Lamentation Mountain
Encyclopedia
Lamentation Mountain, or Mount Lamentation, 720 feet (219.5 m), is a traprock mountain located 2.5 miles (4 km) north of Meriden, Connecticut
. It is part of the narrow, linear Metacomet Ridge
that extends from Long Island Sound
near New Haven, Connecticut
, north through the Connecticut River Valley of Massachusetts
to the Vermont
border. Lamentation Mountain is known for its scenic vistas, extensive cliff faces, unique microclimate
ecosystems, and rare plant communities. It rises steeply 550 feet (167.6 m) above the city of Meriden to the south with west-facing cliffs of 200 feet (61 m) or more. The cliff line, described by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association
as "perhaps the most scenic traprock ridge walk in the state" is a prominent landscape feature visible for miles.
The mountain is traversed by the 50 miles (80.5 km) Mattabesett Trail
.
, Berlin
, and Meriden, Connecticut
.
Crescent Lake, (formerly called Bradley Hubbard Reservoir), lies nestled in the gap between Lamentation Mountain and Chauncey Peak. The lake provides emergency drinking water to the city of Meriden. Silver Lake, visible from the cliffs, is located in the low gap between Lamentation Mountain and Cathole Mountain.
The Metacomet Ridge continues west from Lamentation Mountain to become Cathole Mountain
of the Hanging Hills
; it continues south as Chauncey Peak
. Another, lower extension continues 8 miles (13 km) north culminating in the uplands of Rocky Hill, Connecticut
. The southern half of Lamentation Mountain drains into the Quinnipiac River
, thence to Long Island Sound; the northern half to the Mattabesett River, then to the Connecticut River
, thence to Long Island Sound.
, also called traprock, a volcanic rock. The mountain formed near the end of the Triassic Period with the rifting apart of the North America
n continent from Africa
and Eurasia
. Lava
welled up from the rift and solidified into sheets of strata hundreds of feet thick. Subsequent faulting and earthquake
activity tilted the strata, creating the cliffs and ridgeline of Lamentation Mountain. Hot, dry upper slopes, cool, moist ravines, and mineral-rich ledges of basalt talus
produce a combination of microclimate
ecosystems on the mountain that support plant and animal species uncommon in greater Connecticut. Lamentation Mountain is also an important raptor migration path. (See Metacomet Ridge
for more information on the geology and ecosystem of Lamentation Mountain).
, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing
, picnicking, and bicycling. Swimming, boating
, and fishing
are prohibited on Crescent Lake. Rock climbing
is prohibited within the park but is permitted elsewhere on the mountain. The park supports a number of trails, most notably the 50 mile (80k) Mattabesett Trail which stretches from the northern end of Lamentation Mountain, south to Totoket Mountain
and north again to the Connecticut River. The 51 mile (80k) Metacomet Trail
connects to the Mattabesett Trail at the foot of Lamentation Mountain; the Connecticut Forest and Park Association
maintains both trails. Trailhead parking for Lamentation Mountain is located at Giufridda Park on Westfield Road, 1.2 miles (1.9 km) east of its junction with U.S. Route 5
and 1.8 miles (2.9 km) west of Interstate 91
, exit 20, via Country Club Road (which becomes Westfield Road) and alongside Spruce Brook Road in Berlin, 0.5 miles (0.75 km) east of its junction with U.S. Route 5 and 1.75 miles (2.8 km) south of Berlin center.
In 2000, Lamentation Mountain was included in a study by the National Park Service
for the designation of a new National Scenic Trail
now tentatively called the New England National Scenic Trail
, which would include the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail
in Massachusetts and the Mattabesett Trail
and Metacomet Trail
trails in Connecticut.
The Berlin Land Trust http://www.berlinlandtrust.org/ and the Meriden land Trust http://www.meridenlandtrust.com/ are active in the conservation of Lamentation Mountain and its viewshed.
Meriden, Connecticut
Meriden is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 59,653.-History:...
. It is part of the narrow, linear Metacomet Ridge
Metacomet Ridge
The Metacomet Ridge, Metacomet Ridge Mountains, or Metacomet Range of southern New England, United States, is a narrow and steep fault-block mountain ridge known for its extensive cliff faces, scenic vistas, microclimate ecosystems, and communities of plants considered rare or endangered...
that extends from Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
near New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
, north through the Connecticut River Valley of Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
to the Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
border. Lamentation Mountain is known for its scenic vistas, extensive cliff faces, unique microclimate
Microclimate
A microclimate is a local atmospheric zone where the climate differs from the surrounding area. The term may refer to areas as small as a few square feet or as large as many square miles...
ecosystems, and rare plant communities. It rises steeply 550 feet (167.6 m) above the city of Meriden to the south with west-facing cliffs of 200 feet (61 m) or more. The cliff line, described by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association
Connecticut Forest and Park Association
The Connecticut Forest and Park Association , established in 1895, is the oldest private, nonprofit conservation organization in Connecticut. The organization is credited as an important early pioneer of the national land conservation movement and as an early advocate of long distance trail building...
as "perhaps the most scenic traprock ridge walk in the state" is a prominent landscape feature visible for miles.
The mountain is traversed by the 50 miles (80.5 km) Mattabesett Trail
Mattabesett Trail
The Mattabesett Trail is a long, hook-shaped Blue-Blazed hiking trail in central Connecticut and a part of the newly designated New England National Scenic Trail. One half of the trail follows the high traprock ridges of the Metacomet Ridge, from Totoket Mountain in Guilford, Connecticut to...
.
Origin of name
Lamentation Mountain takes its name from an incident in 1653 when a member of a nearby colony became lost on the mountain for three days before he was found by a search party.Geography
Roughly 3 miles (5 km) long by 0.75 miles (1.2 km) wide, Lamentation Mountain is located within the towns of MiddletownMiddletown, Connecticut
Middletown is a city located in Middlesex County, Connecticut, along the Connecticut River, in the central part of the state, 16 miles south of Hartford. In 1650, it was incorporated as a town under its original Indian name, Mattabeseck. It received its present name in 1653. In 1784, the central...
, Berlin
Berlin, Connecticut
Berlin is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 19,866 at the 2010 census. It was incorporated in 1785. The geographic center of Connecticut is located in the town. Berlin is residential and industrial, and served by the Amtrak station of the same name...
, and Meriden, Connecticut
Meriden, Connecticut
Meriden is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 59,653.-History:...
.
Crescent Lake, (formerly called Bradley Hubbard Reservoir), lies nestled in the gap between Lamentation Mountain and Chauncey Peak. The lake provides emergency drinking water to the city of Meriden. Silver Lake, visible from the cliffs, is located in the low gap between Lamentation Mountain and Cathole Mountain.
The Metacomet Ridge continues west from Lamentation Mountain to become Cathole Mountain
Cathole Mountain
Cathole Mountain, , is the lowest peak in the trap rock Hanging Hills of Meriden, Connecticut. The rugged southern ledges of the mountain rise steeply above the city of Meriden...
of the Hanging Hills
Hanging Hills
The Hanging Hills of south central Connecticut, USA are a range of mountainous trap rock ridges overlooking the city of Meriden and the Quinnipiac River Valley below. They are a sub-range of the narrow, linear Metacomet Ridge that extends from Long Island Sound near New Haven, Connecticut, north...
; it continues south as Chauncey Peak
Chauncey Peak
Chauncey Peak, , is a traprock mountain located 2 miles northeast of the center of Meriden, Connecticut. It is part of the narrow, linear Metacomet Ridge that extends from Long Island Sound near New Haven, Connecticut, north through the Connecticut River Valley of Massachusetts to the Vermont border...
. Another, lower extension continues 8 miles (13 km) north culminating in the uplands of Rocky Hill, Connecticut
Rocky Hill, Connecticut
Rocky Hill is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 17,966 at the 2000 census. Rocky Hill was part of Wethersfield, the neighboring town to the north, until it was independently incorporated in 1849....
. The southern half of Lamentation Mountain drains into the Quinnipiac River
Quinnipiac River
The Quinnipiac River is a river in the New England region of the United States, located entirely in the state of Connecticut.It rises in west central Connecticut from Dead Wood Swamp west of the city of New Britain...
, thence to Long Island Sound; the northern half to the Mattabesett River, then to the Connecticut River
Connecticut River
The Connecticut River is the largest and longest river in New England, and also an American Heritage River. It flows roughly south, starting from the Fourth Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire. After flowing through the remaining Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, it defines the border between the...
, thence to Long Island Sound.
Geology and ecology
Lamentation Mountain, like much of the Metacomet Ridge, is composed of basaltBasalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
, also called traprock, a volcanic rock. The mountain formed near the end of the Triassic Period with the rifting apart of the North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n continent from Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and Eurasia
Eurasia
Eurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...
. Lava
Lava
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...
welled up from the rift and solidified into sheets of strata hundreds of feet thick. Subsequent faulting and earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
activity tilted the strata, creating the cliffs and ridgeline of Lamentation Mountain. Hot, dry upper slopes, cool, moist ravines, and mineral-rich ledges of basalt talus
Scree
Scree, also called talus, is a term given to an accumulation of broken rock fragments at the base of crags, mountain cliffs, or valley shoulders. Landforms associated with these materials are sometimes called scree slopes or talus piles...
produce a combination of microclimate
Microclimate
A microclimate is a local atmospheric zone where the climate differs from the surrounding area. The term may refer to areas as small as a few square feet or as large as many square miles...
ecosystems on the mountain that support plant and animal species uncommon in greater Connecticut. Lamentation Mountain is also an important raptor migration path. (See Metacomet Ridge
Metacomet Ridge
The Metacomet Ridge, Metacomet Ridge Mountains, or Metacomet Range of southern New England, United States, is a narrow and steep fault-block mountain ridge known for its extensive cliff faces, scenic vistas, microclimate ecosystems, and communities of plants considered rare or endangered...
for more information on the geology and ecosystem of Lamentation Mountain).
Recreation and conservation
The southern third of Lamentation Mountain lies within Giuffrida Park, managed by the city of Meriden. The park boasts a lake, golf course, woodlands, and the rocky peaks of Lamentation Mountain and Chauncey Peak. Permitted activities within the park include hikingHiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
, picnicking, and bicycling. Swimming, boating
Boating
Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels , focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, such as fishing or water skiing...
, and fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
are prohibited on Crescent Lake. Rock climbing
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
is prohibited within the park but is permitted elsewhere on the mountain. The park supports a number of trails, most notably the 50 mile (80k) Mattabesett Trail which stretches from the northern end of Lamentation Mountain, south to Totoket Mountain
Totoket Mountain
Totoket Mountain, with a high point of above sea level, is a traprock massif with several distinct summits, located northeast of New Haven, Connecticut. It is part of the Metacomet Ridge that extends from Long Island Sound near New Haven, north through the Connecticut River Valley of...
and north again to the Connecticut River. The 51 mile (80k) Metacomet Trail
Metacomet Trail
The Metacomet Trail is a Blue-Blazed hiking trail that traverses the Metacomet Ridge of central Connecticut and is a part of the newly designated New England National Scenic Trail. Despite being easily accessible and close to large population centers, the trail is considered remarkably rugged and...
connects to the Mattabesett Trail at the foot of Lamentation Mountain; the Connecticut Forest and Park Association
Connecticut Forest and Park Association
The Connecticut Forest and Park Association , established in 1895, is the oldest private, nonprofit conservation organization in Connecticut. The organization is credited as an important early pioneer of the national land conservation movement and as an early advocate of long distance trail building...
maintains both trails. Trailhead parking for Lamentation Mountain is located at Giufridda Park on Westfield Road, 1.2 miles (1.9 km) east of its junction with U.S. Route 5
U.S. Route 5
U.S. Route 5 is a north–south United States highway running through the New England states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont. Significant cities along the route include New Haven, Connecticut; Hartford, Connecticut; and Springfield, Massachusetts. From Hartford northward to St...
and 1.8 miles (2.9 km) west of Interstate 91
Interstate 91
Interstate 91 is an Interstate Highway in the New England region of the United States. It provides the primary north–south thoroughfare in the western part of New England...
, exit 20, via Country Club Road (which becomes Westfield Road) and alongside Spruce Brook Road in Berlin, 0.5 miles (0.75 km) east of its junction with U.S. Route 5 and 1.75 miles (2.8 km) south of Berlin center.
In 2000, Lamentation Mountain was included in a study by the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
for the designation of a new National Scenic Trail
National Scenic Trail
National Scenic Trail is a designation for protected areas in the United States that consist of trails of particular natural beauty.National Scenic Trails were authorized under the National Trails System Act of 1968 along with National Historic Trails and National Recreation Trails...
now tentatively called the New England National Scenic Trail
New England National Scenic Trail
The New England National Scenic Trail is a National Scenic Trail in southern New England, which includes most of the three single trails Metacomet-Monadnock Trail, Mattabesett Trail and Metacomet Trail. After the Metacomet-Monadnock-Mattabesett trail system, the trail is sometimes called Triple-M...
, which would include the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail
Metacomet-Monadnock Trail
The Metacomet-Monadnock Trail is a hiking trail that traverses the Metacomet Ridge of the Pioneer Valley region of Massachusetts and the central uplands of Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire...
in Massachusetts and the Mattabesett Trail
Mattabesett Trail
The Mattabesett Trail is a long, hook-shaped Blue-Blazed hiking trail in central Connecticut and a part of the newly designated New England National Scenic Trail. One half of the trail follows the high traprock ridges of the Metacomet Ridge, from Totoket Mountain in Guilford, Connecticut to...
and Metacomet Trail
Metacomet Trail
The Metacomet Trail is a Blue-Blazed hiking trail that traverses the Metacomet Ridge of central Connecticut and is a part of the newly designated New England National Scenic Trail. Despite being easily accessible and close to large population centers, the trail is considered remarkably rugged and...
trails in Connecticut.
The Berlin Land Trust http://www.berlinlandtrust.org/ and the Meriden land Trust http://www.meridenlandtrust.com/ are active in the conservation of Lamentation Mountain and its viewshed.
See also
- Metacomet RidgeMetacomet RidgeThe Metacomet Ridge, Metacomet Ridge Mountains, or Metacomet Range of southern New England, United States, is a narrow and steep fault-block mountain ridge known for its extensive cliff faces, scenic vistas, microclimate ecosystems, and communities of plants considered rare or endangered...
- Metacomet TrailMetacomet TrailThe Metacomet Trail is a Blue-Blazed hiking trail that traverses the Metacomet Ridge of central Connecticut and is a part of the newly designated New England National Scenic Trail. Despite being easily accessible and close to large population centers, the trail is considered remarkably rugged and...
- Adjacent summits:
↓ South West > 
