Cove Island Park
| Cove Island Park | |
|---|---|
East Beach facility in Cove Island Park
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| Type | Park, beach |
| Location | Stamford, Connecticut |
| Coordinates | 41°02′49″N 73°30′05″W / 41.0470°N 73.5013°WCoordinates: 41°02′49″N 73°30′05″W / 41.0470°N 73.5013°W |
| Area | 83 acres (34 ha) |
| Operated by | City of Stamford |
| Website | Cove Island Park |
Cove Island Park is an 83-acre park and beach in the Cove section of Stamford, Connecticut, located on Long Island Sound. It is a popular spot for Stamford residents to rollerblade, bike, walk, barbecue, and ride the tram around the island.
The city’s Park Commission has loosened and restricted park access to out-of-town visitors over time. As of summer 2014, Stamford residents with valid Stamford car registrations can buy a season pass for $20 at Government Center. Non-residents and non-pass holders pay $20 for a day pass.
The area known as the Cove consists of the peninsula bordered by on the west by the Shippan neighborhood of Stamford and on the east by Holly Pond, which, along with the Noroton River, divides Stamford from Darien, Connecticut. Cove Island is detached from shore on the East end of the Cove. It is linked to the mainland by two bridges, one of which is accessible by motor vehicles. The park’s parking lot is located on the Cove peninsula, across from Cove Island, and the western part of the park surrounds the parking lot.
The park contains a diversity of habitats: roughly 30% estuary, 20% pond/lake, 10% deciduous forest, 10% shrub, 10% grassland, 10% salt marsh, 5% field, and 5% non-tidal freshwater marsh.
Cove Island became separated from the mainland after a flour watermill was expanded by its owners in the late 1700s. Ownership of the land transferred to Henry J. Sanford in the late 1830s, who founded Stamford Manufacturing Co. in 1844, which operated the Cove’s mills and manufactured dye extracts, bleached minerals, licorice. The factory on Cove Island stayed in business until 1919, when it burned down, with the Stamford Advocate calling it the most damaging fire in city history.
Over time, the island was converted to a park by the City of Stamford, with the United States Army Corps of Engineers developing the island’s beach in the late 1950s.
The park was flooded during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, with Stamford's parks and beaches suffering $2.5 million in total damages from the storm. The City of Stamford and conservation groups have worked with national experts on a comprehensive long-term plan for the park in light of environmental risks.
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Wikipedia