East Rock Park
Welcome to New Haven's East Rock Park, home to the 200 million year old East Rock. East Rock itself was formed during the early days of continental drift. The drifting of the continents fractured the sandstone bedrock and allowed hot molten rock from down inside the planet to seep up and harden to form a rock known as dolerite (AKA traprock or basalt). Due to it's hardness, the dolerite surivived the erosion forces that took away much of the region's sandstone and it became a much more dominant rock in the region. The elevation difference between the top of East Rock and the bottom of Mill River Valley is 350 feet. Today this park boasts a picnic pavilion, hiking trails, and many other features for the residents and visitors of New Haven as well as the students of Yale University. Come on out and explore!
To reserve a picnic shelter or other facility please call 203-946-8020.
This was RecPlanet place of the day on March 25, 2016.
Photographs from the community
Every upload here fills a gap and is entered in the running contest.