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 wellknown 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 Olmsteddesigned 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
sfitzgerald1@comcast.net
Sponsoring Organization(s):
West River Watershed Coalition
West River Neighborhood Services Corporation
Friends of Edgewood Park
Save the Sound/CT Fund for the Environment
Walk
See Google Maps for directions.
Event Type:
Educational Walk
New Haven Educational
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
(203) 815-5615
kathyfay@gmail.com
Sponsoring Organization(s):
West River Watershed Coalition
Westville Village Renaissance Alliance
Neighborhood Housing Services of New Haven
New Haven Land Trust