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 (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the ...

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. 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 ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

to the

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, 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 (state), New York to the west, and the Provin ...

border. The crest of the Metacomet Ridge is located east at Hatchet Hill.

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, Georg ...

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 Granby may refer to: Places Canada * Port Granby, Ontario *Granby, Quebec ** Granby (electoral district), a Quebec electoral district whose territory is identical to that of the city ** Challenger de Granby, a tennis tournament United States *Gran ...

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'' appear ...

and Raymo, Maureen E. ''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