Hopeville Pond State Park is a park and campground in Griswold featuring amenities like picnic tables, parking, and bathrooms. The park includes a boat launch in Hopeville, a small beach in the northwestern corner, and a swimming spot on the southwestern side of the campground. The park has 80 campsites that can be reserved (fees apply).
The trail network includes a 1.3 mile long unpaved loop, as well as the paved park roads (campground, beach and boat launch access), and connects to Nehantic Trail.
The Pachaug River was a major fishing ground for the Mohegan Indians. At low water, the stone weirs, constructed by the Indians at angles from the river banks, are still visible. These weirs directed water flow as well as eels, shad, and other fish toward the center of the stream where the Indians placed baskets to trap them. Until blocked up by a dam, constructed in 1828 at Greenville, shad passed up the Quinebaug River in great numbers.
In pioneer times, the gristmill and sawmill were among the first requisites of a community. In 1711, surveyor Stephen Gates was granted fourteen acres of land within the limits of the present state park for the purpose of constructing mills. He erected a sawmill and corn mill at the natural falls (now underwater) on the Pachaug River for the convenience of the inhabitants. In 1818, Elizah Abel purchased this mill privilege and erected a woolen mill at the site. John Slater later purchased the woolen mill, sawmill, and gristmill; he then built a satinet mill faced with local granite. He named his new mill the Hope Mill. The name Hopeville was derived from this and has remained to the present time. In 1860, the village of Hopeville reached its zenith with the tremendous demands for woolens. At this time, it was owned by Edwin Lanthrop and Company and prospered until 1881 when the mill was destroyed by fire, never to be rebuilt. At the turn of the century, the church and four houses in the community burned. Furthermore, in 1908, the gristmill which had operated from 1711 until that time also went up in flames.
The site's suitability for recreational activities was recognized in the 1930s when the Federal Government purchased considerable acreage in Eastern Connecticut. These lands were managed by the Civilian Conservation Corps with evidence of much of the work done by the CCC still visible in the pine plantations, forest roads, and fire control ponds. Most of these federally purchased lands now comprise portions of the nearby Pachaug State Forest. In 1938 Hopeville Pond was designated as a state park.
This property was acquired and/or developed with the assistance of the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
This park is managed by the following CT DEEP Park Headquarters:
The park is located at 929 Hopeville Road, Griswold
Take Exit 24. If coming from the north, take a left off the exit. If coming from the south, take a right off the exit. Follow Hopeville Road or the park signs until the (Y) intersection. Proceed to the right. The park entrance is 0.5 mile to the right, off Route 201.
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