CT State Parks and Forests Main Page Park Location 1400 George's Hill Road Southbury (Directions)   Park Contact Information Park Office (May - September) (203) 264-5678 From October Through April Direct Inquiries To Putnam Memorial State Park (203) 938-2285 {Link to Purchase a State park Season Pass}   {Symbol for Handicapped Accessibility} ACCESSIBILITY This park offers: {Symbol for Handicapped Accessibility} Bathrooms {Symbol for Handicapped Accessibility} Parking {Symbol for Handicapped Accessibility} Picnic Tables HOURS: The park is open from 8 am to sunset. WATER QUALITY: Current information on swimming water quality. PETS: Pets on a leash are permitted in picnic areas and on hiking trails.  Pets are not allowed on the beach or in the campground. STATE PARKS CONTACT INFORMATION: Email: dep.stateparks @ct.gov Telephone: (860) 424-3200 (866) 287-2757 (Toll Free in CT) Fax: (860) 424-4070

{Kettletown State Park} Kettletown State Park Southbury The cool waters of the Housatonic River make Kettletown State Park and Lake Zoar popular recreation destinations. Activities Facilities Geology Directions Map History Activities {Camping} Camping {Picnicking} Picnicking {Fishing} Freshwater Fishing {Swimming} Swimming {Hiking} Hiking {Camping} Youth Group Camping Camping Kettletown Campground offers 68 sites in both open and wooded settings. More Information Youth Group Camping is available at Kettletown State Park. More Information Facilities Bathrooms, Picnic Tables Note to Swimmers:  Please read the Beach Regulations and Swimming Safety Information before entering the park {Kettletown State Park} Kettletown State Park Geology The Geology of Kettletown State Park Directions Off Interstate 84: take Exit 15. Go south onto CT Route 67. Take a right at the first traffic light onto Kettletown Road. Continue for approximately 3 miles on Kettletown Road. Take a right onto Georges Hill Road. Park is located on the left approximately 0.6 miles. Fees   Information on Season Passes There is a weekend/holiday parking fee and a campsite fee at Kettletown State Park. More Information Map Camping Map (197 K) Hiking Map (1233 K) History Kettletown State Park, situated in the towns of Southbury and Oxford, contains 605 acres and was originally inhabited by the Pootatuck Indians, members of the Algonquin group. Early colonists reportedly traded one brass kettle for use of the land for hunting and fishing.  Eventually, the settlers acquired complete rights to the area and, by 1758, the Pootatucks had either migrated to the northwest or perished. {Kettletown State Park} Although the Pootatucks were expert fisherman and hunters, their main occupation was farming. They raised fine crops of beans, squash, tobacco and apples. The Pootatucks developed a drum communications system which could carry a message over 200 miles in just two hours. All that remains now in the Kettletown area of this once prosperous tribe is an occasional arrowhead. In 1919, their original village was covered by the water of the Housatonic River when the Connecticut Light and Power Company constructed the Stevenson Dam to produce hydroelectric power. The resulting Lake Zoar is the fifth largest freshwater body in the state. The settlers who had used the land for dairy farming had deserted much of it as better farming land became available elsewhere. The State of Connecticut purchased 455 of the 605 acres in Kettletown in 1950 with funds left by Edward Carrington of New Haven, which he had dedicated to the acquisition of public land in the Naugatuck Valley. Much has happened to Kettletown since the arrival of the early settlers. Today it exists in a more natural state for all to enjoy.  Other Nearby State Recreation Areas Include: Collis P. Huntington State Park, Redding  Location: Take Route 58 to Sunset Hill Road. Park entrance is on east side of Sunset Hill Road Activities: Canoeing, Cross-Country Skiing, Fishing (5 ponds), Hiking, Horseback Riding, Mountain Biking Charge: None {Youth Group Camp Site at Kettletown State Park} Youth Group Campsite at Kettletown State Park Kellogg Environmental Center, Derby Location: From Route 8 or the Merritt Parkway, take Route 34 West. From downtown Derby, continue 1.5 miles along 34 West. At Lakeview Terrace, turn right and take it to the end. Turn left at the stop sign onto Hawthorne Avenue. The entrance for the Kellogg Environmental Center and Osborne Homestead Museum will be 200 yards on the left. Activities: The Kellogg Environmental Center offers workshops, exhibits, nature activities, and lectures for the general public.  Indian Well State Park, Shelton Location: 2 miles north of Shelton on Route 110 Activities: Boating, River Fishing, Hiking, Picnicking, Swimming Charge: Daily, in season Osbornedale State Park, Derby Location: 1 mile northwest of Derby off Route 34 Activities: Cross-Country Skiing, Field Sports, Fishing, Hiking, Picnicking, Skating Charge: None Southford Falls State Park, Southbury Location: 4 miles southwest of Southbury on Route 188 Activities: Hiking, Historic Site, Picnicking, Pond and Stream Fishing Charge: None Related Links Connecticut Tourism Information Fishing Information {Link to Top of Page}