Judges' Cave
| West Rock Ridge State Park | |
| Connecticut State Park | |
 Judges' Cave
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| Country |  United States |
|---|---|
| State |  Connecticut |
| County | New Haven |
| Towns | Hamden, Woodbridge, Bethany |
| City | New Haven |
| Elevation | 318 ft (97 m) |
| Prominence | 627 ft (191 m) |
| Coordinates | 41°21′37″N 72°58′19″W / 41.36028°N 72.97194°WCoordinates: 41°21′37″N 72°58′19″W / 41.36028°N 72.97194°W |
| Area | 1,691 acres (684 ha) |
| Established | 1975 |
| Management | Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection |
 Location in Connecticut
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| Website: West Rock Ridge State Park | |
West Rock Ridge State Park is a public recreation area located in New Haven, Hamden, and Woodbridge, Connecticut. The state park is named for the 400-to-700-foot (120 to 210 m) trap rock West Rock Ridge, which is part of the Metacomet Ridge extending from Long Island Sound to the Vermont border. The park's 7 miles (11 km) of open west-facing cliffs offer vistas encompassing Metropolitan New Haven and suburban towns to the west. The park includes Judges Cave, a colonial era historic site; Lake Wintergreen; and the 7-mile (11 km) Regicides Trail, part of the Connecticut Forest and Park Association's Blue Trail system. The park is part of a larger area of protected open space including state, municipal, and non-profit owned land.
West Rock Ridge consists largely of diabase, much like its sister formation East Rock. It runs north-northwest out of New Haven and forms the boundary between the towns of Woodbridge and Hamden. It is bordered by Konolds Pond, Lake Dawson, and Lake Watrous on its western flank and by Lake Wintergreen on its eastern flank and is 6 miles (9.7 km) long. Heroes Tunnel was bored through West Rock in order to make passage for the Wilbur Cross Parkway.
In the 17th century, West Rock served as the hideout for Edward Whalley and his son-in-law, Gen. William Goffe, two of the three "regicide judges" whom New Haven honors by streets bearing their surnames (41°18′47″N 72°55′59″W / 41.313094°N 72.932920°W). They had fled England, anticipating prosecution under King Charles II in the execution of his father Charles I, to New Haven; the rock shelter hideout used by the two is now called Judges Cave. The Regicides Trail is also named with this history in mind.
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Wikipedia