Everything about West Rock totally explained
West Rock Ridge or
West Rock of south-central
Connecticut, with a high point of, is a long
traprock mountain ridge located on the west side of
New Haven. The ridge forms a continuous line of exposed cliffs visible from metropolitan New Haven and points west. West Rock Ridge is part of the narrow, linear
Metacomet Ridge that extends from
Long Island Sound near New Haven, north through the
Connecticut River Valley of
Massachusetts to the
Vermont border.
A popular outdoor recreation resource, West Rock Ridge is known for its
microclimate ecosystems, rare plant communities, and expansive views from cliffs that tower up to above the surrounding landscape. The ridge is traversed by a network of hiking trails including the
Regicides Trail and the
Quinnipiac Trail.
History
Judges Cave and the Regicides Trail (which traverses the length of the ridge), receive their names from two judges
Edward Whalley and his son-in-law
William Goffe, who had signed the death warrant of
Charles I of
England in 1649. After the
restoration of the monarchy with
Charles II in 1660, the pair of
regicides fled to the area to avoid arrest and hid in a boulder cave on the crest of the ridge intermittently over the summer of that year.
Geology
The
fault-block ridge of West Rock is composed of
traprock, also known as basalt, an
extrusive volcanic rock. Basalt is a dark colored rock, but the iron within it weathers to a rusty brown when exposed to the air, lending the ledges of West Rock Ridge a distinct reddish hue. The rock, which formed 200 million years ago during the late
Triassic and early
Jurassic periods, frequently breaks into octagonal and pentagonal columns, creating a unique "postpile" appearance. Huge slopes made of fractured basalt
scree are visible beneath many of the ledges of West Rock Ridge.
The ridge is the product of a huge feeder
dike which supplied several massive
lava flows hundreds of feet deep that welled up in faults created by the
rifting apart of
North America from
Eurasia and
Africa over a period of 20 million years. Erosion occurring between the eruptions deposited deep layers of sediment between the lava flows and around the dike, which eventually lithified into
sedimentary rock. The resulting "layer cake" of basalt and sedimentary sheets eventually faulted and tilted upward. Subsequent erosion wore away the weaker sedimentary layers a faster rate than the basalt layers, leaving the abruptly tilted edges of the basalt sheets exposed, creating the distinct linear ridge and dramatic cliff faces visible today along the Metacomet Ridge.
Ecosystem
West Rock Ridge hosts a combination of
microclimates unusual in
New England. Dry, hot upper ridges support
oak savannas, often dominated by
chestnut oak and a variety of understory grasses and ferns.
Eastern red cedar, a dry-loving species, clings to the barren edges of cliffs. Lower eastern slopes tend to support
oak-hickory forest species common in the surrounding lowlands. Narrow ravines crowded with
eastern hemlock block sunlight, creating damp, cooler growing conditions with associated cooler climate plant species. Talus slopes are especially rich in nutrients and support a number of calcium-loving plants uncommon in eastern Connecticut. Because the ridge generates such varied terrain, it's the home of several plant and animal species that are state-listed or globally rare.
The City of New Haven owns and manages the 43 acre
West Rock Nature Center on the southeast side of the mountain. The center offers interpretive programs on local ecology, outdoor skills workshops, and features laboratories, gardens, interpretive trails, a visitor's center, and classroom facilities. The center has been in operation since 1946 and is listed on the State Register of Historic Places by the Connecticut Historical Commission.
The town of Woodbridge owns and manages the Bishop Estate and Darling House Trails, a property on the west flank of the ridge. The property offers a network of trails, historic buildings, gardens, and bridges over the West River. Named for Thomas Darling (1720-1789), active in the
American Revolution and a friend and contemporary of
Benjamin Franklin, the estate is open to passive activities such as hiking, picnicking, and bird watching. Trails on the property link up with the Regicides Trail on the ridge.
The town of Bethany
Conservation Commission
, the
Town of Hamden, the
Woodbridge Land Trust, and the
Bethany Land Trust, are also invested in the conservation of West Rock Ridge and its
viewshed.
Further Information
Get more info on 'West Rock'.
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