Hanging Hills

The Hanging Hills of south central

Located within the towns of Meriden, Southington, and Berlin, the range, roughly horseshoe-shaped with cliff faces oriented south and west, includes, from east to west, Cathole Mountain 515 feet (157 m), South Mountain 767 feet (234 m), East Peak 976 feet (297 m), and West Peak 1,024 feet (312 m). Castle Craig is a small stone tower built in 1900 on East Peak. The Metacomet Ridge extends north from the Hanging Hills as Short Mountain and Ragged Mountain and southeast as Lamentation Mountain.

The south, east, and west sides of the Hanging Hills drain into the Quinnipiac River, thence into Long Island Sound; the north side into the Mattabesset River, to the Connecticut River, thence to Long Island Sound. Several notable reservoirs and natural bodies of water are located within the Hanging Hills or beneath its slopes, including Kenmere Reservoir, Hallmere Reservoir, Elmere Reservoir, Beaver Pond, Silver Lake, Mirror Lake, and Slopers Ponds.^[2][3] Merimere Reservoir, nestled between South Mountain and East Peak and punctuated by the rocky mass of Mine Island, is considered particularly scenic.^[4]

History

The Hanging Hills' Hubbard Park was financed by Walter Hubbard, local entrepreneur and president of the Bradley & Hubbard Manufacturing Company. Hubbard elicited the assistance of eminent landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted in drawing up the design.^[5]

sedimentary rocks. Several of these faults break the Metacomet Ridge north of Meriden. Stream erosion and glacial ice carved canyons along these faults, dividing the ridge into the finger-like promontories of the Hanging Hills. Merimere Reservoir was built in the fault-controlled valley between East Peak and South Mountain.^[5]

Ecosystem

The Hanging Hills host a combination of

oak-hickory forest species more common in the surrounding lowlands. Narrow ravines crowded with hemlock block sunlight, creating damp, cooler growing conditions with associated cooler climate plant species. Talus slopes are especially rich in nutrients and support a number of calcium-loving plants uncommon in eastern Connecticut. Because the trap rock ridges generate such varied terrain, they are the home of several plant and animal species that are state-listed or globally rare.^[1][8]

The Hanging Hills are also an important seasonal

raptor migration path.^[1]

Recreation

The Hanging Hills are a popular outdoor recreation resource. Hubbard Park features a bandshell and flower gardens and is the site of a variety of local festivals and concerts, most notably the spring Daffodil Festival.

Swimming is prohibited. Rock climbing is only permitted for Ragged Mountain Foundation members who have obtained a permit from Meriden's parks and recreation department.^[10] From the top of the Hanging Hills' many cliffs it is possible to see much of the Quinnipiac River Valley region, Long Island Sound, and the distant higher peaks of southern New England.^[2][11]

Conservation

Much of the Hanging Hills have been conserved as parkland, municipal water supply, or conservation easement. Private landowners also hold significant acreage, particularly on the east and north sides of the range. In 2000, the Hanging Hills were included in a study by the

National Scenic Trail now tentatively called the New England National Scenic Trail, which would include the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail in Massachusetts and the Mattabesett Trail and Metacomet Trail trails in Connecticut.^[12]

A number of regional and local non-profit organizations are active in conserving the landscape and ecosystems of the Hanging Hills, most notably the Connecticut Forest and Park Association, the Meriden Land Trust,^[13] and the Berlin Land Trust.^[14]

See also

• List of subranges of the Appalachian Mountains
• Metacomet Ridge
• Metacomet Trail
• Mattabesett Trail

Adjacent summits:

East >	North ↑	South ↓

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Farnsworth, Elizabeth J. (2004) "Metacomet-Mattabesett Trail Natural Resource Assessment." Archived 2007-08-07 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 20, 2007.
2. ^ ^{a b c} "Hubbard Park Hiking Trails" (PDF). Meriden Land Trust. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 12, 2012. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
3. ^ DeLorme Topo 6.0 (2006). Mapping Software. DeLorme, Yarmouth, Maine.
4. ^ Connecticut Windows on the Natural World. Retrieved December 13, 2007.
5. ^ ^{a b} City of Meriden Archived 2009-08-21 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 13, 2007
6. ^ This Week in Amateur Radio. Retrieved December 13, 2007
7. ^ Raymo, Chet and Maureen E. (1989) Written in Stone: A Geologic History of the Northeastern United States. Chester, Connecticut: Globe Pequot.
8. ^ The Traprock Wilderness Recovery Strategy Archived 2007-08-16 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 13, 2007
9. ^ "Meriden Daffodil Festival".
10. ^ "Meriden Cliffs — Ragged Mtn Foundation".
11. ^ Connecticut Walk Book: A Trail Guide to the Connecticut Outdoors. 17th Edition. The Connecticut Forest and Park Association. Rockfall, Connecticut. Undated.
12. ^ Monadnock, Metacoment, Mattabesett National Scenic Trail Study Archived 2007-10-08 at the Wayback Machine. Cited Nov. 4, 2007.
13. ^ "Meridenlandtrust.com". Archived from the original on 2007-12-16. Retrieved 2007-12-13.
14. ^ Berlinlandtrust.org Archived 2007-12-13 at the Wayback Machine

External links

• Connecticut Forest and Park Association
• U.S. Congress New England National Scenic Trail Designation Act. Archived 2016-07-04 at the Wayback Machine
• NPS brochure for National Scenic Trail proposal.
• Meriden Land Trust
• Berlin Land Trust
• The Traprock Wilderness Recovery Strategy
• The City of Meriden