Mount Sanford (Connecticut)
Encyclopedia
Mount Sanford of south-central Connecticut
, est. 886 feet (270 m), is the high point on a 2.25 miles (3.6 km) long traprock mountain ridge located 10 miles (16.1 km) northwest of the city of New Haven
. Mount Sanford is part of the narrow, linear Metacomet Ridge
that extends from Long Island Sound
near New Haven, north through the Connecticut River Valley of Massachusetts
to the Vermont
border. The Metacomet Ridge continues north from Mount Sanford as Peck Mountain and south as Mad Mare Hill and West Rock Ridge
.
; the summit of the mountain lies within the Naugatuck State Forest.
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, est. 886 feet (270 m), is the high point on a 2.25 miles (3.6 km) long traprock mountain ridge located 10 miles (16.1 km) northwest of the city of New Haven
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...
. Mount Sanford 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, 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. The Metacomet Ridge continues north from Mount Sanford as Peck Mountain and south as Mad Mare Hill and West Rock Ridge
West Rock Ridge
West Rock Ridge or West Rock of south-central Connecticut, with a high point of , is a long trap rock mountain ridge located on the west side of New Haven. The ridge forms a continuous line of exposed cliffs visible from metropolitan New Haven and points west...
.
Recreation and conservation
The ridgeline of Mount Sanford is traversed by the 23 miles (37 km) Quinnipiac TrailQuinnipiac Trail
The Quinnipiac Trail is a Blue-Blazed hiking trail in New Haven County, Connecticut. It is the product of the evolution and growth of the first trail designated in Connecticut's Blue-Blazed Hiking Trail system, with its light-blue rectangular vertical painted blazes .-The route:From its...
; the summit of the mountain lies within the Naugatuck State Forest.