Wharton Brook State Park

Wharton Brook State Park
Allen Brook Pond in Wharton Brook SP at dusk
Wharton Brook State Park Show map of Connecticut Wharton Brook State Park Show map of the United States
Location	North Haven and Wallingford, Connecticut, United States
Coordinates	41°25′38″N 72°50′08″W[1]
Area	96 acres (39 ha)[2]
Elevation	26 ft (7.9 m)[1]
Established	1918[3]
Administered by	Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Designation	Connecticut state park
Website	Official website

Wharton Brook State Park is a public recreation area located off U.S. Route 5 in the towns of North Haven and Wallingford, Connecticut.[3] Activities in the 96-acre (39 ha) state park center on Allen Brook Pond, a 5-acre (2.0 ha) pond that empties into Wharton Brook.[4] The park is managed by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

History

The state park was established as a precursor of the modern highway rest stop, with picnic grounds, a camping area, and services for automobiles. It opened on August 1, 1919, as the first of what the State Park Commission intended to be a series of "Wayside Parks" created in the more heavily traveled areas of the state.[5]

On May 15, 2018, an EF1 tornado that transitioned into a microburst caused significant damage to the park, forcing officials to close the park. It reopened in 2019.[6]

Activities and amenities

The park offers fishing, swimming, picnicking, and several short footpaths totaling less than a mile in distance.[7] The park is one of the state's designated trout parks that are stocked with trout on opening day and at other times of the year.[8] Great blue herons and other wildlife may be found in the park.

References

1. "Wharton Brook". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
2. "Appendix A: List of State Parks and Forests" (PDF). State Parks and Forests: Funding. Staff Findings and Recommendations. Connecticut General Assembly. January 23, 2014. p. A-4. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
3. "Wharton Brook State Park". Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
4. "Allen Brook Pond" (PDF). Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. September 2011. Retrieved October 7, 2017.
5. Report of the State Park and Forest Commission to the Governor 1920 (Report). Hartford, Conn.: State of Connecticut. December 28, 1920. p. 27. Retrieved October 7, 2017.
6. Ceneviva, Alex (January 14, 2019). "Wharton Brook State Park reopens, Sleeping Giant State Park to reopen in Spring after 2018 storms". News 8 WTNH. Nexstar Media Group. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
7. "Wharton Brook State Park" (PDF). South Central Regional Council of Governments. Retrieved July 12, 2016.
8. "Trout Parks". Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. April 2022. Retrieved September 8, 2024.

External links

• Wharton Brook State Park Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
• Wharton Brook State Park Map Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection