Beaver Brook State Park

Undeveloped public recreation area in Connecticut

41°43′55″N 72°07′32″W / 41.73194°N 72.12556°W / 41.73194; -72.12556^[1]Area401 acres (162 ha)^[2]Elevation331 ft (101 m)^[1]DesignationConnecticut state parkEstablished1955AdministratorConnecticut Department of Energy and Environmental ProtectionWebsiteBeaver Brook State Park

Beaver Brook State Park is an undeveloped public recreation area covering 401 acres (162 ha) in the towns of Windham and Chaplin, Connecticut.^[3] The state park encompasses Bibbins Pond, also known as Beaver Brook Pond, as well as the acreage northward as far as the Air Line State Park Trail, which forms the park's northern boundary.^[4] The park is a walk-in facility, open for hunting and trout fishing, managed by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.^[3]

History

The park's name may derive from a once-present beaver pond.^[5] It was one of multiple public recreation areas acquired in the 1950s using funds bequeathed for that purpose by George Dudley Seymour.^[6] When the gift was announced in 1955, it was reported that trout pools had already been developed north of Bibbins Pond.^[7] The annually produced State Register and Manual noted the park's acreage at 165 acres in 1955,^[8] at 391 acres in 1957,^[9] and at 401 acres in 1960.^[10] The state record for brook trout was claimed for Bibbins Pond from 1994 to 1998.^[11]

Activities and amenities

Bibbins Pond, known as Beaver Brook Pond, is the park's central feature, while Beaver Brook runs both north and south of the pond and continues beyond the park limits.^[5] Bibbins Pond's 20 acres (8.1 ha) offer a seasonal boat launch for non-motorized watercraft^[12]^[13] and trout fishing.^[14] The park also includes a geocache which can be accessed via three different routes.^[15]

References

^ ^a ^b "Bibbins Pond". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
^ "Appendix A: List of State Parks and Forests" (PDF). State Parks and Forests: Funding. Staff Findings and Recommendations. Connecticut General Assembly. January 23, 2014. p. A-1. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
^ ^a ^b "Beaver Brook State Park". State Parks and Forests. Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Retrieved February 5, 2013.
^ "Air Line Trails State Park Map" (PDF). Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. September 15, 2014. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
^ ^a ^b Leary, Joseph (2004). A Shared Landscape: A Guide & History of Connecticut's State Parks & Forests. Hartford, Conn.: Friends of the Connecticut State Parks, Inc. p. 147. ISBN 0974662909.
^ In addition to Beaver Brook, Seymour's legacy contributed to the creation of Becket Hill State Park Reserve, Bigelow Hollow State Park, Hurd State Park, Millers Pond State Park, Platt Hill State Park, George Dudley Seymour State Park, Stoddard Hill State Park, and Nathan Hale State Forest. "George Dudley Seymour State Park". State Parks and Forests. Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. July 18, 2016. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
^ "State acquires 60 acres for park at Gardner Lake". The Day. New London, Conn. January 19, 1955. p. 22. Retrieved May 20, 2014.
^ "State Parks". State Register and Manual 1955. State of Connecticut. 1955. p. 316. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
^ "State Parks". State Register and Manual 1957. State of Connecticut. 1957. p. 404. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
^ "State Parks". State Register and Manual 1960. State of Connecticut. 1960. p. 437. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
^ In 1994, the 11-year-old state record for brook trout was smashed by a 5-year-old (see Hine, Tommy (May 27, 1994). "Fishing advisory". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Conn. Retrieved August 2, 2016. Sean Wozniak, 5, of Willimantic used a mealworm to catch a 21-inch, 5-pound, 14-ounce brook trout in Beaver Brook Pond (Windham)—breaking the 11-year-old state record by 15 ounces.), his record falling to a still larger catch 4 years later (see "2016 Connecticut Angler's Guide" (PDF). State of Connecticut. p. 33. Retrieved August 2, 2016.).
^ "2012 Connecticut Boater's Guide" (PDF). State of Connecticut. p. 59. Retrieved April 12, 2017.
^ "Beaver Brook Pond Boat Launch". Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. October 9, 2013. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
^ "2016 Connecticut Angler's Guide" (PDF). State of Connecticut. p. 33. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
^ "Beaver Brook Pond Cache". Geocaching.com. Retrieved May 19, 2014.