Chatfield Hollow State Park
| Chatfield Hollow State Park | |
| Connecticut State Park | |
 Schreeder Pond
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| Country |  United States |
|---|---|
| State |  Connecticut |
| County | Middlesex |
| Town | Killingworth |
| Elevation | 141 ft (43 m) |
| Coordinates | 41°22′06″N 72°35′22″W / 41.36833°N 72.58944°WCoordinates: 41°22′06″N 72°35′22″W / 41.36833°N 72.58944°W |
| Area | 412 acres (167 ha) |
| Established | 1949 |
| Management | Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection |
  Location in Connecticut
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| Website: Chatfield Hollow State Park | |
Chatfield Hollow State Park is a public recreation area lying adjacent to Cockaponset State Forest in the town of Killingworth, Connecticut. The state park offers hiking trails, a swimming beach, trout fishing, mountain biking, rock climbing, and picnicking areas. Park attractions include Indian caves, historic sites, a restored water wheel, and a reproduction covered bridge. The park is managed by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
The park was developed in the 1930s as a Civilian Conservation Corps recreation area within Cockaponset State Forest. The CCC created seven-acre Schreeder Pond in 1934 by building a horseshoe-shaped earth and stone dam across Chatfield Hollow Brook. In 1937, Oak Lodge was raised on the west side of Schreeder Pond; the lodge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. The area was designated as a state park in 1949.
The park's bedrock ledges consist of a type of gneiss called Monson Gneiss, a medium- to coarse-grained rock, light in color, mainly composed of plagioclase, quartz and biotite; trace amounts of garnet, epidote, magnetite can be observed in places. The park sits in a glacial valley, with steep declines on either side and an abundance glacial erratics. The erratics are smooth with sharp edges removed; the majority are composed of Monson Gneiss. Examples of other rock types can be found in the park, since erratics can sometimes be moved great distances.
The 825-foot (251 m) Paul F. Wildermann Boardwalk allows visitors to cross an inland swamp without disturbing it. In addition, some 20 miles (32 km) of hiking trails, including the blue-blazed Chatfield Trail, originate within the park and extend into adjacent sections of Cockaponset State Forest.
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