The Barn Door Hills of north-central
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
are a pair of prominent rocky
trap rock
Trap rock, also known as either trapp or trap, is any dark-colored, fine-grained, non-granitic intrusive or extrusive igneous rock. Types of trap rock include basalt, peridotite, diabase, and gabbro.Neuendorf, K.K.E., J.P. Mehl, Jr., and J.A ...
knobs separated by a steep sided gap. They are located in
Granby, Connecticut
Granby is a town in far northern Hartford County, Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New Y ...
. The hills are an outlying section of the narrow, linear
Metacomet Ridge
The Metacomet Ridge, Metacomet Ridge Mountains, or Metacomet Range of southern New England is a narrow and steep fault-block mountain ridge known for its extensive cliff faces, scenic vistas, microclimate ecosystems, and rare or endangered plants. ...
that extends from
Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound is a marine sound and tidal estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. It lies predominantly between the U.S. state of Connecticut to the north and Long Island in New York to the south. From west to east, the sound stretches from the Eas ...
near New Haven, north through the
Connecticut River Valley
The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges at Long Island ...
of
to the
Vermont
Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...
border. The crest of the Metacomet Ridge is located east at
Hatchet Hill
Hatchett Hill, est. , is a trap rock ridge located in East Granby, Connecticut, northeast of Hartford, Connecticut. It is part of the narrow, linear Metacomet Ridge that extends from Long Island Sound near New Haven, Connecticut, north through ...
.
Recreation and conservation
East Barndoor Hill is located in the
McLean Game Refuge
The McLean Game Refuge is a nature preserve with the overwhelming majority of the land being in the town of Granby, with smaller tracts of land on the Granby border in Simsbury and Canton, Connecticut. Senator and Governor of Connecticut, George ...
founded by former United States Senator
George P. McLean
George Payne McLean (October 7, 1857 – June 6, 1932) was the 59th Governor of Connecticut, and a United States senator from Connecticut.
Biography
McLean was born in Simsbury, Connecticut, one of five children of Dudley B. McLean and Mary ( ...
and now a
National Natural Landmark
The National Natural Landmarks (NNL) Program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only national natural areas program that identifies and recognizes the best ...
.
[ A hiking trail climbs the summit of the hill. West Barndoor Hill is maintained by the Granby Land Trust.][
]
References
* Farnsworth, Elizabeth J
Metacomet-Mattabesett Trail Natural Resource Assessment
July 17, 2004. Cited November 1, 2007.
*''Connecticut Walk Book: A Trail Guide to the Connecticut Outdoors.'' 17th Edition. The Connecticut Forest and Park Association. Rockfall, Connecticut. Undated.
* Raymo, Chet
Chet Raymo (born September 17, 1936 in Chattanooga, Tennessee) is a noted writer, educator and naturalist. He is Professor Emeritus of Physics at Stonehill College, in Easton, Massachusetts. His weekly newspaper column ''Science Musings'' appea ...
and Raymo, Maureen E.
Maureen E. "Mo" Raymo (born 1959) is an American paleoclimatologist and marine geologist. She is the Co-Founding Dean of the Columbia Climate School, Director of the Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, the G. Unger Vetl ...
''Written in Stone: A Geologic History of the Northeastern United States''. Globe Pequot, Chester, Connecticut, 1989.
External links
McLean Game Refuge MapWestern Barndoor Hill Preserve Trail Map
{{Mountains of Connecticut
Landforms of Hartford County, Connecticut
Mountains of Connecticut
Metacomet Ridge, Connecticut
Granby, Connecticut