Saltonstall Mountain, also known as Saltonstall Ridge (''Lonotonoquet'' in

Quinnipiac Quinnipiac is the English name for the Eansketambawg (meaning "original people"; ''cf.'' Ojibwe: '' Anishinaabeg'' and Blackfoot: ''Niitsítapi''), a Quiripi-speaking Native American nation of the Algonquian family who inhabited the ''Wamp ...

), with a high point of (est.) above sea level, 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 ...

ridge located east of

New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,02 ...

and north of Long Island Sound. It is part of the

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

, 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 ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

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. Saltonstall Mountain is known for its scenic cliff faces and sharp ridgeline, unique

microclimate A microclimate (or micro-climate) is a local set of atmospheric conditions that differ from those in the surrounding areas, often with a slight difference but sometimes with a substantial one. The term may refer to areas as small as a few squ ...

ecosystems, rare plant communities, and for Lake Saltonstall, a long by 0.3 miles (400 m) wide municipal reservoir nearly enclosed by the mountain. Saltonstall Mountain is traversed by a number of hiking trails managed by the South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority (SCCRWA) and Branford Land Trust.

Geography

Saltonstall Mountain rises steeply above the surrounding landscape, with a high point of (est.) . It is roughly long by wide and shaped like a hunting bow. The mountain lies within the towns of Branford, North Branford, and

East Haven, Connecticut East Haven is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 27,923. Located east of New Haven, it is part of the Greater New Haven area. East Haven is from Hartford, from New Yor ...

. Its western side is steepest, with vertical ledges and talus slopes, while its eastern side is lower and punctuated by hilly rises. The high point lies at the north end of the mountain; Lake Saltonstall is sandwiched in the mountain's southern arms. Beside Lake Saltonstall, the mountain shelters several other small bodies of water, including ''Lidyhites Pond,'' located in the center of the ridge north of Lake Saltonstall; ''Linsley Pond'' and ''Cedar Pond,'' located at the mountain's northern foot; and the two ''Branford Supply Ponds,'' located at the eastern foot. The ''Farm River'' runs along the western foot of the mountain.

Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1, US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between M ...

cuts through the southern tip of the ridge. The Metacomet Ridge continues north from Saltonstall Mountain as

Totoket Mountain Totoket Mountain, with a high point of (est.) 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 the Long Island Sound near New ...

and south as Beacon Hill where the ridge terminates at Long Island Sound. To the west, the Metacomet Ridge continues from Saltonstall Mountain through urban East Haven and New Haven as a series of parallel traprock rises culminating in

East Rock East Rock of south-central Connecticut, United States, with a high point of , is a long trap rock ridge located primarily in the neighborhood of East Rock on the north side of the city of New Haven. A prominent landscape feature and a popular ...

. An outlying peak, Peter's Rock, lies to the north-northwest of Saltonstall Mountain. The west side of Saltonstall Mountain drains into the Farm River, thence to the East Haven River and Long Island Sound; the east side into Pisgah Brook, thence into the Branford River and Long Island Sound.

Geology and environment

Saltonstall Mountain, like much of the Metacomet Ridge, is composed of

basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...

, also called traprock, a

volcanic A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most often found where tectonic plates a ...

rock. The mountain formed near the end of the

Triassic Period The Triassic ( ) is a geologic period and system which spans 50.6 million years from the end of the Permian Period 251.902 million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Jurassic Period 201.36 Mya. The Triassic is the first and shortest period ...

with the

rifting In geology, a rift is a linear zone where the lithosphere is being pulled apart and is an example of extensional tectonics. Typical rift features are a central linear downfaulted depression, called a graben, or more commonly a half-graben ...

apart of the North American continent from Africa and

Eurasia Eurasia (, ) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. Primarily in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, it spans from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Japanese archipelago a ...

Lava Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or un ...

welled up from the rift and solidified into sheets of strata hundreds of feet thick. Subsequent

faulting In geology, a fault is a planar fracture or discontinuity in a volume of rock across which there has been significant displacement as a result of rock-mass movements. Large faults within Earth's crust result from the action of plate tectonic ...

and

earthquake An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from ...

activity tilted the strata, creating the cliffs and ridgeline of Saltonstall Mountain. Hot, dry upper slopes, cool, moist ravines, and mineral-rich ledges of basalt talus produce a combination of

ecosystems on the mountain that support plant and animal species uncommon in greater Connecticut. Examples rare plant and animal species (protected by the state of Connecticut) that live on Saltonstall Mountain include the

eastern box turtle The eastern box turtle (''Terrapene carolina carolina'') is a subspecies within a group of hinge-shelled turtles normally called box turtles. ''T. c. carolina'' is native to the eastern part of the United States. The eastern box turtl ...

red-shouldered hawk The red-shouldered hawk (''Buteo lineatus'') is a medium-sized buteo. Its breeding range spans eastern North America and along the coast of California and northern to northeastern-central Mexico. It is a permanent resident throughout most of its ...

, and violet wood sorrel. Saltonstall Mountain is also an important

raptor Raptor or RAPTOR may refer to: Animals The word "raptor" refers to several groups of bird-like dinosaurs which primarily capture and subdue/kill prey with their talons. * Raptor (bird) or bird of prey, a bird that primarily hunts and feeds on ...

migration path. (See

for more information on the geology and ecosystem of Saltonstall Mountain).

Conservation and recreation

The southern half of the mountain is protected as public watershed managed by the SCCRWA. The SCCRWA maintains a number of hiking trails and pedestrian/bicycle roads on the ridge and along the shore of Lake Saltonstall. A permit (good for a year, fee charged), available from the SCCRWA, is required to visit the property. Permitted activities on the mountain include

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

bicycling Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from two ...

picnicking A picnic is a meal taken outdoors ( ''al fresco'') as part of an excursion, especially in scenic surroundings, such as a park, lakeside, or other place affording an interesting view, or else in conjunction with a public event such as preceding ...

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 ...

, and other passive activities. Notable trails include an interpretive nature trail and a dead-end ridgeline trail with precipitous views to the west. The Branford Trail, a recreational footpath that loops around the town of Branford and visits the town's many conservation properties, passes through the east side of the SCCRWA watershed property. Fishing and boating (using the SCCRWA's boats only) are allowed on Lake Saltonstall, where the SCCRWA manages a boat rental shop and handicap accessible fishing pier in season. Swimming and dogs are prohibited, and most of the southernmost of the mountain is off limits to the public. The northern half of the mountain is surrounded by suburban subdivisions; a few reach to parts of the ridgeline. Nonetheless, the Branford Land Trust and the town of Branford manage of protected open space on the north summit and adjoining parts of the mountain. The Branford Trail crosses through these properties. Passive activities such as hiking and picnicking are encouraged. The town of East Haven maintains open frontage on the Farm River at the west base of Saltonstall Mountain where fishing is allowed.

Trailheads

The SSCRWA parking lots are located off Hoseley Avenue, north of

U.S. Route 1 U.S. Route 1 or U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs from Key West, Florida, north to Fort Kent, Maine, at the Canadian border, making i ...

in Branford. A permit is required to park and use the trails or lake. There are two parking areas for the Branford Trail. The first is located on Laurel Hill Road via Brushy Hill Road, north of its junction with Route 1. The second is located on Northford Avenue via Mill Plain Road, north of Route 1. Three parking lots for the Branford Supply Ponds trails are located on Chestnut Street and its extension, Short Rocks Road, 0.3 miles (0.5 km) north of Route 1. Permits are not required to use the Branford Trail and Branford Supply Ponds parking areas.

References

* Farnsworth, Elizabeth J.
Metacomet-Mattabesett Trail Natural Resource Assessment.
2004. PDF wefile cited November 1, 2007. *

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.
SCCRWA
cited Dec. 7, 2007
SCCRWA Lake Saltonstall map and brochure
Cited Dec. 21, 2007.
Branford Land Trust
cited Dec. 21, 2007.

External links

SCCRWA website

Branford Land Trust

Town of Branford

SCCRWA Lake Saltonstall map and brochure

Branford Trail map and brochure: Pisgah Brook
(north half of Saltonstall Mountain).
Branford Supply Ponds Trails map and brochure

Branford Trail map and brochure: Short Beach
(Saltonstall Mountain south to Long Island Sound).
Farm River North map and brochure
{{Mountains of Connecticut East Haven, Connecticut Branford, Connecticut North Branford, Connecticut Metacomet Ridge, Connecticut Protected areas of New Haven County, Connecticut Mountains of Connecticut Landforms of New Haven County, Connecticut Nature reserves in Connecticut