Fifty Foot Cliff facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fifty Foot Cliff Preserve |
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 Fifty Foot Cliff Preserve
Location in Connecticut
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| Location | Storrs, Connecticut |
| Area | 102 acres (41 ha) |
| Governing body | Town of Mansfield, Connecticut |
Fifty Foot Cliff is a cool place in Storrs, Connecticut. It's a big rock cliff that was shaped by ancient glaciers. Even though it's called "Fifty Foot Cliff," it's actually over one hundred feet tall! The name just sounds good. From the top, you can see amazing views of Eastern Connecticut. There's also a special granite bench at the top, placed there to remember a filmmaker named Ishmael Rosas.
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Exploring Fifty Foot Cliff
Fifty Foot Cliff is part of the Fifty-Foot Cliff Preserve. This preserve covers 102 acres of land, mostly covered in forests. It's a great spot for hiking and exploring nature.
What Makes It Special?
The cliff itself is made of a type of rock called gneiss. It was carved out by huge glaciers that moved across the land thousands of years ago. This makes it a really interesting geological feature.
Trails and Adventures
You can reach Fifty Foot Cliff by following a trail that starts near the Mansfield Historical Society. This trail is also part of the longer Nipmuck Trail. As you hike, you'll find some cool things along the way:
- Old stone walls
- Cairns, which are stacks of rocks
- Glacial erratics, which are large rocks left behind by glaciers
- A very large tree, known as the "wolf tree," which even has a rope swing!
The trail leads to a clear area called "The Junction." Here, several different trails meet up, giving you more options to explore. The main trail through the preserve is about 1.4 miles long.
A Bit of History and Legend
Long ago, in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the cliff didn't have many trees on it. People say that if you shouted from the top of the cliff back then, your voice could travel all the way to a nearby place called Coney Rock. Imagine how loud you'd have to be!
