Event Type: Educational Walk West River Trail Saturday, June 6 Time

Event Type: 

Educational Walk

West River Trail

Saturday, June 6

Time: 

10:00am - 12:30pm

Total Distance This Event Will Travel: 

2 1/2 miles

Full Event Description (for the online listing): 

June 6 and 7 will be a two-day exploration of New Haven's West River, from its Tide Gates to the Pond Lily Dam. On Sat. we will visit the Tide Gates on Route 1, view West Rock as painted by well-known 19th century artists, walk along the east side of a former rowing channel in West River Memorial Park, passing osprey nests and Barnard Nature Center. We will cross Route 34 and walk along the river past the CT Tennis Center. At Chapel St. we will enter the 100+ years old Olmsted-designed Edgewood Park, pass its unique sun-dial sprinkler, see the site of New Haven's second Alms House and a giant black oak from that era, and climb down the river bluff to visit the newly renovated Duck Pond. We will walk along the rhododendron trail created in the 1930's by America’s first woman landscape architect, Beatrix Farrand and view the skate park and the graffiti art painted there last Oct. on the skate structures and on the walls of newly re-opened Coogan Pavilion. We will end our walk by crossing the river, passing the tennis courts and end up at the Gazebo near the intersection West Rock Ave. and Whalley Ave. where we will arrange rides back to our starting point.

Leader(s): 

Stephanie FitzGerald

Kendall Barbery

Meeting Place: 

Parking lot at West River Memorial Park on US Route 1(Orange Ave.), New Haven, near Ella Grasso Blvd (SCT Rte 10)

Rain Plan & Registration Details: 

Rain cancels.

Event Pre-registration: 

Pre-registration is APPRECIATED

Contact Name to be Published (for questions and/or participant registration): 

Stephanie FitzGerald

203 500-7777

[e-mail]

Sponsoring Organization(s): 

West River Watershed Coalition

West River Neighborhood Services Corporation

Friends of Edgewood Park

Save the Sound/CT Fund for the Environment New Haven Educational Walk

See Google Maps for directions.

Event Type: 

Educational Walk

West River Terail

Sunday, June 7

Time: 

10:00am - 12:30pm

Total Distance This Event Will Travel: 

2 1/2 miles

Full Event Description (for the online listing): 

June 6 and 7 will be a two-day exploration of New Haven's West River, from its Tide Gates to the Pond Lily Dam. On Sun. we will meet at the Gazebo in Edgewood Park, the ending point of yesterday’s walk and site of a lively Farmer’s Market. We will cross Whalley Ave. near Fitch St. and follow the river behind businesses, an artist’s studio/residence and apartment buildings before crossing Blake St. into Amrhyn Park at the base of West Rock. We will follow the river through the park until it turns at West Hills Road where we will cross Valley St. and walk into “the Narrows”, an undeveloped park land green space between Valley St. and Whalley Ave. where small manufacturing thrived in the 18th and 19th centuries. Then we leave the Narrows, cross E. Ramsdell St. and follow the river behind businesses to the fish ladder, Pond Lily Nature Preserve and a view of a 1790’s earthen dam that is to be demolished later this year. We end our hike at Walgreen’s parking lot where we share rides back to our starting point near West Rock Ave. and Whalley Ave.

Leader(s): 

Kathy Fay

Chris Heitmann

Meeting Place: 

The Gazebo in Edgewood Park. In-park parking: West Rock Av. near Whalley Av. or Whalley Av. at Fitch St. or park on street on West Rock Av.

Rain Plan & Registration Details: 

Rain cancels.

Event Pre-registration: 

Pre-registration is APPRECIATED

Contact Name to be Published (for questions and/or participant registration): 

Kathy Fay

[phone]

[e-mail]

Sponsoring Organization(s): 

West River Watershed Coalition

Westville Village Renaissance Alliance

Neighborhood Housing Services of New Haven

New Haven Land Trust