Chatfield Hollow State Park lies within a glacial valley named for Chatfield Hollow Brook, which flows toward Long Island Sound between two high ridges covered with oak, beech, and hickory trees. Native Americans frequented the valley to hunt and fish, and artifacts found near Indian Council Caves indicate that they sought refuge and held tribal gatherings amid the rock recesses and overhangs. In 1639, descendants of three Chatfield brothers arrived from England and were believed to have operated a gristmill along the brook. Later settlers used waterpower to run an iron smelting furnace that worked native ores into metal for implements. Artifacts from early colonial times include old building foundations, a restored waterwheel on the upper pond, and a covered bridge reproduction spanning Chatfield Hollow Brook. From 1933 to 1937, the Civilian Conservation Corps undertook projects at Chatfield Hollow, including a horseshoe-shaped earth and stone dam across the brook that created seven-acre Schreeder Pond, a long swimming beach, an Adirondack-style lodge and shaded picnic area, and the planting of many pine trees. In 1949, Chatfield Hollow was designated as a state park, and today the land is managed by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection for a variety of recreational opportunities. In 1988, longtime DEEP employee Paul F. Wildermann designed and built the Chatfield Hollow boardwalk, which was later rebuilt in sections over approximately 5 1/2 years. In 2006, the DEP rededicated the boardwalk in his memory. Covering approximately 825 feet, it allows visitors to walk through some of the state's most beautiful inland wetland habitat without disturbing its natural beauty, and it is known as a premier spot to observe a large variety of birds, with deer visible there in early spring.

Photo: Conrad Ward

Photo: Conrad Ward