Hopemead State Park

State park in New London County, Connecticut

41°31′02″N 72°13′03″W / 41.51722°N 72.21750°W / 41.51722; -72.21750^[1]Area60 acres (24 ha)^[2]Elevation423 ft (129 m)^[1]DesignationConnecticut state parkEstablished1954AdministratorConnecticut Department of Energy and Environmental ProtectionWebsiteHopemead State Park

Hopemead State Park is an undeveloped public recreation area on the eastern shore of Gardner Lake, 8 miles (13 km) west of Norwich, Connecticut. The state park covers 60 acres (24 ha) in the towns of Bozrah and Montville and is managed by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.^[2]^[3]

History

The park lands were purchased in 1954 with funds bequeathed by George Dudley Seymour. Seymour's trustees acquired the land from the children of James E. Fuller, who had bought them when they were the lakeside farm of Salomon Gardner. The donation of the land to the state was announced in 1955. At the time of the donation, the site included a main house, summer lodge, carriage house, and barn.^[4] The structures were torn down and the site allowed to return to its natural state.^[5]

Activities and amenities

The undeveloped site offers opportunities for hiking and fishing.^[3] The main trail runs through forested land for a little over a mile from Cottage Road to Gardner Lake.^[6]

References

^ ^a ^b "Hopemead State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
^ ^a ^b Appendix A of State Parks and Forests: Funding (2014) lists the park's size as 70 acres."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-2. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
^ ^a ^b "Hopemead State Park". State Parks and Forests. Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Retrieved February 5, 2013.
^ "State acquires 60 acres for park at Gardner Lake". The Day. New London, Conn. January 19, 1955. p. 22. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
^ Leary, Joseph (2004). A Shared Landscape: A Guide & History of Connecticut's State Parks & Forests. Hartford, Conn.: Friends of the Connecticut State Parks, Inc. ISBN 0974662909.
^ "Hopemead State Park". AllTrails. July 20, 2010. Retrieved April 12, 2017.

External links

Hopemead State Park Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Gardner Lake Bathymetry Map Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection

Protected areas of Connecticut

National Park Service