Lamentation Mountain, or Mount Lamentation, , is a
traprock mountain Traprock or trap rock may refer to:
* Trap rock, form of igneous rock exhibiting polygonal vertical fractures
* Traprock Important Bird Area, Queensland, Australia
* Trap Rock River, Michigan, USA
* Walter E. Traprock, pseudonym of American archi ...
located north of
Meriden, Connecticut
Meriden is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States, located halfway between the regional cities of New Haven, Connecticut, New Haven and Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford. In 2020, the population of the city was 60,850.Metacomet Ridge 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, 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. Also known from a legend in the 1700s when a Native American girl committed suicide by jumping off the Mountaintop from the loss of her love.
Geography
Roughly long by wide, Lamentation Mountain is located within the towns of Middletown, Berlin, and
Meriden, Connecticut
Meriden is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States, located halfway between the regional cities of New Haven, Connecticut, New Haven and Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford. In 2020, the population of the city was 60,850.Cathole Mountain
Cathole Mountain, , is the lowest peak in the trap rock Hanging Hills of Meriden, Connecticut. The rugged southern ledges of the mountain rise steeply above the city of Meriden. The mountain is separated from South Mountain by the narrow, rock ...
of the
Hanging Hills
The Hanging Hills of south central Connecticut, United States are a range of mountainous trap rock ridges overlooking the city of Meriden, Connecticut, Meriden and the Quinnipiac River, Quinnipiac River Valley below. They are a sub-range of the ...
; 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
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 ...
, 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 America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
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 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
, 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
Snowshoes are specialized outdoor gear for walking over snow. Their large footprint spreads the user's weight out and allows them to travel largely on top of rather than through snow. Adjustable bindings attach them to appropriate winter footwe ...
,
cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing where skiers rely on their own locomotion to move across snow-covered terrain, rather than using ski lifts or other forms of assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreation ...
boating
Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether Motorboat, powerboats, Sailing, sailboats, or man-powered vessels (such as rowing and paddle boats), focused on the travel itself, as well as sp ...
Rock climbing
Rock climbing is a sport in which participants climb up, across, or down natural rock formations. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a usually pre-defined route without falling. Rock climbing is a physically and ...
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
The Metacomet Trail is a '' Blue-Blazed'' hiking trail that traverses the Metacomet Ridge of central Connecticut and is a part of the newly designated New England National Scenic Trail. Despite being easily accessible and close to large populatio ...
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, 0.5 miles (0.75 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
The Metacomet Trail is a '' Blue-Blazed'' hiking trail that traverses the Metacomet Ridge of central Connecticut and is a part of the newly designated New England National Scenic Trail. Despite being easily accessible and close to large populatio ...
trails in Connecticut.
The Berlin Land Trust and the Meriden land Trust are active in the conservation of Lamentation Mountain and its viewshed.
See also
*
Lamentation Mountain State Park
Lamentation Mountain State Park is an undeveloped public recreation area covering in the town of Berlin, Connecticut. It entered the roll of state parks in the 1936 edition of the ''Connecticut Register and Manual.'' The state park extends for ...
Metacomet Trail
The Metacomet Trail is a '' Blue-Blazed'' hiking trail that traverses the Metacomet Ridge of central Connecticut and is a part of the newly designated New England National Scenic Trail. Despite being easily accessible and close to large populatio ...
* Adjacent summits:
References
''Giuffrida Park.'' PDF brochure. South Central Regional Council of Governments. North Haven, Connecticut. Undated. Cited Dec. 17, 2007.
* Farnsworth, Elizabeth J. Metacomet-Mattabesett Trail Natural Resource Assessment. 2004. PDF wefile 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 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 ...