CT State Parks and Forests Main Page Park Location and Contact Information Devil's Hopyard State Park 366 Hopyard Road East Haddam, CT 06423 (Directions) (860) 526-2336     ACCESSIBILITY This park offers: Fishing Platform Parking Picnic Tables HOURS: The park is open from 8 am to sunset. PETS: Pets on a leash are permitted in picnic areas and on hiking trails.  Pets are not allowed in the campground. STATE PARKS CONTACT INFORMATION: Email: deep.stateparks@ct.gov Telephone: (860) 424-3200 (866) 287-2757 (Toll Free in CT) Fax: (860) 424-4070

Devil's Hopyard State Park East Haddam Could the round holes in the falls really be the work of the devil?  Or, just nature and water making their mark for future generations?  Visit Devil's Hopyard and find your own answer to this age-old mystery. Activities Facilities Geology Directions Map Overview Activities Bicycling Hiking Birding Picnicking Camping Stream Fishing Youth Group Camping Camping Devil's Hopyard Campground offers 21 sites in a wooded setting.   Camping is available from mid-April through the end of September 30. More Information Devil's Hopyard offers Youth Group Camping. More Information Facilities Pedestal Cooking Grills, Picnic Shelters, Picnic Tables, Composting Toilets Picnic Shelter Rental Information Devil's Hopyard State Park, East Haddam Geology The Geology of Devil's Hopyard State Park Directions From CT Route 9: take Exit 7, then a left at the end of the exit ramp onto CT Route 82 east/154 north. Take a right at the first traffic light following CT Route 82 east and follow the signs. From Interstate 395: take Exit 80 west. Take a right onto CT Route 82 west. Take a right onto Hopyard Road and follow signs. From I-91S: take Exit 22 for Route 9 South, Exit 7. Take a left at the end of the exit ramp onto CT Route 82 east/154 north. Take a right at the first traffic light following CT Route 82 east and follow the signs. Fees   Information on Season Passes There are no parking fees, but there is a nightly camping fee at Devil's Hopyard State Park. More Information Map Hiking Map (Color) Overview In 1919, the former State Park and Forest Commission obtained an 860 acre parcel located in the Millington section of Haddam. The principle feature of the park, Chapman Falls drops more than sixty feet over a series of steps in a Scotland Schist stone formation. The falls also once powered "Beebe's Mills" which were named after the original owner. The mills operated until the mid 1890's. A search for the origin of the name "Devil's Hopyard" reveals a wide variety of different stories; none of them are verifiable and all are likely to be more fiction than fact. One of the most popular of these stories is about a man named Dibble, who had a garden for growing hops used in the brewing of beer. It seems that through usage, Dibble's Hopyard became Devil's Hopyard. There are records of several farmers having hopyards in the area, but there is no mention of a landowner named Dibble. However, Dibble might have been a tenant. Another tale focuses on the potholes near the falls, which are some of the finest examples of pothole stone formations in this section of the country. Perfectly cylindrical, they range from inches to several feet in diameter and depth. These potholes were formed by stones moved downstream by the current and trapped in an eddy where the stone was spun around and around, wearing a depression in the rock. When the rock wore itself down, another would catch in the same hole and enlarge it. We know this now, but to the early settlers the potholes were a great mystery that they tried to explain with references to the supernatural. They thought that the Devil has passed by the falls, accidentally getting his tail wet. This made him so mad he burned holes in the stones with his hooves as he bounded away. The park today offers some of the finest birding in the state and fishermen find the clear, cool stream water an excellent source of brook trout. Other Nearby State Recreation Areas Include: Day Pond State Park, Colchester Location:  5 1/2 miles west of Colchester off Route 149 Activities: Hiking, Picnicking, Pond Fishing, Swimming Charge: Weekends and Holidays in season Devil's Hopyard Falls Gillette Castle State Park, East Haddam Location:  4 miles south of East Haddam off Route 82 Activities: Castle Tours, Hiking, Picnicking, Scenic Vista Charge: Per Person Admission Fee for Castle Haddam Meadows State Park, Haddam Location:  3 miles south of Higganum off Route 154 Activities: Picnicking, Fishing, Boating Charge: None Rocky Neck State Park, East Lyme  Location:  3 miles west of Niantic (Exit 72 from I-95 - Connecticut Turnpike) Activities: Picnicking, Saltwater Fishing, Hiking, Scuba Diving, Camping, Interpretive Program, Field Sports, Cross Country Skiing, Saltwater, Swimming Charge: Daily, in season Related Links Connecticut Tourism Information Fishing Information

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