I was extremely impressed by my first trip to this park in Groton. It contains the last section of undeveloped land along the coast. The thing that impressed me the most was how the view just kept getting better and better. The parking area is open and by the Poquonock River (a drowned valley) which connects to Long Island Sound. Across the river is an airport which allows you to watch planes land and take off at fairly regular intervals. They are close enough so that you see them well and hear a loud rumble (see video below). As you make your way towards the trail the view of the water to your right is also beautiful. There are rocky edges and you might spy a few kids looking for aquatic life. Throughout the trail you will find glacial till scattered about. You can even walk along the water for a while, finding jellyfish and looking at gorgeous islands, some of which are close enough to swim out too. The site also features a salt marsh and secluded beach with a beautiful pond behind it. These two features are separated by dunes. There is also bluff point which offers an amazing view of Fishers Island and Long Island Sound and continuing on the trail will also lead to a glacial erratic and some other cool stuff.
The coastal area here is simply beautiful. The trail is also paved well enough for joggers and bike riders. I don't usually do "history" but as a point of reference there were once numerous cottages along the shore at Bluff Point. They were all destroyed by the Great Hurricane of 1938. The Governor Winthrop plantation was also here which included a farmhouse and out buildings in the 1700's. Forests have overcome the open fields but a side trail does bring you and I think you can see remnants but a looming thunderstorm kept us from toiling and further exploring this side trail. We made it to the car just as it began to pour, thanks to the radar on my iphone from weatherunderground.com.
Directions: Off of I-95N take exit 88 (Groton) and turn right and go till the end. Make a right onto Route 1 until the light at Depot Road in which you make a left. Go to the end. There is ample parking and the parking area has a few picnic tables and bathrooms. There are none at the beach and bluff point, however, and these are a good 1.5 miles from the parking area.
Trail: to do the whole circular loop it is 3.75 miles, to walk out to Bluff point (1.6 mi.) and back is 3.2 miles. This does not include a walk along the beach just before Bluff Point. The beach is a mile long and difficult to traverse due to the texture of the sorted gravel and sand. But during low tide it is said that you can walk all the way out to Bushy Point Island. I'd recommend bringing lunch and spending a while here. Be prepared to walk 6 miles or so depending on how much you plan to do.
Ticks: they have been known to infest this area. Take appropriate tick precautions as noted on the safety page here.
Geologic Features:
- Glacial Till (all over)
- Glacial Erratic (Sunset Rock--follow signs)
- Tidal Wetlands
- Bluff Point
- Spit (high tide-- elongated ridge of sand projecting into a bay)
- Tombolo (low-tide--sand that connects an Island to the main land.
- Dunes (protect tidal wetland behind beach, do not walk on them)
- Folding (swirls of black and white layers)
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Sorting
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Interesting Biology (all over for those so inclined)
Bluff Point features exposed metamorphic rocks (Hope Valley Alaskite Gneiss) 600 to 700 mya and have a nice pink hue to them. They contain feldspar, quarts and plagioclase (hornblend) -- see close up photo below.
The beach would connect all the way to the airport if not for the Poquonock river which moves the sand out into Long island sound. The beach shells and sand is sorted by size due to the waves and wind. Look for areas of black sand (magnetite) or red sand (garnet). If lucky you might spot some.
This Kiosk at the park has a good map with a 12 point listing of the features of Bluff Point State Park and Coastal Reserve and information about them all. I highly recommend reading it or at least taking a picture of it that you can make reference to as you walk. You should not get lost on this trail so the map is not essential but it is still good to have.
Glacial Till scattered in the beginning of the trail Lots of it is found all over with quick glances into the woods.
The trail is mice and clean a goods deal of the way. It gets a bit rocky at parts but is still good for bikes and even strollers.
Fortunately for you, the crazy woman in the picture will probably not be there when you visit the park.
An island I think you can swim out too. Next time I go there on a warm day I am making the trip. It looks farther in the picture but I recommend non-expert swimmers bring a life jacket or at least tie one to themselves with a rope for safety. There didn't seem to be much or a current here but you never know and there were lots of jelly fish on the shore so getting stung on the trip is a good possibility. You can walk out to an island at at the end of the mile long Barrier Beach.
The Beach with the Pond and Marshes Behind It.
Nice Coastal View
I recommend you right-click and
"save target as"
It will open in a new window if you just click it but you won't know how long the wait is...should be about 1 to 5 minutes...