WEST ROCK RIDGE STATE
PARK:
NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT
-BIKE IT OR HIKE IT-
Letterbox Planted: August 28, 2002
Last Updated:
July 02, 2023
Length:
North Route; Baldwin Drive; 5.7 miles
South Route; Park Entrance Road;
1.2
miles
Lake Wintergreen Loop; 1.5 miles
Difficulty:
Difficult for biking. Old pavement, with steep terrain. Not recommended for kids on
bikes.
Moderate for hiking. Paved, but steep climb.
Directions:
Take exit 60 off of Route 15 (Wilbur Cross
Parkway) and travel south on Route 10 for 1.5 miles. Turn right on Woodin St to Wintergreen Ave.
To start from the Lake Wintergreen parking lot
[Lake Wintergreen Loop]; Turn right, then take
your first left on Main St. Parking lot will be on your left.
To start from the Park Entrance parking lot
[Park Entrance; North
& South Routes]; Turn left and
follow the road underneath Route 15. Parking lot will be on your right. It's new
in 2023, so I'm not sure if it's before or after the Park Entrance Road.
There are three areas in the park that
are worth exploring by bike. There is a Loop trail that encircles Lake Wintergreen.
From the Park Entrance you have
two routes available to you. The South Route follows the
Park Entrance Road up to the
South Overlook and Judges Cave, while the North Route takes you up the abandoned
Baldwin
Drive and along the ridge line. I've created a Loop that allows to to
bike both the North Route;
Baldwin
Drive & Lake Wintergreen Loop. Also the blue dotted Regicides Trail extends 7 miles along the western edge of the ridge
from the South Overlook to York Mountain where it ends at the
Blue-Blazed Quinnipiac Trail. For more information visit; WEST
ROCK RIDGE SP and WEST
ROCK RIDGE SP TRAILS .
Starting from the Park Entrance parking lot;
Travel up the Park Entrance Rd and quickly come to an Intersection.
From this Intersection
you have 2 Options:
South Route; Park
Entrance Road:
Option 1; Continue
South up the Park Entrance
Road (shared road). This road was constructed in the 1890s by the
city of New Haven. You ascend up
the paved road for 0.8 miles to an *Intersection. This is a steep climb
with hairpin turns along the way, but it's a pretty consistent grade.
From the *Intersection;
Right brings you up to Judges Cave after only 0.1
miles.
Check out the stone walls lining the road. Judges
Cave was a refuge for the Regicides Edward Whalley and William Goffe for a
period of time in 1661 and 1664, as they were evading capture by agents of King
Charles II, seeking to avenge the death of his father Charles I, who
was condemned to death in 1649 by 59 English Judges or Regicides.
From the *Intersection;
Heading Left will take
you past two overlooks to the end of the road at the South Overlook after
1.2 miles. From here you have a view of New Haven, the Harbor and Long
Island. To the far left, you can see the reclining figure of Sleeping
Giant State Park. To the left of the Harbor are the trap rock cliffs of East
Rock Park. To your right you can see the Yale Bowl alongside the West
River.
North Route; Baldwin
Drive:
Option 2;
Head right North past the gate along
the old Baldwin
Drive (closed to traffic). You ascend up the old paved road, constructed in
the 1930s as a Works Progress Administration
project, which is still in pretty good shape, but has loose gravel in sections
until the road straightens out after the final curve. This is a steep
climb with several hairpin turns. You quickly cross over the
entrance above the Wilbur Cross Parkway Tunnel. After your second hairpin
turn, look to your left for a stone stairway with an iron railing descending
down to the road. This is after 0.4 miles. Walk up the stairs to a stone
octagonal building, built into the hillside. This building is an air
shaft for the Wilbur Cross Tunnel below. This looks like some
medieval tower with its iron gated windows and steel door. Follow the stone path
around the right side of this building to the high side. With your back
to the building, you'll see a rocky slope in front of you and a Cedar
tree to your right. To the right of the Cedar tree is a large flat rock area.
Head uphill to the top of this rock area where it turns to grass. You'll now
spot a grove of Cedar trees. In the middle of this grove is an Oak tree with its
top missing. Go to the backside of this tree where you will find a pile of
rocks. Simply remove the top flat rock to reveal the West
Rock Ridge State Park Letterbox. Continuing on up the road, you'll come to a sharp right hand turn
where the road briefly splits. Keep right, as there is a side road to the left
that leads down to a cell tower. At the 1 mile mark there will be a turnout on
your left. The Blue and Orange Trails lead to an overlook of Konolds
Pond along the ridgeline. You now travel along the top of the ridge, the road has both up
and down sections. After 2.3 miles there will be another turnout on your left.
A path to the right leads you to a large boulder with an overlook of Lake
Dawson behind an earthen dam. There is another large turnout around 3 miles,
but not much of a view and glass covers the pavement. Avoid if biking.
Another 0.5 miles takes you under the power lines and you'll shortly pass by a
small stone building on your left. It is believed to have once housed equipment for
the AT&T telegraph line that used to cross the ridge. If you look to your
left through the trees you can make out Lake Watrous, also dammed. After 5.5 miles
you start your final descent.
Note; You may continue to the end
of Baldwin
Drive, all
downhill, to W Shepard Ave at 5.8 miles, but if your going to retrace your route, it's not
worth the effort. You also have the option of continuing on-road from W Shepard
Ave back to the Wintergreen Ave parking lot, with one leg of your trip utilizing the Lake Wintergreen
Loop. This has less uphill sections and is along
residential streets.
To Continue On-Road; Go to the end of
Baldwin Drive. Caution! As you near the end, a turn around will veer off
to your right as the road veers left around a hairpin
turn. Just around this curve the road is blocked by an
earthen berm designed to keep out cars. Walk your bike over the berm and
continue along West Shepard Ave, which is also closed to traffic. The
pavement is broken up. Midway down the hill is a gate at the junction with
Rayzoe Terrace. Continue
straight down this road to the first intersection. Turn right onto Hill St
and then a right onto Dunbar Hill Rd. At Chauncey Rd take another right. At
the end, turn left onto Main St (no sign), which is actually a residential
street and follow to the Lake Wintergreen parking lot after 10 miles.
Note; To finish your trip on-road, simply follow Main
St to Wintergreen Ave and turn right. This will bring you back to the Park
Entrance parking lot after an 11.5 mile Loop.
Lake Wintergreen
Loop:
From the Lake Wintergreen parking lot;
Map Board. The hard
packed dirt & gravel White Trail travels
straight past the gate and over Wintergreen Brook. Come to an
intersection at the Northern End of the lake
and turn left along the lake. The trail is slightly hilly as the lake widens out.
After 0.8 miles, you come to an intersection at the Southern
End of the lake with the Red & White
Trail.
Note; The Red
& White
Trail, which travels left alongside the lake is not
suitable for bikes.
Continue straight and come to the Red Trail.
Note; Left, the Red Trail
travels through the woods before crossing Wintergreen Brook to an open
field next to the lake where it merges with the Red
& White
Trail before returning you to the Lake Wintergreen parking lot
after a 1.5 mile Loop.
To return to the Park Entrance parking lot;
If you continue right it will bring you out to
Wintergreen Ave. Travel right on-road and underneath the Wilbur Cross Parkway back to the
Park Entrance parking lot.
HH
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HERE FOR MAP
LETTERBOX LAST VERIFIED
ON
MAY 22, 2015
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