Farm River State Park

The park sits along the estuarine portion of the Farm River, which begins as a freshwater stream {{convert|16|mi}} to the north in North Branford. The park contains marshland, tidal wetlands and a rocky shore that hosts bird species including ducks, gulls, snowy egrets, and blue herons. The unique geology of the uplands and bedrock outcrops provide landscape diversity and allow tidal marsh flooding to separate the park into upper and lower portions.

To create the park, the State of Connecticut, in conjunction with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Trust for Public Lands, purchased a 57-acre parcel and another 15-acre parcel for $1.75 million in 1998. The land was obtained and designated a state park before luxury condominiums were constructed along the river. In 2006, Quinnipiac University installed a wireless network communication system to be used for educational purposes. A trail from the D.C. Moore School through Farm River State Park was cleared by Boy Scout Troop 401 in 2012, as part of the development of the Shoreline Greenway.

Park activities include hiking, fishing, bird watching, and car-top boating. The boat launch and docks are managed by a private concessionaire contracted by the state. Trails lead to scenic vistas and a self-guided nature trail. The main access points are off Connecticut Route 142 (Short Beach Road) and via an electrically controlled gate off Mansfield Grove Road. Access to the park is restricted to trailheads with limited parking.

{{Reflist|refs=

{{cite web |url=http://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?a=2716&q=454726 |title=Farm River State Park |work=State Parks and Forests |publisher=Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection |date=April 2017 |access-date=August 17, 2016}}

{{cite web |url=http://www.ct.gov/deep/lib/deep/stateparks/parks/farm_river_nature_trail_-_self_guide.pdf |title=Self-Guided Nature Trail in Farm River State Park |author1=Daryll C. Borst |author2=Barbara L. Borst |date=2013 |publisher=Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection |access-date=August 17, 2016}}

{{cite web |url=http://www.cga.ct.gov/pri/docs/2013/State%20Parks%20and%20Forests%20Funding%20Staff%20Findings%20and%20Recommendations%20.pdf |title=Appendix A: List of State Parks and Forests |work=State Parks and Forests: Funding |series=Staff Findings and Recommendations |publisher=Connecticut General Assembly |date=January 23, 2014 |page=A-1 |access-date=August 17, 2016}}

{{cite web |url=http://scrcog.org/wp-content/uploads/trails/east_haven/RecTrails_EH1_6-2-16.pdf |title=Shoreline Greenway: D.C. Moore & Farm River State Park |publisher=South Central Regional Council of Governments |year=2016 |access-date=August 17, 2016}}

Leary states that Farm River is 2 miles long, whereas other sources, including the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection instead list the river as being 16 miles long. {{cite book | title=A Shared Landscape: A Guide & History of Connecticut's State Parks & Forests |first=Joseph |last=Leary |publisher=Friends of the Connecticut State Parks, Inc. |location=Hartford, Conn. |year=2004 |pages=56 |isbn=0974662909}}

{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1918&dat=20060423&id=bBIhAAAAIBAJ&sjid=K3UFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3306,3322841&hl=en | title=Wireless park to teach Quinnipiac students |newspaper=The Hour |location=Norwalk, Conn. |date=April 24, 2006 |access-date=August 17, 2006}}

{{cite news |url=http://www.nhregister.com/article/NH/20120116/NEWS/301169943 |title=Planning for Shoreline Greenway trail 'at an exciting point' |newspaper=New Haven Register |location=New Haven, Conn. |date=January 16, 2012 |access-date=August 17, 2016 |author=Misur, Susan}}

{{cite web|url=http://www.lisrc.uconn.edu/coastalaccess/site.asp?siteid=16 |title=Farm River State Park |work=Connecticut Coastal Access Guide |publisher=Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection |access-date=May 22, 2014}}

The lack of parking has not been without controversy: In 2006, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal stated, "... it is wrong for the university to close a parking lot on a state park to the general public and there may be and should be some way to accommodate the renters of slips without effectively barring the general public, which, after all, owns it." {{cite web | url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-12595691.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140629104635/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-12595691.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=June 29, 2014 | title=The secret park; Shhh! Don't tell anyone about this pristine waterfront area in East Haven | publisher=New Haven Register (New Haven, CT) |date=April 23, 2006 |access-date=May 22, 2014 | author=Zaretsky, Mark}}

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• [http://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?a=2716&q=454726 Farm River State Park] Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
• [http://www.ct.gov/deep/lib/deep/stateparks/maps/farmriver.pdf Farm River State Park Map] Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection

{{Protected areas of Connecticut}}

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Category:State parks of Connecticut

Category:Parks in New Haven County, Connecticut

Category:Protected areas established in 1998

Category:1998 establishments in Connecticut

Category:East Haven, Connecticut