Artifacts of West Rock Ridge

Artifact: something made or modified by humans, especially an object remaining from another time or culture.

December 1, 2008

Now that I'm home in New Haven for the winter, West Rock is one of my regular haunts - Oscar and I have several favorite hikes: the Regicides Trail to Judges Cave (Oscar is showing off the so-called cave), Lake Wintergreen loop over the ridge, High Rock, Mt. Sanford, and more.






During the 19th century, quarrying, wagon roads, and mill dams put their marks on the Rock.

Here the West River in flood runs past an old dam site.




Stone walls remain as evidence of long-gone agricultural uses; this one is in the Mt. Sanford section north of Roaring Brook Falls.




Ballfields at the south end and mountain-bike trails in the woods are current uses (official or stealth).





Recently, we noticed a series of "stone age" monuments erected in different areas along the trails near the ridge top.

Only a few weeks later, one set was gone (vandalism? a purposeful temporary work?). Here are some photos of this installation art.