Bennett's Pond State Park

Bennett's Pond State Park in Ridgefield, Connecticut, preserves a 56-acre pond, woodland trails, and connected open space linking with Wooster Mountain State Park and the Ives Trail. The land was once part of Outpost Farm, the 1,500-acre estate established in 1914 by industrialist Louis D. Conley, who developed a major East Coast nursery there; some of its planted tree species still survive. After IBM acquired the property in the 1970s and later development plans sparked strong local opposition, the town obtained 458 acres by eminent domain in 2001. State purchase with Land and Water Conservation Fund support created the park in 2002 as a significant conservation victory.

Ridgefield, Connecticut · United States