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 © Gary Jordan
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Gay City State Park
Nearby Parks:
Bolton Notch State Park
Salmon River State Forest
Nathan Hale State Forest
Meshomasic State Forest
Keeney Cove Marsh State Wildlife Area
South Windsor State Wildlife Area
Reeves Lookout State Wildlife Area
Shenipsit State Forest
Glastonbury Meadows State Wildlife Area
Dart Island State Park
Windsor Meadows State Park
Hurd State Park
Dinosaur State Park
Haddam Island State Park
Haddam Meadows State Park
George Dudley Seymour State Park
Nye-Holman State Forest
Connecticut River State Wildlife Area
Devils Hopyard State Park
Cromwell Meadow State Wildlife Area
Higganum Reservoir State Park
Barber Pond State Wildlife Area
Natchaug State Forest
Millers Pond State Park
Wadsworth Falls State Park
Lamentation Mountain State Park
Durman Meadows State Wildlife Area
Cockaponset State Forest
Black Pond State Wildlife Area
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| State Park Overview: |
 | Gay City State Park offers a glimpse into Connecticut's industrial roots with over 1500 acres of endless opportunities for outdoor fun including the exploration of extinct mill-town ruins and stone foundations. |
| Reviews By Park Visitors: |
| Be the 1st to Review Gay City State Park. You can rate it, post a comment on it, or do both. |
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| Trails: |
| An extensive trail system is maintained in cooperation with the Connecticut Forest and Park Association, which provides volunteer assistance. For information on volunteering for trail activities throughout the state contact the Connecticut Forest and Park Association, 16 Meriden Road, Middlefield, CT 06457; Telephone: (860) 346-2372. |
| History of the Area: |
| Located on the Hebron-Bolton town line, Gay City's 1,569 acres of parkland offer swimming, picnicking and an almost endless opportunity for exploration. The name "Gay City" derives from a now-extinct mill town that once occupied the site. Today only some tumbling stone foundations, several grass-filled cellar holes and a few silent tombstones suggest its former existence.Gay City was first settled in 1796 by a religious sect led by Elijah Andrus and later by Rev. Henry P. Sumner. The Gays soon comprised the majority of the 25 or more families who then lived in the community. The residents kept strictly to themselves, existing as distinctly separate from the neighboring communities. They built a sawmill along the Black Ledge River and erected homes from the lumber.
Gay City's fate changed with the successes and failures of several commercial enterprises. A woolen mill on the site 1/4 mile below the present pond was a successful business until extreme pressures caused by the various blockades during the War of 1812 brought its closing. Once revived, the mill burned to the ground in 1830, beginning the town's decline with the exodus of many people to urban factory jobs. Rev. Sumner's son built a paper mill which again revived the town somewhat until the Civil War, when many of the town's younger men were killed in battle. Soon after, the mill burned down, triggering the final demise of Gay City and nature's reclaiming of the land. |
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| Area Accommodations |
| B&Bs / Inns | | The Tolland Inn - 1790s inn on historic village green. Close to University of Connecticut. Seven guest rooms/suites with private baths, full breakfast. Antiques and hand-made furniture throughout. | | | | |
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| | Advertise your park related business
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...vacation cabin, weekend getaway, log cabin rental, romantic cottage, vacation home, resort, hotel, motel, bed and breakfast, country inn, campground, RV park, horseback riding stable, canoe livery, river rafting, outfitting, sporting goods store, guide service, RV rental, etc read more.... |
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| Related Links: |
| Gay City State Park Information - Gay City State Park in Hebron, Connecticut offers a glimpse into Connecticut's industrial roots with over 1500 acres of endless opportunities for outdoor fun including the exploration of extinct ... | | Press Releases - Press releases issued by the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection ... Connecticut June 25 - Swimming Area at Gay City State Park Closed to Swimming June 24 - Connecticut Presents Twenty ... | | Town Of Hebron, CT - Town Of Hebron Connecticut ... our two public courses, hiking our miles of scenic trails, and family picnics in Gay City State Park. Come fall, it?s time for our annual Hebron Harvest Fair, the third ... | | Event Results - ... Event Results. Mt. Norwottuck. Sep. 28, 2003. NOD white, yellow, orange courses. Sep. 20, 2003. NOD map memory training. Sep. 20, 2003. Gay City State Park. Sep 15, 2003. Estabrook Woods. ... | | Gay City Results - Gay City Gay City State Park Hebron, CT Oct. 6, 2002 Paul Pearson, Event Director 227 people came to Gay City State Park on Sunday to take advantage of the beautiful fall day and to enjoy good ... | | Area Campgrounds | | Odetah Camping Resort
38 Bozrah St Ext
Bozrah, CT
860-889-4144
| Nickerson Park Campground
1036 Phoenixville Road
Chaplin, CT
860-455-0007
| Wolf's Den Campground
256 Town Street
East Haddam, CT
860-873-9681
| Markham Meadows Campground
7 Markham Road
East Hampton, CT
860-267-9738
| Lake Williams Campground
1742 Exeter Road Route 207
Lebanon, CT
860-642-7761
| Water's Edge Family Campground
271 Leonard Bridge Road
Lebanon, CT
| Indianfield Campground
306 Old Calchester Road
Salem, CT
860-859-1320
| Salem Farms Campground
39 Alexander Road
Salem, CT
860-859-2320
| Witch Meadow Lake Campground
139 Witch Meadow Road
Salem, CT
860-859-1542
| Highland Campground
42 Toleration Road
Scotland, CT
860-423-5684
| Mineral Springs Family Campground
135 Leonard Road
Stafford Springs, CT
860-684-2993
| Roaring Brook Cooperative Campground
Route 190 8 South Road
Stafford Springs, CT
860-684-7086
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| Directions: |
| From the South/New London area: Follow Route 85 north. Park entrance is 6.7 miles past the intersection with Route 66.
From Glastonbury area: Take Route 85. Park entrance is 2.0 miles past the intersection with Route 94.
From the North/Hartford & Massachusetts area: I-384 east to Exit 5. Take Route 85 south for 4.7 miles. |
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