Nature reserve · Connecticut
Big Brook Gorge Preserve
Big Brook Gorge Preserve is a nature reserve in Connecticut, at a modelled elevation of 131 m. Chapel Hill stands 182 m to the southeast, 6.0 miles off. The nearest named place is Cockle Hill, a peak 1.2 miles away. Connecticut State Route 169 passes 15 miles off.
What to expect
- Operated by
- Salem Land Trust
How to reach it
Coordinates41.52172, -72.29317
- 15.3 mi off the Connecticut State Route 169, National
- 22.5 mi off the State Routes 49 & 14A
- 25.4 mi off the North Fork Trail
- 15.0 mi off the Revolutionary Heritage Byway, National
Overlooks nearby
- Bluff Overlook · 29 mi
Named places within 25 miles
Peaks
- Cockle Hill: 1.2 mi
- Long Hill: 2.3 mi
- Buckley Hill: 3.5 mi
- Halls Hill: 3.5 mi
- Ladd Hill: 3.9 mi
Nature reserves
- Ahnert Preserve: 1.2 mi
- McDonald Road Property: 1.3 mi
- Zemko Sawmill Preserve: 1.6 mi
- Smuggler’s Rock Preserve: 1.9 mi
- Merrow Preserve: 2.2 mi
Parks
- Lake Hayward Boat Launch: 2.2 mi
- Gardner Lake State Park: 3.8 mi
- Millington Green: 4.1 mi
- Savin Lake Park: 4.2 mi
- Horse Pond Boat Launch: 4.7 mi
Museums
- Salem Historical Society: 2.3 mi
- Colchester Hayward Volunteer Fire Company Museum: 4.1 mi
- Colchester Historical Society: 4.2 mi
- Zagray Farm Museum: 5.8 mi
- The Genius Museum at Nature's Art Village: 7.3 mi
Historic sites
- Major General Joseph Spencer: 4.1 mi
- Johm M. Ida, 1906 - 1988: 4.4 mi
- Transient Workmans Camp: 6.1 mi
- Transient Workman's Camp Buildings: 6.1 mi
- Lyme's Veterans Memorial: 7.8 mi
Beaches: 49
- Kiddie's Beach: 13.1 mi
- Hole-in-the-Wall Beach: 14.8 mi
- Amtrak Beach: 14.8 mi
- McCook Park Beach: 14.9 mi
- Crescent Beach: 15.0 mi
Waterfalls: 48
- Chapman Falls: 3.6 mi
- Cascade: 4.1 mi
- Cascade: 5.9 mi
- Cascade: 6.1 mi
- Moodus Falls: 7.0 mi
Artworks: 44
- Monty the T-Rex: 7.2 mi
- Muffler Man: 10.4 mi
- River Blue: 10.7 mi
- Sparky: 10.9 mi
- Nevertheless: 11.2 mi
Attractions: 42
- Devil's Oven: 3.9 mi
- turtle rock: 5.7 mi
- tri-town marker: 5.9 mi
- Mill Turbine: 7.2 mi
- Salmon Head Rock: 7.6 mi
Gardens: 41
- Gingers Garden: 9.6 mi
- Memorial Garden: 9.8 mi
- fern and rock garden: 10.8 mi
- Memorial Rose Gardens: 11.4 mi
- Rain Garden: 12.0 mi
Cliffs: 9
- Candlewood Ledge: 9.4 mi
- Pine Ledge: 12.7 mi
- Wolf Rock Cliff: 16.9 mi
- Fifty Foot Cliff: 19.0 mi
- Coney Rock: 19.6 mi
Rest areas: 4
- Rest Area I-395 (South Bound): 9.7 mi
- Rest Area I-95 (North Bound): 17.5 mi
- Rest Area I-95 (North Bound): 19.7 mi
- Jennifer Hodges Memorial Rest Area: 23.4 mi
Ghost towns: 2
- Johnsonville Village: 9.2 mi
- Gay City State Park: 16.0 mi
Picnic sites: 2
- Skate Hut: 14.7 mi
- Powder House: 15.0 mi
Springs: 2
- Windham Spring: 14.9 mi
- Old Spring: 17.3 mi
Lighthouses: 1
- Saybrook Breakwater Light: 18.0 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 9.5 miles of Big Brook Gorge Preserve. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chapel Hill | SE 128° | 182 m | 6.0 mi |
| Tater Hill | SW 220° | 179 m | 5.5 mi |
| Buckley Hill | NW 304° | 176 m | 3.5 mi |
| Long Hill | WSW 255° | 175 m | 2.3 mi |
| Maynard Hill | SSE 147° | 174 m | 4.9 mi |
| Goshen Hill | NNE 24° | 174 m | 6.4 mi |
| Burrows Hill | NNW 327° | 174 m | 9.4 mi |
| Cockle Hill | SE 132° | 171 m | 1.2 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 06:54 | 18:25 | 19:01 |
| June solstice | 05:16 | 19:45 | 20:27 |
| September equinox | 06:37 | 18:12 | 18:48 |
| December solstice | 07:13 | 15:38 | 16:23 |
Local time (America/New_York).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: May–Oct.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 30 | 32 | 39 | 49 | 59 | 68 | 74 | 73 | 65 | 54 | 44 | 35 |
| Precip in | 3.9 | 3.8 | 5.1 | 4.7 | 3.6 | 4.3 | 3.6 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 4.2 | 5.0 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Norwich Public Utility PLT, 12 mi away.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapOpenStreetMap element way/1209255344
Day trips start here
- Connecticut River Valley · 4 mi
- Montville · 8 mi
- Norwich · 11 mi
- East Lyme · 12 mi
- Mystic-Eastern · 12 mi
- Essex · 13 mi
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