Peter's Rock
Encyclopedia
Peter's Rock, also known as Rabbit Rock, Rabbit Hill, Indian Rock and Great Rock, with a high point of (est.) 373 feet (113.7 m) above sea level, is a trap rock
peak located 4 miles (6 km) northeast of downtown New Haven, Connecticut
in the town of North Haven
. It is part of the Metacomet Ridge
that extends from Long Island Sound
near New Haven, north through the Connecticut River Valley of Massachusetts
to the Vermont
border. Peter's Rock is known for its scenic views, unique microclimate
ecosystems, rare plant communities, and columnar basalt
rock formations. It is traversed by a number of hiking trails managed by the non-profit Peter's Rock Association.
.
The summit is open with a 360° view encompassing Long Island Sound, the Quinnipiac River
estuary, New Haven Harbor, and the surrounding peaks of the Metacomet Ridge.
The Metacomet Ridge continues west from the isolated Peter's Rock as East Rock
, east as Totoket Mountain
and southeast as Saltonstall Mountain
. Like East Rock, Peter's Rock lies between the main east and west ridges of the Metacomet Ridge. The east side of Peter's Rock drains into the Farm River, thence to the East Haven River and Long Island Sound; the west side into the Quinnipiac River, thence to New Haven Harbor and Long Island Sound.
The peak bears a number of competing names. The name Indian Rock was derived from the peak's alleged use as a Native American lookout. Rabbit Rock or Rabbit Hill came about by the peak's notability as a source of cottontail rabbit
s in the 19th century. According to local folklore the name Peter's Rock is derived from the alleged Peter Brockett, an American Revolutionary War
veteran, who, suffering from a crippling and deforming spinal injury, built a small hut on the peak and lived there as a hermit. The United States Board on Geographic Names and the United States Geologic Survey refer to the peak as "Rabbit Rock."
A well on the southwest side of Peter's Rock has been a source of local fresh water since the 19th century when families would travel to the mountain on Sundays to fill up jugs of fresh water. A group of New Haven businessmen built a hunting lodge on the summit in 1901 called The Hermitage; the lodge was abandoned during the Great Depression
and fell to ruin. The only remains of the Hermitage are the ruins of the wine cellar that may be seen on one of the trails leading up to the summit.
, also called traprock, a volcanic
rock. The mountain formed near the end of the Triassic Period
with the rift
ing 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 Peter's Rock. Of particular note is the large, well-defined columnar basalt
formation on the southwest side of Peter's Rock.
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. Peter's Rock is also an important raptor
migration path. (See Metacomet Ridge
for more information on the geology and ecosystem of Peter's Rock).
Although Peter's Rock is almost entirely surrounded by suburban neighborhoods, much of it has been conserved by the town of North Haven and through the volunteer efforts of the Peter's Rock Association, which maintains a network of trails on the property. Parking lots and trailheads are located on Middletown Avenue (Connecticut Route 17), just .75 miles (1 km) north of the New Haven city line, and on Hermitage Lane, off Middletown Avenue.
Peter's Rock is open to hiking
, picnic
king, birdwatching
, and other passive pursuits during daylight hours. Alcoholic beverage
s and ATV's
are not allowed on the property.
Trap rock
Trap rock is a form of igneous rock that tends to form polygonal vertical fractures, most typically hexagonal, but also four to eight sided. The fracture pattern forms when magma of suitable chemical composition intrudes as a sill or extrudes as a thick lava flow, and slowly cools.Because of the...
peak located 4 miles (6 km) northeast of downtown 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...
in the town of North Haven
North Haven, Connecticut
North Haven is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut on the outskirts of New Haven, Connecticut.North Haven is less than ten miles from downtown New Haven and Yale University. It is near Sleeping Giant State Park and home the Quinnipiac University School of Health Sciences, the School of Nursing,...
. It is part of the 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. Peter's Rock is known for its scenic views, 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, rare plant communities, and columnar basalt
Basalt
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...
rock formations. It is traversed by a number of hiking trails managed by the non-profit Peter's Rock Association.
Geography
Peter's Rock rises steeply 300 feet (91.4 m) above the surrounding landscape, with a high point of (est.) 373 feet (113.7 m). It is roughly three quarters of a mile long by a quarter of mile (1,000 m × 400 m) wide. The peak lies within the town of North Haven, near the border of East HavenEast Haven, Connecticut
East Haven is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 28,189. The town is just 3 minutes from downtown New Haven...
.
The summit is open with a 360° view encompassing Long Island Sound, 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...
estuary, New Haven Harbor, and the surrounding peaks of the Metacomet Ridge.
The Metacomet Ridge continues west from the isolated Peter's Rock as East Rock
East Rock
East Rock of south-central Connecticut, United States, with a high point of , is a long trap rock ridge located on the north side of the city of New Haven...
, east as 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 southeast as Saltonstall Mountain
Saltonstall Mountain
Saltonstall Mountain, also known as Saltonstall Ridge, with a high point of above sea level, is a traprock mountain ridge located east of New Haven, Connecticut and north of Long Island Sound. It is part of the Metacomet Ridge that extends from Long Island Sound near New Haven, Connecticut,...
. Like East Rock, Peter's Rock lies between the main east and west ridges of the Metacomet Ridge. The east side of Peter's Rock drains into the Farm River, thence to the East Haven River and Long Island Sound; the west side into the Quinnipiac River, thence to New Haven Harbor and Long Island Sound.
History
Cottontail rabbit
The cottontail rabbits are among the 16 lagomorph species in the genus Sylvilagus, found in the Americas.In appearance, most cottontail rabbits closely resemble the wild European Rabbit...
s in the 19th century. According to local folklore the name Peter's Rock is derived from the alleged Peter Brockett, an American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
veteran, who, suffering from a crippling and deforming spinal injury, built a small hut on the peak and lived there as a hermit. The United States Board on Geographic Names and the United States Geologic Survey refer to the peak as "Rabbit Rock."
A well on the southwest side of Peter's Rock has been a source of local fresh water since the 19th century when families would travel to the mountain on Sundays to fill up jugs of fresh water. A group of New Haven businessmen built a hunting lodge on the summit in 1901 called The Hermitage; the lodge was abandoned during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and fell to ruin. The only remains of the Hermitage are the ruins of the wine cellar that may be seen on one of the trails leading up to the summit.
Geology and environment
Peter's Rock, 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
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
rock. The mountain formed near the end of the Triassic Period
Triassic
The Triassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about 250 to 200 Mya . As the first period of the Mesozoic Era, the Triassic follows the Permian and is followed by the Jurassic. Both the start and end of the Triassic are marked by major extinction events...
with the rift
Rift
In geology, a rift or chasm is a place where the Earth's crust and lithosphere are being pulled apart and is an example of extensional tectonics....
ing 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 Peter's Rock. Of particular note is the large, well-defined columnar basalt
Basalt
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...
formation on the southwest side of Peter's Rock.
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. Peter's Rock is also an important raptor
Bird of prey
Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, using their keen senses, especially vision. They are defined as birds that primarily hunt vertebrates, including other birds. Their talons and beaks tend to be relatively large, powerful and adapted for tearing and/or piercing flesh....
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 Peter's Rock).
Conservation and recreation
Peter's Rock is open to hiking
Hiking
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...
, picnic
Picnic
In contemporary usage, a picnic can be defined simply as a pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors , ideally taking place in a beautiful landscape such as a park, beside a lake or with an interesting view and possibly at a public event such as before an open air theatre performance,...
king, birdwatching
Birdwatching
Birdwatching or birding is the observation of birds as a recreational activity. It can be done with the naked eye, through a visual enhancement device like binoculars and telescopes, or by listening for bird sounds. Birding often involves a significant auditory component, as many bird species are...
, and other passive pursuits during daylight hours. Alcoholic beverage
Alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
s and ATV's
All-terrain vehicle
An all-terrain vehicle , also known as a quad, quad bike, three wheeler, or four wheeler, is defined by the American National Standards Institute as a vehicle that travels on low pressure tires, with a seat that is straddled by the operator, along with handlebars for steering control...
are not allowed on the property.
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...
- Adjacent summits:
< West East > South ↓ 
