Gay City State Park 435 North Street, Hebron, CT 06248
About the Business
Gay City State Park, located at 435 North Street in Hebron, Connecticut, is a popular tourist attraction and park offering a variety of recreational activities for visitors of all ages. With over 1,500 acres of parkland, the park provides endless opportunities for outdoor fun and exploration.
Visitors can enjoy miles of hiking trails, picnic areas, and a lakeside beach surrounded by the remains of a long-extinct mill town and an old cemetery. The park is a year-round destination, perfect for swimming, fishing, biking, picnicking, and hiking in the warmer months, and snow-shoeing and cross-country skiing in the winter.
The park's name, "Gay City," comes from the numerous residents with the last name "Gay" who once lived in the old mill town. Established in 1796 by a group of Methodists seeking refuge from Hartford's alcohol restrictions, Gay City was also home to a distillery.
In addition to its recreational offerings, Gay City State Park is known for its geological significance, with various rock formations including igneous, metamorphic, and the Collins Hill Formation. Visitors can explore the park's natural beauty and history while enjoying the outdoor activities it has to offer.
Admission fees for out-of-state vehicles vary depending on the day, with season passes also available for frequent visitors. Whether you're looking for a relaxing day in nature or an adventure-filled outing, Gay City State Park has something for everyone.
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Reviews
"9.25.22 Lots of parking with porta potties close by. Hiked the 4.9 mile red trail which was an essy, flat loop. Only passed 2 other hikers. Saw many types of mushrooms and leaves are definitely changing color. Very peaceful."
"Really nice place. You can take a beautiful walk across the park."
"Beautiful park. Trails are very easy to follow, we did about a 3 mile hike through this park and there were a lot of cool things to discover and find. It's awesome that there's a lake to swim in and it's really not a crowded spot. My son is excited to go back and swim. Perfect for a picnic and just a great relaxing day. Lots of shade. Definitely bring bug spray, not so much mosquitos but the black flies were everywhere and constant. Overall a very lovely place to visit and check out. We did it as a part of sky's the limit 2022 challenge, and the only think I'd say that was difficult was that the cemetery was not on any of the maps, and on Google maps it shows it's in a different spot than it actually is. It is right before the first parking lot on the right going into the park, it's small and easy to miss and there really aren't any signs for it."
"It is a really beautiful park. There are plenty of trails to hike. There is the ruins of an old mill, as well as some cellar foundations. There are plenty of picnic tables. The pond is also stocked."
"Beautiful Hike, the "beach" isn't really one anymore its all grown over with grass. Plenty of picnic tables all over, there is a building that says it has restrooms and a changing area not sure of the condition i didn't go inside. Plenty of water all around my dog had fun swimming. Was relatively clean not a lot of trash. Some of the trails are pretty narrow due to them not being used enough and not getting cut back but still enough room for one person to walk thru without having to fight through the brush. Great little maps throughout the trails which is very helpful!"
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