Coney Rock facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Coney Rocks Preserve |
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 Coney Rocks Preserve
Location in Connecticut
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| Location | Storrs, Connecticut |
| Area | 200 acres (81 ha) |
| Established | 2001 |
| Governing body | Joshua's Trust and the Town of Mansfield |
Coney Rock is an amazing natural spot in Storrs, Connecticut, which is part of the town of Mansfield. It's a huge rock ridge, about 600 feet tall and 1,000 feet long! This impressive place was shaped by giant glaciers many years ago. It's made of strong rocks called granite and gneiss.
Coney Rock is part of the 200-acre Coney Rock Preserve. This special preserve is owned by both the Town of Mansfield and Joshua's Trust. When you visit, you can find the remains of an old farm, a wet marsh, and different kinds of tree groves. You can also see "glacial erratics," which are big rocks left behind by glaciers. The preserve has five miles of trails marked with white and yellow blazes, perfect for exploring. There's even a memorial bench at the very top of the ridge where you can rest. People in the area say you might even be able to see Rhode Island from the top!
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How Coney Rock Preserve Was Formed
Coney Rock is a very old rock formation. It was shaped by huge sheets of ice called glaciers. These glaciers moved across the land thousands of years ago. As they moved, they carved out the landscape and left behind the tall, stepped ridge we see today. The rocks that make up Coney Rock are granite and gneiss, which are very hard and strong.
Who Owns Coney Rock Today?
The land that makes up Coney Rock Preserve has an interesting history of ownership. For a long time, Alfred Oden owned Coney Rock. In 1933, he sold parts of it to two different people: Knute Olsen and Warren Chapin.
Years later, in 2001, the Town of Mansfield bought Olsen's half of the land. This part became the 61-acre Dorwart Family Preserve. Because of this, Warren Chapin's son, David Storrs Chapin, decided to sell his half to Joshua's Trust in 2002. Joshua's Trust then added another 9 acres to their part of the preserve. In 2009, even more land (about 5.9 acres) was added to connect Coney Rock to another nearby area called Proposal Rocks. This means the preserve has grown over time, allowing more people to enjoy it.
The Story Behind the Name
No one is completely sure how Coney Rock got its name. There are a few ideas!
- Some people think it might have been named after rabbits. In the past, rabbits were sometimes called "coneys."
- Another idea is that it was named after a small animal called a pika, which looks a bit like a rabbit.
- It's also possible that "Coney" was someone's last name.
- One more theory is that the original name was "Coony," which might have referred to raccoons.
Even though we don't know the exact reason, the name Coney Rock has been used for about 300 years!
What Else Can You Find at the Preserve?
If you explore Coney Rock Preserve, you'll find signs of its past. There are several old stone walls that were once used to mark farm boundaries. You can also see old pastures where animals used to graze, an old road, and even a natural spring. These are all reminders of the farm that used to be on this land.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the trees on the ledge were cut down. There's a local story that says calls made from Coney Rock could be heard all the way at Fifty Foot Cliff! In 2000, there was an accidental fire at the preserve, but the area has recovered since then.
