For a state as small as Connecticut, it’s amazing how many lovely spots we have to get out and enjoy nature! We are blessed with 139 state parks within our borders, plus two national parks. One park not only boasts the typical trails and beauty you’d expect from a state park in Connecticut, but it’s also got a fascinating history as well. Gay City State Park near Hebron and Bolton covers more than 1,500 acres. It’s home to unique ruins from when the area was a 19th-century mill town.
The park is particularly beautiful in the autumn. This is a great spot to see all the beautiful fall foliage in Connecticut.
Jim Bromberg/Google Maps
About 25 families settled in the village. They built several mills, none of which lasted very long.
Diane Grenier/Google Maps
The first mill was constructed on the property in 1800. The final mill burned down in 1879, though some of the remnants of the structures remain standing today.
Samuel Crisanti/Google Maps
Due to town leaders’ struggles with alcoholism, murders, and alleged hauntings, the city gradually failed. By the 1880s, the town was abandoned.
Alexander Wood/Google Maps
Descendants of the Gay family that were some of the earliest settlers of the town sold the city to the state. It was named a Connecticut state park in 1946.
Alexander Wood/Google Maps
You can see some of the remnants of the former mills here. There are also a few stone bridges and areas that were used for storage.
David Bernor/Google Maps
Take a five-mile trail through the park that will show you some of the fascinating ghost town ruins.
Andrew Casey-Clyde/Alltrails
Even if you’re not interested in the historical aspects of this park, it’s a beautiful place that makes for a great day trip.
Steve Dunn/Alltrails
Have you visited Gay City State Park? It’s a really neat ghost town in Connecticut with some great recreational opportunities.
Check out the Connecticut state website for more information about the park.
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Address: Gay City State Park, 386 North St, Hebron, CT 06248, USA
For a state as small as Connecticut, it’s amazing how many lovely spots we have to get out and enjoy nature! We are blessed with 139 state parks within our borders, plus two national parks. One park not only boasts the typical trails and beauty you’d expect from a state park in Connecticut, but it’s also got a fascinating history as well. Gay City State Park near Hebron and Bolton covers more than 1,500 acres. It’s home to unique ruins from when the area was a 19th-century mill town.
Jim Bromberg/Google Maps
Diane Grenier/Google Maps
Samuel Crisanti/Google Maps
Alexander Wood/Google Maps
David Bernor/Google Maps
Andrew Casey-Clyde/Alltrails
Steve Dunn/Alltrails
Have you visited Gay City State Park? It’s a really neat ghost town in Connecticut with some great recreational opportunities.
Check out the Connecticut state website for more information about the park.
