Selden Neck State Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Selden Neck State Park |
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 Selden Neck State Park
Location in Connecticut
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| Location | Lyme, Connecticut, United States |
| Area | 607 acres (246 ha) |
| Elevation | 52 ft (16 m) |
| Designation | Connecticut state park |
| Established | 1917 |
| Administrator | Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection |
| Website | Selden Neck State Park |
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Selden Island Site
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| Part of | Lower Connecticut River Valley Woodland Period Archaeological TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 87001231 |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1987 |
Selden Neck State Park is a cool island park in Lyme, Connecticut. It's about 607-acre (246 ha) big, which is like 460 football fields! This park is special because it's on the Connecticut River and you can only get there by boat.
It's a great place for outdoor fun. You can find four spots for camping right by the river. You can also go hiking, fishing, and even hunting. The park is pretty old, as the state started buying land for it in 1917. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection takes care of this amazing place.
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Where is Selden Neck Park?
Even though it's called "Selden Neck," it's actually an island! It's known as Selden Island. This island sits on the east side of the Connecticut River. It's located south of Gillette Castle State Park.
A small waterway called Selden Creek separates the island from the mainland. The land around Selden Creek is owned by the Nature Conservancy. The island is shaped a bit like a diamond. It's about 0.5 miles (0.80 km) wide and 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long. Most of the island is covered in trees. There are also some marshy areas along the water's edge. The highest point on the island is about 230 feet (70 m) tall.
What Can You Do at Selden Neck?
Selden Neck Island doesn't have any roads, which makes it a true wilderness spot! But don't worry, there are hiking trails for you to explore. The main camping area is located near the northern part of the island, right by the river.
The Old Quarry
On the island, you can find the remains of an old stone quarry. This quarry started in the late 1800s. Workers here dug out red sandstone. This stone was used to make pavers for streets in big cities like New York City. You can still see parts of the quarry today. There are also remains of a causeway. This was a raised path used to move the heavy stones from the quarry to the boats.
Ancient History of the Island
Selden Island also has a long history, even before modern times. In the 1980s, archaeologists dug up parts of the island. They found a large village from the Middle Woodland Period. This village was active around the year 1000 CE.
They found many cool things like stone tools, pieces of pottery, and animal bones. These finds help us learn about the people who lived there long ago. The archaeologists only explored a small part of the site. This important historical area was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.
