Collis P. Huntington State Park is a public recreation area covering in the

towns A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

of Redding, Newtown, and

Bethel Bethel ( he, בֵּית אֵל, translit=Bēṯ 'Ēl, "House of El" or "House of God",Bleeker and Widegren, 1988, p. 257. also transliterated ''Beth El'', ''Beth-El'', ''Beit El''; el, Βαιθήλ; la, Bethel) was an ancient Israelite sanct ...

Fairfield County, Connecticut Fairfield County is a County (United States), county in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is the List of counties in Connecticut, most populous county in the state and was also its fastest-growing from 2010 to 2020. A ...

. The

state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...

is noted for

Anna Hyatt Huntington Anna Vaughn Hyatt Huntington (March 10, 1876 – October 4, 1973) was an American sculptor who was among New York City's most prominent sculptors in the early 20th century. At a time when very few women were successful artists, she had a thrivi ...

sculptures Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

of bears and wolves that welcome visitors at the park entrance. Her work can also be seen in the heroic sculpture of General

Israel Putnam Israel Putnam (January 7, 1718 – May 29, 1790), popularly known as "Old Put", was an American military officer and landowner who fought with distinction at the Battle of Bunker Hill during the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783). He als ...

Putnam Memorial State Park Putnam Memorial State Park is a history-oriented public recreation area in the town of Redding, Connecticut. The state park preserves the site that Major General Israel Putnam chose as the winter encampment for his men in the winter of 1778/ ...

in Redding. The park bears the name of railroad magnate

Collis Potter Huntington Collis Potter Huntington (October 22, 1821 – August 13, 1900) was an American industrialist and railway magnate. He was one of the Big Four of western railroading (along with Leland Stanford, Mark Hopkins, and Charles Crocker) who invested i ...

, whose heirs donated the lands to the state. The park's web of multi-use trails is open to hikers, cyclists, and equestrians. The park is managed by the

Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is a state agency in the US state of Connecticut. The department oversees the state's natural resources and environment and regulates public utilities and energy policy. It ...

History

Under the late 19th-century ownership of Commodore Walther Luttgen, a

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

banker, industrialist and yachtsman, park-like features were added to the landscape including service roads, trails, and artificial ponds. One of Luttgen's improvements, a miniature stone lighthouse, may still be seen. The remains of a small steam paddlewheeler that once plied the ponds have not been found. Joseph E. Sterrett, a principal with the accounting firm of Price, Waterhouse, acquired the estate, including its mansion, Villa Linta, following Luttgen's death in 1922. After Villa Linta burned down, the land was purchased by

Archer M. Huntington Archer Milton Huntington (March 10, 1870 – December 11, 1955) was a philanthropist and scholar, primarily known for his contributions to the field of Hispanic Studies. He founded The Hispanic Society of America in New York City, and made n ...

, the philanthropist stepson of industrialist Collis Potter Huntington. He and his wife Anna Hyatt Huntington changed its name to Stanerigg and moved to the estate in 1939 to pursue their various interests: she as creator of works of realistic sculpture, he as poet, Spanish scholar, and patron of the arts. The park was opened to the public following Anna Huntington's death in 1973.

Activities and amenities

Tourmaline in Pegmatite, near Redding, CT

The park has trails for hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing. Trails include the northern section of the Aspetuck Valley Trail, which connects with the adjacent Centennial Watershed State Forest. Park ponds are available for canoeing and fishing. Archery-only deer hunting is offered from mid-September through December. Pets are permitted but must be leashed. The park also offers interesting geology. The

pegmatite A pegmatite is an igneous rock showing a very coarse texture, with large interlocking crystals usually greater in size than and sometimes greater than . Most pegmatites are composed of quartz, feldspar, and mica, having a similar silicic com ...

in the northern part of the Park was mined for mica and feldspar, and contains minerals like Tourmaline.Biermann Quarries (Bethel quarries) and tourmaline ledge
, Information on Mindat.org, Retrieved September 2, 2019. There is no fee to use the park. Facilities include pit toilets located near the Old Dodgingtown Road entrance. The park is not handicapped accessible.

References

External links

Huntington State Park
Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Huntington State Park Map
Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection {{authority control State parks of Connecticut Parks in Fairfield County, Connecticut Protected areas established in 1973 Outdoor sculptures in Connecticut Bethel, Connecticut Redding, Connecticut Newtown, Connecticut 1973 establishments in Connecticut