I. Geography (Including Waterfalls)

(including Worthy Waterfalls, Islands and Google Maps fun)

I’ve always been a map-lover and I don’t have to tell you that I love lists. So here’s my own list of what I define as the extreme and interesting points and things in Connecticut.

Jump to:
Geographic Extremes
Geographic Oddities
Waterfalls of Note
Cool Islands Worth Visiting
Crazy CT Historical Geography Disputes, Questions and Relics
Fun with Google Maps

…………………………………………………….

hb2.jpg
Falls along Falls Brook Trail, Hartland

Geographic Extremes

Highest Point: S. Slope of Mt. Frissell, Salisbury
The Westernmost Point, Greenwich
Northernmost Point, Salisbury
Southermost Point, Greenwich
Easternmost Point:, Sterling
MA-RI-CT Tri-Point, Thompson
MA-NY-CT Tri-Point, Salisbury
Geographic center of Hartford, 151 Farmington Ave
The Largest Beach in CT, Madison
Largest Natural Lake, Bantam Lake, Litchfield/Morris
The Highest elevation pond, Bingham Pond, Salisbury
Deepest Lake, Lake Wononscopomuc, Salisbury

Highest summit: Bear Mountain, Salisbury
CT-RI-NY Tri Point: (In the Sound)
Geographic center of the state: East Berlin
Largest Lake: Candlewood Lake (Manmade), Northwest Hills
Most remote point, Cornwall (info)

…………………………………………………….

Geographic Oddities

We don’t really have that many here, but one (the Southwick Jog) is a doozy. My page about it is a top-ten viewed page on CTMQ.

Point-No-Point, Lordship (Stratford)
The Southwick Jog, Granby/Suffield
Longmeadow Baby Jog, Enfield
Most Transient Land, Stonington Harbor
Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg, Thompson (Webster, MA)
Palindromic Place-Name: Oxoboxo Lake/River, Montville

sj2.jpg

…………………………………………………….

Waterfalls of Note

I’ve toyed with the idea of pulling our waterfalls out of this section and creating its own, but nah. Too much effort. I used to discount our state’s panoply of falls as being fairly lame, but I’ve since changed my view. Waterfalls are cool, darnit, so I figure I should give them their due. And not just because the 2013 Connecticut Waterfalls Guide cited me and this very website a few times. (Russell Dunn, a co-author, and I have become falls friends.)

The guide lists 94 falls, former falls, and cascades in the state. Some are silly in my opinion, but since Dunn and Butler got their guidebook published with 94 falls, I shall go find 94 falls. (Although, I already have at least one falls – Wolcott Falls in Hamden – that they missed, I’ll have more than 94.) Did you know that “waterfallers” is a word? Neither did I.

Visits (This is the order in which I visited them, which is why it’s willy-nilly.)

Falls Cut Off Trail Falls, New Hartford Barkhamsted
Waterfall on Blackberry River, East Canaan
Yantic Falls (Indian Leap), Norwich
Wadsworth Falls, Middletown
Hancock Brook Cascades, Waterville
Kent Falls, Kent
Campbell Falls, Norfolk(ish),
Falls Brook Trail Falls, Hartland (scroll down)
Southford Falls, Southbury
Nonnewaug Falls, Woodbury
Housatonic River Gorge, Bulls Bridge
Bulls Bridge Cascades, Bulls Bridge
Thayer Brook Falls, Kent
Westfield Falls, Middletown
Wolcott Falls, Hamden
Kettletown Brook, Lakeside Southbury
Cedar Mill Brook Falls, Stevenson Oxford
Prydden Brook Falls,Stevenson
Westledge Trail Cascades, West Granby
Tarrifville Gorge Cascades, Tarriffville
Cathles Trail Waterfall, Simsbury
Cussgutter Brook Cascades, Bristol
Gorge Cascade Falls, Hamden
Bear Hill Falls, Higganum
Seven Falls, Higganum
Crystal Cascade, Portland
Case Falls, Manchester
Buttermilk Falls, Norfolk
Colebrook Falls, Colebrook
Still River Gorge, Robertsville
Mill Pond Falls, Newington

To Be Visited (This is the order that the book lists them – a book you should buy, by the way.)

Blackberry River Falls, East Canaan
Sages Ravine, Salisbury
Great Falls, Falls Village
Dean’s Ravine, West Cornwall
Hatch Brook Falls, Cornwall Bridge
Macedonia Gorge Falls, Kent
Shaghticoke Road Falls, Kent
Aspetuck Falls, New Preston
(Site of ) Great Falls, New Milford
Caroline Glen Cascade, Roxbury
Jack’s Brook Cascade, Roxbury
Saugatuck Falls, Diamond Hill
Sheep Falls, Georgetown
Ambler Cascade, Weston
Still River Cascades, Winsted
Burr Falls, Burrville
Madden Pond Falls, Torrington
Knife Shop Falls, Northfield
Bunnell’s Falls, Burlington
Buttermilk Falls, Tolles
Mad River Cascades, Wolcott
Spruce Brook Falls, Beacon Falls
Hopp Brook Falls, Bethany
Naugatuck Falls, Seymour
Farmill River Falls, Shelton
Indian Well Falls, Shelton
White Hills Brook Cascades, Shelton
Pequonnock River Valley SP Falls, Trumbull
Balance Rock Road Falls, East Hartland
Enders Falls, West Granby
Carpenter’s Falls, West Granby
Roaring Brook Nature Center Falls, Canton
Sessions Woods Falls, Burlington
Roaring Brook Falls, Cheshire
Wintergreen Falls, New Haven
Ragged Mountain Cascade, Kensington
Black Pond Falls, Meriden
Wadsworth Little Falls, Rockfall
Spruce Glen Falls, Wallingford
Stair Brook Falls, Durham
Ninevah Falls, Killingworth
Indian Rock Shelter Trail Falls, N. Madison
Scantic Rapids, Hazardville
Cotton Hollow Cascades, S. Glastonbury
Blackledge Falls, E. Glastonbury
Flat Brook Falls, E. Glastonbury
Grayville Falls, Amston
Day Pond Brook Falls, N. Westchester
Tartia Falls, Middle Hampton
Pine Brook Falls, East Hampton
Glen Falls, Cobalt
Chapman Pond Preserve Cascades, East Haddam
Sheepskin Hollow Preserve Falls, East Haddam
Chapman Falls, East Haddam
Muddy Brook Falls, East Haddam
Wyllys Falls, Manchester
Center Springs Falls, Manchester
Hockanum Falls, Rockville
Codfish Falls, Mansfield Four Corners
Shelter Falls, Mansfield Four Corners
Diana’s Pool Falls, South Chaplin
Mansfield Hollow Cascades, Mansfield Center
Cargill Falls, Putnam
Bailey’s Ravine Falls, North Franklin
Lowden Brook Cascades, Voluntown

South End Avenue Ice Mill Falls, Durham
Merwin’s Falls, Wilton
Brookfield Falls, Brookfield
Horseshoe Falls, Terryville

…………………………………………………….

Cool Islands worth visiting

Each of these is interesting. Trust me.

Haddam Island State Park
Menunketesuck Island
Minnie Island State Park
Selden Neck State Park
Sheffield Island
Salt Meadow Unit
Outer Island Unit
Thimble Islands
Charles Island

candle.jpg
Candlewood Lake, the largest lake in Connecticut

…………………………………………………….

Crazy CT Historical Geography Disputes, Questions and Relics

I’ve become fascinated with Colonial border disputes. Like the one where Connecticut refused to give up land down in the Wyoming Valley in Pennsylvania. I’ll visit someday – since it used to be Connecticut after all.

Historic Geography/Charter dispute in Pennsylvania (Info)
Pennamite-Yankee War (Info) in Pennsylvania
Case Western Reserve, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Plum Island, NY
Fishers Island, NY

…………………………………………………….

Fun with Google Maps

I love Street View. I love the satellite images. Heck, I love the boring old maps. Once in a while I find something quirky or interesting… And I never thought to save/share those things until now. If anyone has anything cool or odd from CT from these types of sources, just let me know.

1. The Light at the End of the Tunnel is Actually the Searing Fires of Hell

2. Rentschler Field during a game! Okay, this is pretty cool: The Google satellite flew over the Rent during a game. I can’t pick myself out though.

The-Rent

3 responses to “I. Geography (Including Waterfalls)”

  1. Jenny D says:

    You are my hero of the week and possibly the year! Im such a history nerd, and am learning a lot from this site. I found it while doing a search on the institute of living, and sorry to say i didnt learn anything new in regards to that place…but I always did wonder about Pygmy village (been up there a few times, but never put two and two together as far as Nike is concerned) Anyways, besides me making you my new hero and me being super excited someone has the time and energy to get some awesome facts about good ole’ CT, I noticed that in this section of waterfalls and other geographical information that you didnt mention Mill Pond Falls in the center of Newington. Its the smallest natural running waterfall in the country and beautiful to all the senses. I am suprised you havent been, if im not mistaken you live W.H…you should def. check it out, its small but quite interesting like most things on your site.
    I discrovered your site a few hrs ago, like i said in my search about IOL, needless to say my search has come to a halt and my eyes are dry and heavy from reading all your interesting facts and info about the state. I lived in CT for my first 25 yrs and have been in FL the past 3. Thanks for all the info and hrs of time I will spend finding out all the wonderful things about CT that either I always wondered about or didnt have a clue about! Thanks again
    -Jenny

  2. Don says:

    Steve, as you are the “expert” on all things Connecticut and a fellow map lover, I thought you would find this announcement from ConnDOT interesting. Especially since they use the word “Perambulation”.

    “DOT to Begin State Boundary Marker Inspection

    The Connecticut Department of Transportation (DOT) is announcing that the DOT is preparing to perform the State Line Perambulation – a program to inspect state-line boundary markers — beginning April 1, 2011, in eastern Connecticut.”

    How’s Damian doing?

    -Don W.

  3. Steve says:

    oh man, I would take off work to traipse around with the DOT perambulation crew. I’m still not clear on exactly where CT’s easternmost point it, so perhaps that would help.

    a boy can dream.

Leave a Comment

The Out Campaign: Scarlet Letter of Atheism