Rocky Neck State Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rocky Neck State Park
Park west shore view toward Long Island Sound
Rocky Neck State Park Location in Connecticut
Location	East Lyme, Connecticut, United States
Area	708 acres (287 ha)
Elevation	10 feet (3.0 m)
Designation	Connecticut state park
Established	1931
Administrator	Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Website	Rocky Neck State Park
Rocky Neck Pavilion
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	Lands End Point, Rocky Neck State Park, East Lyme, Connecticut
Area	6.5 acres (2.6 ha)
Built	1934
Built by	Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA), Civilian Works Administration (CWA)
Architect	Barker, Russell F., et al.
Architectural style	Rustic
MPS	Connecticut State Park and Forest Depression-Era Federal Work Relief Programs Structures TR
NRHP reference No.	86001745
Added to NRHP	September 4, 1986

Rocky Neck State Park is a public recreation area in East Lyme, Connecticut. It sits right on the Long Island Sound. This amazing state park covers about 708 acres. It has a tidal river, a big salt marsh, beautiful white sand beaches, and rocky areas. There's also a huge stone building called a pavilion, built way back in the 1930s! The park is looked after by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

Park History: How it Began

For a long time in the 1800s, different companies made fertilizer on this land. But in 1931, people who cared about nature bought the land. They held onto it until the state government decided to buy it for a park.

During the Great Depression (a time when many people didn't have jobs), workers from federal programs built a huge pavilion. This building is 356 feet long and made of wood and granite.

Awesome Features of the Park

The Ellie Mitchell Pavilion

The Ellie Mitchell Pavilion is a special building finished in 1936. It was built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), a program that gave people jobs during the Great Depression. This curved stone building is over 350 feet long and 80 feet wide. It's the biggest building from the Depression era in Connecticut!

Building the pavilion started in the early 1930s. It helped make more space for visitors, as Hammonasset Beach State Park was getting too crowded. Much of the wood and granite used came from local places. Some materials even came from an old fish fertilizer factory right on the park grounds. The big support pillars were made from trees cut down in other state parks and forests.

The pavilion was given to the state in October 1936. It opened as the Ellie Mitchell Pavilion. Visitors could buy food, eat in dining areas, and warm up by eight fireplaces in cooler weather. In 1986, the pavilion and the 6.5 acres around it became a part of the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's a very important historical site.

Crossing the Tracks: The Footbridge

The park has train tracks running through it. These tracks are part of the Northeast Corridor, which is Amtrak's main train line from New York to Boston. A company called the New Haven and New London Railroad first planned these tracks in 1848.

In 1934, a special footbridge was built. This bridge lets people walk safely over the train tracks. It connects the pavilion to its parking lot. The bridge is 36 feet long and made of arched steel. Experts say it's a rare example of an old railroad footbridge that is still standing.

Getting to the Park: The Access Road

Rocky Neck State Park has its very own exit (Exit 72) on Interstate 95 in Connecticut. This exit leads to the Rocky Neck connector road. It's officially called Connecticut Special Service Road 449, but you won't see signs for it.

Fun Things to Do at Rocky Neck

The park offers many fun activities for visitors!

• You can have a picnic with your family and friends.
• Try saltwater fishing in the Long Island Sound.
• Go for a swim in the ocean at the white sand beaches.
• There's a campground with 160 sites if you want to stay overnight.
• The park also has special programs to help you learn about nature.

You can also explore the park on hiking trails. These trails lead to cool spots like:

• A salt marsh
• Baker's Cave
• Tony's Nose
• Shipyard
• And other interesting places!