sky With Views Across A Kingdom (2012)
New England Mountain Bike Association – West Rock Ridge
CTMQ – TSTL’15.10: West Rock Ridge State Park (2015)
The information shown here is for general reference purposes only. exploreCT.org gives no warranty, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy or reliability of this data. Parking in all areas, whether designated here or not, is at your own risk. exploreCT.org is not responsible for any damage or loss to vehicles or contents. Last updated May 9th, 2016
1134 Wintergreen Ave, New Haven, CT 06514, USA
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