Discovering Dinosaur State Park

On August 25, 1966, the front page of The New Britain Herald showed a professor from Willimantic State College examining an 18" dinosaur track uncovered two days earlier at a construction site in Rocky Hill.
Three weeks later, The Herald reported that Governor John N. Dempsey had decided to turn the site of the would-be state building into a state park because of its "educational and scientific potential."
This summer, Dinosaur State Park celebrates the 40th anniversary of this discovery, and while the 200 million year-old tracks have certainly lived up to the potential that Governor Dempsey predicted, some of the park’s most attractive features are outside of that space-aged exhibit center.
The park in Rocky Hill is one of the most family-friendly resources in the state and was even the place where Governor M. Jodi Rell’s "Great Park Pursuit" began its eight-week competition, a part of the new "No Child Left Inside" initiative. While it may be late to join that competition, Dinosaur State Park is an ideal place to bring kids for a scavenger hunt or to simply learn the value of a walk in the woods.
Between 1970 and 1975, the park added a small coil of nature trails that are so rich with animal and plant life that you could spend hours exploring the boggy grounds. While the two-mile system may be small compared to those of our other state parks, Dinosaur State Park maintains and protects a wide range of habitats, including swamp, meadow and forest.
The four blazes (red, blue, orange and yellow) are all relatively easy trails accessible to most hikers. Their surfaces consist of planked swamp walks, crushed stone, rocky paths and even old, crumbling pavement. Last October, the park was awarded a federal grant of $26,630.74 to help with its Mesozoic Trail Project. With this money, trails will be re-graveled and 28 new signs will be installed throughout the park.
I began my own walk on the red path by the trail information cabin, where you can pick up a map and learn a little about some of the species you may encounter. Having your own field guide with you can be handy when you come across the many distinctive plants and birds along the paths. Mosquitos can be a nuisance in these damp woods, so bug spray is necessary for a comfortable walk, no matter what the length.
I kept my eyes open for painted turtles in the wet flanks of the trail, but instead spotted a woodpecker deep in the brush. I soon hooked up with the yellow path until beginning a loop on the orange which brought me to the park’s deepest point. Here, the woods open up to a small colorful field, bright with sumac and aster. Butterflies tumbled through the air as the more agile jewelwings landed among the cow vetch. I sampled some dark, ripe blackberries and knew by the seed-filled droppings on the path that I wasn’t the only one who’s enjoyed them recently.
Following the park’s blue trail toward the arboretum, you’ll find a small bat shelter. Bees have also found this structure useful as you’ll see their large nests beneath the roof. The arboretum also includes a butterfly garden, a native plant garden and a vernal pool.
One of the most interesting attractions in the trail system, however, is the red maple swamp walkway. Here, a well-constructed boardwalk cuts through the densest part of the park, where frogs croak back and forth, leaving you stuck in the middle of their conversation. Bees crawl on the buttonbush below while swamp roses rise from the muck.
These trails are maintained by the Friends of Dinosaur State Park and Arboretum, an organization that is also celebrating an anniversary after having spent the last thirty years supporting and protecting the resources of the park (www.dinosaurstatepark.org). Weather permitting, the FDPA also leads guided nature walks Tuesdays through Sundays at 1:00 and 2:30 p.m. until August 27.
Family events will be held throughout the summer in celebration of the discovery that made this park possible. "Ask a Geologist," for example, is held every Friday and allows you to bring rocks or fossils for identification by an expert. Saturday, August 19th is Dinosaur State Park Day and will feature live animals, music, crafts and other educational programs. An outside area allows kids to make casts of dinosaur prints while the real ones are inside waiting to be rediscovered.
When you do get to this important state park, of course you should enjoy its museum, but also be sure to make some of your own tracks on its nature trails. And along the way, some of your own discoveries, too.