| West Rock Ridge | |
|---|---|
 West Rock, New Haven by Frederic Edwin Church, 1849 | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 700 ft (210 m)ridge high point |
| Coordinates | 41°24′56″N 72°56′17″W / 41.41556°N 72.93806°W to 41°19′57″N 72°57′41″W / 41.33250°N 72.96139°W |
| Geography | |
 | |
| Location | New Haven, Hamden, Woodbridge, and Bethany, Connecticut |
| Parent range | Metacomet Ridge |
| Geology | |
| Rock age | 200 Ma |
| Mountain type(s) | Fault-block; igneous |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Auto road |
West Rock Ridge or West Rock of south-central Connecticut, is a 7-mile (11 km) long trap rock mountain ridge located on the west side of New Haven with a high point of 700 feet (213 m) at High Rock, also known as York Mountain. The ridge forms a continuous line of exposed cliffs visible from metropolitan New Haven and points west. West Rock Ridge is part of the narrow, linear Metacomet Ridge which extends from Long Island Sound near New Haven north through the Connecticut River Valley of Massachusetts to the Vermont border.[1]
West Rock Ridge is popular for recreation and known for its microclimate ecosystems, rare plant communities, and expansive views from cliffs that tower up to 500 feet (152 m) above the surrounding landscape.[1][2] The ridge is traversed by a network of hiking trails including the 7-mile (11 km) Regicides Trail, whose northern terminus begins as a spur off the 21-mile (34 km) Quinnipiac Trail.[3]
- ^ a b Farnsworth, Elizabeth J. "Metacomet-Mattabesett Trail Natural Resource Assessment.", 2004. PDF file. Cited Nov. 20, 2007.
- ^ DeLorme Topo 6.0. Mapping Software. DeLorme, Yarmouth, Maine
- ^ "Quinnipiac Trail - Connecticut Forest and Park Association". 20 July 2022.