On the recommendation of Yelp friend, Marie R, my best friend, Locomotive Breath, and I visited Judge's Cave and the Scenic Overlook in the West Rock Ridge State Park. Road was closed to vehicular traffic, but the walk was nice and gradual, all of it on what seemed to be new macadam. After about 1.6 miles, road forks. To the right is a short walk to Judge's Cave. To the left, a short walk to the scenic overlook. Interesting story commemorated on a plaque on the cave. Very few other people, and almost as many dogs. Scenic overlook kind of blah....no water views, but at an elevation of about 600 ft. Overall, a beautiful day. Breezy, shaded by a nice canopy most of the way. Good way to stretch the legs, and learn an interesting piece of history. read more

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West Rock Ridge State Park was one of the places to visit on our Places to Go list for Labor Day Weekend. As for driving up on West Rock Ridge State Park, the road paved was a smooth drive. The State Park was not too crowded. It was perfect weather and breezy that one can feel the tranquility. The people we had encountered easy going and friendly. The goal was to check out Scenic Overlook route. The weather made it perfect with clear blue skies and the clouds -Wow. The scenic overlook route had several spots to check out the view. As well to check out, John's Cave was truly incredible intriguing site & the history. Perhaps there might be better links, but this link gives some informational insight for "John's Cave" : https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/judges-cave Next time, it will be to adventure out onto the trails. Till next time... read more

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7/10/22 West Rock Ridge State Park is a wilderness in the middle of the cities of Hamden,Woodbridge, & New Haven. The access road to the summit is only open on weekends and is a bit hard to find, even though it's right across the street from a residential neighborhood. Getting to the summit parking area is a very bumpy roller coaster ride, but once there, affords grand vistas of West Peak in Meriden (17Miles), Sleeping Giant State Park (7 Miles), East Rock Park Monument (3 Miles) New Haven and it's harbor, and even on the perfectly clear day I was there, of Long Island, New York (26 Miles) all as "the crow flies" of course. All well worth your time. There's also a side road near the summit that leads to "Judges Cave" that has enormous historical value for Connecticut. Sorry, but I gotta knock one star off for the severely limited access times and the condition of the road leading to the parking area. https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/connecticut/judges-cave-ct/amp/ read more

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West Rock Ridge State Park is a pretty spectacular park, located right in New Haven. We visited in the winter months, so the road to the top is closed at that time (which is kind of a bummer) but you can make a pretty good loop hike here. Trails are well blazed, but unfortunately pretty eroded in spots and have definitely seen better days. There's also graffiti on the rocks, which is always disappointing to see. We got to see the Judges Cave while we were there, which is pretty cool and is of course a historical lesson. I can understand why they hid there for only a couple of months! The other cool thing in this park is that The Merritt Parkway runs through a tunnel that's bored through the ridge, and one of the trails runs right by the east tunnel entrance. We only scratched the surface of this park - there's lots to see and do here! read more

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Trails aren't marked very clear from the bottom Of the park. We started walking up the paved road and eventually saw trails as we got to the top but no idea where they started at the bottom. The views however were great and it wasn't packed which is what we wanted. Unfortunately a lot of broken glass throughout this park- like a lot... And having a dog with me I found myself picking him up a lot to save his paws. Parking also is almost impossible when the park is closed, which is was when we went. There is a small area on the street to park. Maybe there was another entrance we missed but it looked like the main entrance. Not sure why the main entrance wasn't open given every other park I had been to this weekend was. I'd probably come back and try to find a trail to do. read more

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I walk at this location weekly because it offers a wide variety of terrain and distance. By far my favorite go-to spot locally to New Haven because it's close by, lightly trafficked compared to east rock with the monument, and has a wide variety of terrain and distances. It's perfect for moderate elevation gains, great for anywhere from 1 mile to 14 mile round trip trails. Everything is well maintained and you can get great views from the Ridgeline, around wintergreen lake, and through the lower valley on the east side. It's also about impossible to get lost with the well marked and maintained trails. One neat feature is you get to walk over the merit parkway tunnel on several trails. My favorite feature is the namesake of the regicides trails, judges Cave, where the judges who signed king Charles I's death warrent came and hid after the restoration of the monarchy. Neat piece of history. Really emphasizes new havens history in the founding of our country. #RebeliousRegicides. You can also kayak and fish on the lake assuming you're registered and all that beaurocratic fun. By far best area around New Haven to hike. The entire Metacomet ridge that goes north and south in Connecticut is fantastic for outdoor recreation. Also note that the entire Ridgeline as an old paved road you can walk on. And the northern end is very quiet if you're looking to not be crowded in the times of Covid. read more

West Rock Ridge State Park - A trail on the southern end - Parks Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

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Good place to come for hiking as it has a great view and you can view the city at the summit. However, the trails are a bit confusing and little to no signs are there for guidance. Perhaps they should place more visible signs for newbies in hiking to know which way is it and which trail it is... read more

West Rock Ridge State Park - Parks Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

This is a very nice park. Lots of trails. Lots of picnic areas. Plenty of shade trees. There is a moderately difficult trail leading to an overlook with an awesome view. Some signs with historical and environmental information. Great place for a family outing, date, fitness or relaxation. read more

Quite an average park to me. There are some trails that are marked but I didn't see any maps so I didn't know what the trail marks meant. My friend and I walked up to the top and the view was just okay; apparently in the summertime, people can drive up. I would go if I wanted somewhere to walk around, but don't have expectations that are too high. I can imagine it looking quite nice in the fall though with fall foliage! read more

While you can enter at the main entrance, the best way to hike here is to park at they Lake Wintergreen entrance. There is a great, fairly easy trail that loops around the lake, about 2 miles. Or you can hike up to the ridge for great views. The trails are well blazed and I've never gotten lost here. I've never done it myself, but I see people fishing and picnicking here all the time. Just beware, the parking is limited so on gorgeous weekend days you might have to wait for someone to leave. True, this is not a backcountry hiking experience, but it's a pretty awesome place to hike or commune with nature, especially considering how close it is to new haven. Just remember- don't use the main entrance if you want a nature experience. The main entrance is pretty trashy. read more

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On the way over our Uber driver was v surprised to hear that we were going to West Rock and recommended that we go to East Rock instead. Having already been to the latter, we decided to take the chance. Should have listened to the guy. As far as state parks go, this one is super weak. We probably didn't hit the interesting trails (if there are any), but the plateau with the "cave" is very underwhelming. There was also virtually no one else there the entire hike. We stand corrected. Go to East Rock instead! read more

I can't believe this park wasn't even on yelp? Their tagline from the website: Take in the views of New Haven Harbor and Long Island Sound from the top of West Rock. When my boyfriend and I went, it was incredibly foggy and misty, so we weren't able to see much. We did not go hiking and stayed on the park road, which leads to Judge's Cave and the South Overlook. We did not take in any views from the overlook due to the inclement weather, but there is something really nice though about being in a park before it clears up, when no other cars are around. We walked in/around Judge's Cave, whose neat history you can find here: http://www.skyweb.net/~channy/Judgespage.html If you're looking for views, no matter the weather, I'd still recommend the East Rock Park. I can't speak for the hiking trails here though so maybe they were far superior! read more

West Rock Ridge State Park - Judges Cave - Parks Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

Such a great hike that's accessible to all! There are some great overlooks and a nice lake for things like kayaking/ fishing/ etc. Variety of trails too! read more

This review is more about Regicide Trail than the actual park. The trail has several beautiful vistas and is easy to moderate in difficulty. My friends and I did a through hike ending at Judges Cave which was both cool in terms of its history, as well as the crawl through of the "cave" itself, and the physical challenge of climbing on top of it. If you're not into hiking, you can actually just drive up and check out the cave, as well as a pretty nice vista fairly close by. It's hard to believe that this natural beauty is a part of New Haven! read more

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Nice overlook of New Haven that rivals East Rock. Beautiful woodsy trails and scenery. The biggest downfall when compared to other parks in New Haven is this happens to be a state park, while others like East Rock and Edgewood Park are city run. Apparently this tends to mean less upkeep--and less hours. Can't believe the drive up to the summit is only available on weekends... But I guess if you're looking for a hike you found it! read more

West Rock Ridge State Park - View of West Rock from below, edge of Westville/Amity. - Parks Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

This review is mostly about the hiking trails. West Rock Ridge State Park is an urban state park, while hiking you can hear cars and music from nearby buildings, and you also bump into many gated phone towers and water storage towers. As a city girl I don't really mind seeing this once in a while, but I do go hiking for a nature-like experience. This park has more cell phone towers, gates, and water storage towers than a state park should. The trail blazes are really well marked but they are confusing and sometimes awful. In one area while on the red trail heading north from the bottom of the park, the trail all of a sudden stopped and ended at a street. Sometimes, trails in more urban parks will stop at a street but continue on the other side of the street, but here the trail just ended. The map however said it should of went on for miles around the edge of the park. We ended up having to walk on the side of a road back to the main entrance of the park. We didn't want to go backwards as that would be longer and more of a pain in the ass. In one area there were markings that looked like some kids purposefully tried to mess up the trail blazes in an area. ...There was one stone that said "blue trail this way fuckers." The park's map is very old and faded and you can not see the colors of the trails well. Sometimes the map had the first letter of the color next to the trail, which helped us to identify what trail it was, but only half of the trails had a letter. Wtf? We met another hiker who was equally confused with this park's trail who was also lost. She also said that she was hiking on a trail which all of a sudden ended at a street with no continuation. While driving home, we saw a guy walking up that same street who looked confused and disgruntled. ...Looks like it definitely wasn't just us. We did however see lots of hawks and a deer. There is a nice cliff view near the bottom of the park. The red and white trail is paved with gravel and is good for mountain biking, I may return to check that out and plan to never go on any other trails. read more

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Not the most exciting trails in the world, but the view from the top of the ridge is quite beautiful, probably especially so in the fall, and Wintergreen Lake is also quite nice to look at. It's a little difficult to pick up the trails from the road at the bottom as you walk up and it'd be wise to do some research before you start. The great view from the top is located on the blue trail, by the way. We wound up walking up the mountain on the red trail, picked up the blue to the top, then headed east along blue until we hit the orange trail. Took that down to where orange meets red where the lake is, then took the red back to the parking lot. Clearly, as previously stated, you're going to want to do some research and pull up a map so you can get to where you want to go... and be able to get yourself out of there. read more

If you're planning on coming here, craft an exit strategy beforehand. Trust me. I'm all for a long walk, hike or run -- but when I came here with my boyfriend last weekend on a beautiful spring day, a 5 mile hike turned into 12 miles. We thought the trails looped around, but it really just never ended. We started on the red trail, which somehow turned into the blue trail. But in the end, it was just confusing, endless and not enjoyable. Also, it's worth noting that the map at the part of the park where we entered did not include a "You Are Here" point of reference. That would have been helpful before we started. If you go, don't stray too far! 2 stars for the average views we saw along the red/blue/whatever it was trail. read more

There are two distinct sides to this park, one much nicer than the other. The side with lake wintergreen and the purple/white/red trails is far superior. read more

I wish more people would enjoy this park as much as I do. It has such rich history which is not explained anywhere unless you research it. This is the second largest park in CT and you can tell because it spans 4 towns. You definitely get your hikes worth any trail you chose. Yes the parking lot looks abandoned because it is abandoned. The park was at its peak with visitors in the 70's and 80's and sadly had to "Shut down" because the towns didn't have enough money for all the surrounding state parks. So they picked Sleeping Giant as the one that they would keep open and be well maintained. Thus other parks suffered. Whenever I walk on the paved road going through the park, I always envision what it looked like and its sad to think that such a forest can be disregarded. You can still see trails that used to have railings and views but now are overgrown. For what it is, is great and appreciative. Falcons have returned to the park in 2010 and have stayed. I also always bump into a gaggle of turkeys. Not to mention deer and other local wildlife in habit these grounds. Unfortunately you can hear rt 15 but as you walk past it and towards Bethany, you can definitely feel like your one with nature. The views are gorgeous and as for Jennifer L who said East Rock views are better definitely never saw the views when the fog has been cleared. You can see a 180 view of Hamden and New Haven all the way to the Sound. You can see The Giant and East Rock as well. I always thought East Rock had gorgeous views but since I visited West Rock, Ive haven't been to East Rock since. West Rock also has an array of trail system which can be navigated easily if you download the map online. It goes from Easy (Wintergreen Lake) to Difficult on the Blue Trail (Quinnipiac Trail). The only upkeep that takes place here is the DEP testing the waters and a bunch of volunteers to help clean up the trails. So enjoy everything this place has to offer. read more

I really enjoy this park. It isn't very crowded, the trails are fun, and the scenery is nice. You'll never forget that you're in the middle of a city, but it's expansive enough that you can still get a really great hiking or riding experience. I live in West Haven and I tend to switch between West Rock and Sleeping Giant when I go hiking or biking during the week. There are a couple issues. The trails, while well marked, are layed out in a very confusing manner. There are a few points where the trails converge and separate in odd ways that make me feel like I'm trapped at the nexus of the universe (seinfeld reference). It makes the maps hard to understand as well. Also, there are some points where trails cross roads and there is no clear indication that the trail continues across the street. These are minor gripes and they definitely won't spoil your fun here. Overall this is a great place to check out. I highly recommend it! read more

Beautiful day to drive through and see the Overlook what is the information/relations that the three judges have to Westville area read more

West Rock Ridge State Park - McBreakfast view after having back adjusted at Dr. Lou's - Parks Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

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I really loved this park. I went in the wintergreen lake entrance which is on Main Street in Hamden. I took the white trail all the way around the whole lake. I went off the beaten path because I heard a stream with small waterfalls and as a big lover of all types of waterfalls, I went to find it. What I found was a beautiful stream/brook that was about 1/4th of a mile long with small waterfalls all up it. I was very impressed. I didn't see any litter anywhere, but I also went there 2 days after a snowstorm so there was still snow on the ground so maybe if there was litter I couldn't see it, but what I did see I was happy about. The white trail was fairly easy. It's a fairly even trail except when the white and red trails merge you go up hill a little bit and then there's a few rocks you have to step up and down but not difficult at all. It has a beautiful "spill way" but I don't care what anyone says it's a waterfall. And it's beautiful Above the spill way is a bridge that you can look around and see the whole lake. When I finally got to that point I just sat down and took it all in and tried to clear my mind and enjoy the view. The lake is a beautiful lake. When you get close to it you can see it looks like a really clean lake. And at the "shore" area it's clear enough you can see through it. I was really impressed with this place and I will definitely be going back again. Probably dragging my bf there with me. read more

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This is a confusing park as the other reviewers have noted. The main entrance looks abandoned, the only parking lot chained shut. There's a nice road to some nice viewing spots like Judge's Cave, which is a pretty cool collection of rocks. But it's unclear how to get on to trails or where they go. I tried to find the lake entrance, but was unable to figure out where it was or where to park. I'd like to go with a friend next time because I was lost. read more

The charm of West Rock is precisely that it's mysterious, expansive, and wild (for a city park). If you want a perfectly manicured place to cook hot dogs with moving-walkway trails, East Rock is the place for you. West rock is riddled with old abandoned features, unmarked roads, unmarked trails, and history. There are few (no?) maps and it goes on and on and on. There is a section at the southern most end that feels kinda urban, but that is just one small part of the park. You can bike and hike along the ridge for miles and miles and finally come out in an old entrance waaaay on the far north side of New Haven. If you know where you're going, you can connect into the Farmington Canal trail without too much trouble and bike / walk back that way. Definitely an awesome place to bike or hike, and you can definitely spend many hours here. read more

"Do you smell what the Rock is cooking?!" There are only two rocks worth visiting, and if you have to choose between them, pick East Rock. East Rock is in a much more urban and vibrant region of the 203, whereas WR is located in essentially a dead zone. East Rock also actually looks like a rock, which is super cool, whereas WR is mostly covered in trees anyway so it looks more like a large mound rather than the majestic rock that I was expecting. Hiking is okay, but when you're looking for picturesque views, the backside of Quinnipiac University isn't all that great. East Rock has it all: Great for running or biking, better views, prettier, and so much more. Choose the other rock. read more

West Rock is an excellent place to go for a hike, as there are a variety of trails to suit most everyone's desires. Before you go, be sure to download and print a map, as one is not likely to be available at the park: http://www.ct.gov/deep/lib/deep/stateparks/maps/westrock.pdf. I recommend the parking lot at Lake Wintergreen, 29 Main St., Hamden, off Rt. 15 Exit 60 as the place to begin. The most popular loop is an easy 1.5 mile stroll around Lake Wintergreen. The trails on the lake side of the ridge are generally flat. The trails running up the ridge are a moderate and brief climb. the Regicides Trail along the top of the ridge has excellent views of the water company property to the west in Woodbridge and Bethany. If you head north from Lake Wintergreen, you may not see another person the entire time. Certain areas of the park do attract litter and graffiti, in particular, the South Overlook toward New Haven, and Judges Cave. You can reach these by car from Memorial Day weekend to the last weekend in October. Other times, people can hike and bike without interference from cars. In addition to hiking, you can do the following activities at West Rock: bicycle, fish at the lake or two other ponds, paddle a boat on Lake Wintergreen, cross country ski, or picnic. For complete information, visit a volunteer-created website at http://westrocktrails.blogspot.com/ read more