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Connecticut
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Connecticut State Parks

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USA Parks
Connecticut
Greater New Haven Region
Kettletown State Park
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Kettletown State Park Walking Bridge © Gary Jordan
The Park hosts a boardwalk along part of the Zoar River.
Kettletown State Park Swimming Area © Gary Jordan
This is the swimming area and facility building.
Kettletown State Park Picnic Area © Gary Jordan
There are many picnic tables and grills to use within the State Park.
Kettletown State Park Zoar Lake © Gary Jordan
Kettletown State Park Trail Walk © Rick Olszewski
Kettletown State Park
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KETTLETOWN STATE PARK
KETTLETOWN STATE PARK
492 Black Rock Turnpike
Redding, Connecticut   06896

Phone: 203-938-2285
Toll Free: 866-287-2757
Reservations: 203-264-5678
Email: park email button icon
The cool waters of the Housatonic River make Kettletown State Park and Lake Zoar popular recreation destinations.
Nature of the Area
The William Miller (blue blazed) Trail, to your right from the road heading to the Youth Group Camp Area, provides a good introduction to a variety of rocks. At the T in the trail, turn right. About 500 feet down the trail you will encounter a large, lumpy brown boulder at the edge of the trail. (Figure 1) This glacial erratic came from the northwest, from the Pomperaug Valley. Erratics are boulders left behind by the glaciers when they melted. They are sitting on bedrock different from the type of rock they are.

We know which way this erratic came from because it is a chunk of basalt, and the nearest basalt bedrock is found three miles to the northwest in Southbury. Also, outside the park glacial striations indicate a southeast movement of the ice. Striations are scratches left in exposed bedrock when ice with rocks frozen in the bottom of it moved over the exposed rock, gouging grooves. The boulder's roundness results from the wearing off of corners and edges during transport. Sometimes lava flows into water, causing the surface to solidify instantly, while the inside of the flow is still liquid. This results in blobs, which then break open, allowing the lava to flow a little farther, then form another blob. The result is pillow basalts, and it appears this boulder and several more a little farther along the trail are pillow basalts. At the time basalt was flowing into the valley, Connecticut was much farther south and much drier than it is now. But there were lakes here and there, especially during the monsoon season. For more information on how the basalts and sedimentary rocks of Connecticut formed, see the geology of Penwood State Park. This part of Connecticut is all metamorphic rocks (except for the Pomperaug Valley in Woodbury and Southbury). The rocks in western Connecticut have been changed from the rocks they originally were by high heat and pressure. The rocks of Kettletown were originally Iapetos ocean floor sediments, mixed with a few basalt flows. As Africa and Europe moved closer to North America the ocean crust was being forced under the continental crust and these sediments were scraped off, then squished by the collision of some microcontinent(s). The resulting heat and pressure changed the sediments and basalt to gneiss, schist, quartzite, marble, and amphibolite, all metamorphic rocks. Gneiss, schist and amphibolite occur in the park, although no schist outcrops were seen along the described trails.
History of the Area
Kettletown State Park, situated in the towns of Southbury and Oxford, contains 605 acres and was originally inhabited by the Pootatuck Indians, members of the Algonquin group. Early colonists reportedly traded one brass kettle for use of the land for hunting and fishing. Eventually, the settlers acquired complete rights to the area and, by 1758, the Pootatucks had either migrated to the northwest or perished.

Although the Pootatucks were expert fisherman and hunters, their main occupation was farming. They raised fine crops of beans, squash, tobacco and apples. The Pootatucks developed a drum communications system which could carry a message over 200 miles in just two hours. All that remains now in the Kettletown area of this once prosperous tribe is an occasional arrowhead. In 1919, their original village was covered by the water of the Housatonic River when the Connecticut Light and Power Company constructed the Stevenson Dam to produce hydroelectric power. The resulting Lake Zoar is the fifth largest freshwater body in the state. The settlers who had used the land for dairy farming had deserted much of it as better farming land became available elsewhere.

The State of Connecticut purchased 455 of the 605 acres in Kettletown in 1950 with funds left by Edward Carrington of New Haven, which he had dedicated to the acquisition of public land in the Naugatuck Valley.

Much has happened to Kettletown since the arrival of the early settlers. Today it exists in a more natural state for all to enjoy.
Passes
Connecticut has made state parks, forests, trails, historic sites and beaches more accessible to our residents so they can enjoy the many attractions and beauty they offer. Under the Passport to the Parks program, parking fees are now eliminated at Connecticut State Parks for those with Connecticut registered vehicles. You can view the CONNECTICUT PASSPORT TO THE PARKS web page to learn more.
Camping
Kettletown Campground offers 68 sites in both open and wooded settings.



Trails
- Blue Trail: This is the longest trail in Kettletown State Park, stretching over 6 miles. It offers a challenging hike with steep inclines and rocky terrain.

- Crest Trail: Approximately 2.5 miles long, this moderate difficulty trail provides panoramic views of Lake Zoar and surrounding areas from its highest point.

- Pomperaug Trail: A relatively easy hiking path that stretches for about one mile along the banks of Housatonic River offering scenic water views throughout most parts of it.

- Miller's Pond Loop: An approximately two-mile loop around Miller's pond providing beautiful waterfront scenery ideal for birdwatching or picnicking during warmer months.

- William E Cope Area Trails (Yellow & Red): These are shorter trails each less than a mile but offer hikers an opportunity to explore diverse habitats including wetlands, forests and meadows within park boundaries.

- Bridle Pathway (Orange Blaze): Primarily used by horse riders; however walkers can also use this pathway which winds through dense forested area covering roughly three miles distance across varying terrains.

- Brookside Walk (Green Blaze) : Less than half-a-mile walk alongside brook featuring small cascades making it perfect choice for families with young children due to its ease level as well as picturesque setting.


Visitor Comments, Memories and Reviews
July 31 First contact
park review stars; one to five My first contact with staff over the phone was very cordial and helpful. Ranger have no choice but to be more vigilant because of the minority of misbehaving people who have ruined it for the majority. They can check on me as much as they need to, no problem. it will make me feel safer. I will post another review once I stay.
June 12 Rude Staff
park review stars; one to five I have been attending an annual event at this park for some time, and the staff has always been friendly and courteous. Until this year, that is. Many of my fellow campers were complaining about the suddenly overly officious park rangers that were continually sticking their noses into every campground and behaving in a borderline harassing manner to everyone they encountered. I do not understand why there has been this change in attitude, especially after the State decided to increase the site fees for those that opt to camp here. Where is the logic? Let?s hit residents in the wallet in these hard times, and then send rent-a-cops to harangue their every move while at our facilities. It?s sad, and makes me consider driving the extra miles to an out of State or private camping facility for my next outing.
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Area Cabins and Lodges
A Tres Jolie Day Spa LLC
522 Heritage Rd
Southbury, CT
(203) 264-0515
Nearby Hotels
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Directions
Off Interstate 84: take Exit 15. Go south onto CT Route 67. Take a right at the first traffic light onto Kettletown Road. Continue for approximately 3 miles on Kettletown Road. Take a right onto Georges Hill Road. Park is located on the left approximately 0.6 miles.

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Connecticut State Parks

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