Hike #2: Hartman Park (AKA The Road Less Travelled)

The power lines on Chapman Ridge

Posting with our guide, 50 Hikes in Connecticut

Scott with 50 Hikes in Connecticut

One of the chimneys in the fortress

Standing on one of the chimneys

Turtle Rock

Laughing Rock

"The Snout"

Town: Lyme, CT
Distance: 4 miles
Time: 2:30 hours
Vertical rise: 600 feet
Features: Narrow ridges, historic fortresses


The second hike of Project Hike CT took place at Hartman Park in Lyme, CT. We arrived at this park by accident (Rocky Neck was full to capacity), and we're so glad that we did! The first thing that we noticed about this park was its general sense of solitude; considering that this park has over 10-miles of volunteer-made trails, we did not see one person during our visit. The other aspect that we noticed was the terrain; for a park that is so close to the beach, the terrain was completely representative of a forest.

My (Kristen's) favorite aspect of the hike was its historical nature; we passed foundations of old houses, fortresses, and even an old cemetery. The first ruins that we passed were those of an old barn; according to the Hardys' book, "this house was probably built in the early 17th century and burned after the Civil War" (74). After that, we climbed Chapman Ridge, and came to the top of Three Chimneys Ridge, which features powerlines (see pictures 1-3). The ridge is named for the remains of a fortress built by Lyonel Gardiner for the Puritan settlers of Saybrook Colony, of which three stone chimneys remain (see the 4th and 5th pictures).

At this point in our adventure, we had hiked about two miles. The second half of the hike was characterized by beautiful rock formations. In our pictures, you can see Laughing Rock, Turtle Rock and "the Snout." We also passed under beautiful cliffs, named the Coyote and Cave cliffs. The last feature of the hike was a small cemetery, home to a few unmarked graves (probably those of slaves and other lower class workers). Although this hike was much more difficult than the last, the scenery was gorgeous, and it was so interesting to see the ruins of colonial farms and the Puritan fort. Hartman Park is well-worth the drive- go visit this beautiful example of Connecticut wilderness!