Everything about Lamentation Mountain totally explained
Lamentation Mountain, or
Mount Lamentation,, is a
traprock mountain located 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 above the city of Meriden to the south with west-facing cliffs of 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
Mattabesett Trail.
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 long by wide, Lamentation Mountain is located within the towns of
Middletown,
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 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.
Geology and ecology
Lamentation Mountain, like much of the Metacomet Ridge, is composed of
basalt, also called traprock, a
volcanic rock. The mountain formed near the end of the
Triassic Period with the
rifting apart of the
North American 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).
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
hiking,
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, east of its junction with
U.S. Route 5 and west of
Interstate 91, exit 20, via Country Club Road (which becomes Westfield Road) and alongside Spruce Brook Road in Berlin, .5 miles (.75 km) east of its junction with U.S. Route 5 and 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
(External Link
) and the Meriden land Trust
(External Link) are active in the conservation of Lamentation Mountain and its viewshed.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Lamentation Mountain'.
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