Wooster Mountain State Park

State park in Fairfield County, Connecticut

41°21′03″N 73°28′13″W / 41.35083°N 73.47028°W / 41.35083; -73.47028^[1]Area444 acres (180 ha)^[2]Elevation535 ft (163 m)^[1]DesignationConnecticut state parkEstablished1920AdministratorConnecticut Department of Energy and Environmental ProtectionWebsiteWooster Mountain State Park

Wooster Mountain State Park is an undeveloped public recreation area located within the city limits of Danbury, Connecticut. The state park covers 444 acres (180 ha) and is managed by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.^[3]

History

The park was established in 1920 as Connecticut's 23rd state park through an initial purchase of 100 acres. The State Park Commission adopted the name Wooster Mountain, which was not used locally, "for its historical association, as marking the mountain mass over which General [David] Wooster pursued British troops in their hasty retreat from Danbury" in 1777, during which General Wooster was mortally wounded.^[4]

The Civilian Conservation Corps was active in the park from 1935 to 1937, clearing trees that were infected with Dutch elm disease.^[5] The CCC's former campground forms the site of the Wooster Mountain firing range.

Activities and amenities

The park is suitable for hiking and hunting^[3] and is crossed by the Ives Trail.^[6]^[7] Target, skeet and trap shooting are offered at the Wooster Mountain State Park Cooperative Shooting Range.^[8]

References

^ ^a ^b "Wooster Mountain State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
^ "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 17, 2016.
^ ^a ^b "Wooster Mountain State Park". State Parks and Forests. Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Retrieved February 5, 2013.
^ Report of the State Park and Forest Commission to the Governor 1920 (Report). Hartford, Conn.: State of Connecticut. December 29, 1920. pp. 17–18. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
^ "Exploring the CCC in Connecticut" (PDF). CCC Legacy Journal. 39 (2). CCC Legacy: 13. March 2015. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
^ "Ives Trail Greenway". Western Connecticut Council of Governments. Retrieved September 13, 2017.
^ "Ives Trail and Greenway Brochure" (PDF). Ives Trail and Greenway Regional Association. April 1, 2013. Retrieved September 13, 2017.
^ "2017 Hunting and Trapping Guide". Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Retrieved April 15, 2017.