Mount Tom State Park
Encyclopedia
Mount Tom State Park is a state park in Litchfield
, Washington
, and Morris
, Connecticut
. The main entrance is off of US Route 202 on Old Town Road.
It is named for the mountain within its boundaries.
and Schist
can be found on the main trail. The minerals Quartz
, Garnet
and Hornblende
can be found.
See also Mount Tom Geology.
Litchfield, Connecticut
Litchfield is a town in and former county seat of Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States, and is known as an affluent summer resort. The population was 8,316 at the 2000 census. The boroughs of Bantam and Litchfield are located within the town...
, Washington
Washington, Connecticut
Washington is a rural town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, in the New England region of the United States. The population was 3,596 at the 2000 census. Washington is known for its picturesque countryside, historic architecture, and active civic and cultural life...
, and Morris
Morris, Connecticut
Morris is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 2,301 at the 2000 census. The town consists of rolling hill country surrounding Bantam Lake, the largest natural lake in the State, covering about .-History:...
, Connecticut
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...
. The main entrance is off of US Route 202 on Old Town Road.
Hiking
Mount Tom State Park has one hiking trail that runs in a loop. The trail is blazed yellow. It starts at a small parking area, and continues for 0.42 mile (0.6759228 km) before intersecting with the other part of the trail. The 2 parts of the trail continue as one for another 0.14 mile (0.2253076 km), before splitting apart again 0.42 mile (0.6759228 km) before the summit of Mount Tom, at 1325 feet (403.9 m) above sea level and the lookout tower. The whole loop is approximately 1 miles (1.6 km), with a 500 foot (150 m) elevation gain. The lookout tower at the top is open to the public, and can be climbed, to see the view from the top. As of 4 October 2010, the summit tower is closed for repair.History
Mount Tom State Park is one of the oldest parks in the state park system.It is named for the mountain within its boundaries.
Geology
The Metamorphic rocks GneissGneiss
Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks.-Etymology:...
and Schist
Schist
The schists constitute a group of medium-grade metamorphic rocks, chiefly notable for the preponderance of lamellar minerals such as micas, chlorite, talc, hornblende, graphite, and others. Quartz often occurs in drawn-out grains to such an extent that a particular form called quartz schist is...
can be found on the main trail. The minerals Quartz
Quartz
Quartz is the second-most-abundant mineral in the Earth's continental crust, after feldspar. It is made up of a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall formula SiO2. There are many different varieties of quartz,...
, Garnet
Garnet
The garnet group includes a group of minerals that have been used since the Bronze Age as gemstones and abrasives. The name "garnet" may come from either the Middle English word gernet meaning 'dark red', or the Latin granatus , possibly a reference to the Punica granatum , a plant with red seeds...
and Hornblende
Hornblende
Hornblende is a complex inosilicate series of minerals .It is not a recognized mineral in its own right, but the name is used as a general or field term, to refer to a dark amphibole....
can be found.
See also Mount Tom Geology.