Pinnacle Rock (Connecticut)
Encyclopedia
Pinnacle Rock, 600 feet (182.9 m), is a traprock mountain peak located 10 miles (16.1 km) southwest of Hartford, Connecticut
in the towns of Farmington
and Plainville
.
It is part of the narrow, linear Metacomet Ridge
that extends from Long Island Sound
near New Haven, Connecticut
, north through the Connecticut River Valley of Massachusetts
to the Vermont
border. Pinnacle Rock, popular as an outdoor recreation destination in the metropolitan Hartford area, is known for its clifftop scenic vistas, unique microclimate
ecosystems, rare plant communities, and as a seasonal raptor
migration path. Pinnacle Rock is traversed by the 51 miles (82.1 km) Metacomet Trail
.
Pinnacle Rock should not be confused with The Pinnacle, a name used for two other peaks also on the Metacomet Ridge in Connecticut (on Talcott Mountain
and Higby Mountain
).
valley to the southwest and the Farmington River
valley to the northwest. The summit is bald and offers extensive views west over the valleys and suburban Farmington, toward the Berkshire Mountains. The Metacomet Ridge continues north from Pinnacle Rock as Rattlesnake Mountain
and south as Bradley Mountain
. The Quinnipiac River, no more than a brook this far north, passes through the gap between Pinnacle Rock and Bradley Mountain.
The northeast side of Pinnacle Rock drains into Trout Brook, then to the Park River
, thence into the Connecticut River
and Long Island Sound
; the rest of the mountain supports the headwaters of the Quinnipiac River, which flows directly into Long Island Sound.
, also called traprock, a volcanic rock. The mountain formed near the end of the Triassic Period with the rifting apart of the North America
n continent from Africa
and Eurasia
. Lava
welled up from the rift and solidified into sheets of strata hundreds of feet thick. Subsequent faulting and earthquake
activity tilted the strata, creating the cliffs and ridgeline of Pinnacle Rock. Hot, dry upper slopes, cool, moist ravines, and mineral-rich ledges of basalt talus
produce a combination of microclimate
ecosystems on the mountain that support plant and animal species uncommon in greater Connecticut. Pinnacle Rock is also an important raptor migration path. (See Metacomet Ridge
for more information on the geology and ecosystem of Pinnacle Rock).
of Meriden, Connecticut
to the Massachusetts border. The Metacomet Trail on the mountain is open to hiking
, bird watching, picnicking, snowshoeing, and other passive pursuits.
The ecosystem of Pinnacle Rock is most threatened by development and quarrying. In 2000, Pinnacle Rock was included in a study by the National Park Service
for the designation of a new National Scenic Trail
now tentatively called the New England National Scenic Trail
, which would include the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail
in Massachusetts and the Mattabesett Trail
and Metacomet Trail trails in Connecticut.
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
in the towns of Farmington
Farmington, Connecticut
Farmington is a town located in Hartford County in the Farmington Valley area of central Connecticut in the United States. The population was 25,340 at the 2010 census. It is home to the world headquarters of several large corporations including Carrier Corporation, Otis Elevator Company, and Carvel...
and Plainville
Plainville, Connecticut
Plainville is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 17,328 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 9.8 square miles , of which 9.8 square miles is land and 0.1 square miles is water...
.
It is part of the narrow, linear Metacomet Ridge
Metacomet Ridge
The Metacomet Ridge, Metacomet Ridge Mountains, or Metacomet Range of southern New England, United States, is a narrow and steep fault-block mountain ridge known for its extensive cliff faces, scenic vistas, microclimate ecosystems, and communities of plants considered rare or endangered...
that extends from Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
near New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
, north through the Connecticut River Valley of Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
to the Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
border. Pinnacle Rock, popular as an outdoor recreation destination in the metropolitan Hartford area, is known for its clifftop scenic vistas, unique microclimate
Microclimate
A microclimate is a local atmospheric zone where the climate differs from the surrounding area. The term may refer to areas as small as a few square feet or as large as many square miles...
ecosystems, rare plant communities, and as a seasonal raptor
Bird of prey
Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, using their keen senses, especially vision. They are defined as birds that primarily hunt vertebrates, including other birds. Their talons and beaks tend to be relatively large, powerful and adapted for tearing and/or piercing flesh....
migration path. Pinnacle Rock is traversed by the 51 miles (82.1 km) Metacomet Trail
Metacomet Trail
The Metacomet Trail is a Blue-Blazed hiking trail that traverses the Metacomet Ridge of central Connecticut and is a part of the newly designated New England National Scenic Trail. Despite being easily accessible and close to large population centers, the trail is considered remarkably rugged and...
.
Pinnacle Rock should not be confused with The Pinnacle, a name used for two other peaks also on the Metacomet Ridge in Connecticut (on Talcott Mountain
Talcott Mountain
Talcott Montain of central Connecticut, with a high point of , is a long trap rock mountain ridge located west of the city of Hartford. The ridge, a prominent landscape feature, forms a continuous line of exposed western cliffs visible across the Farmington River valley from Farmington to Simsbury...
and Higby Mountain
Higby Mountain
Higby Mountain or Mount Higby , is a traprock mountain ridge located east of Meriden, Connecticut. It is part of the narrow, linear Metacomet Ridge that extends from Long Island Sound near New Haven, Connecticut, north through the Connecticut River Valley of Massachusetts to the Vermont border...
).
Geography
Pinnacle Rock occupies the high point of a 1 miles (1.6 km) long mountain ridge which rises steeply 400 feet (121.9 m) above the upper Quinnipiac RiverQuinnipiac River
The Quinnipiac River is a river in the New England region of the United States, located entirely in the state of Connecticut.It rises in west central Connecticut from Dead Wood Swamp west of the city of New Britain...
valley to the southwest and the Farmington River
Farmington River
The Farmington River is a river located in northwest Connecticut, with major tributaries extending into southwest Massachusetts. Via its longest branch , the Farmington's length increases to , making it the Connecticut River's longest tributary by a mere over the major river directly to its...
valley to the northwest. The summit is bald and offers extensive views west over the valleys and suburban Farmington, toward the Berkshire Mountains. The Metacomet Ridge continues north from Pinnacle Rock as Rattlesnake Mountain
Rattlesnake Mountain (Connecticut)
Rattlesnake Mountain is a traprock mountain, above sea level, located southwest of Hartford, Connecticut in the town of Farmington. It is part of the narrow, linear Metacomet Ridge that extends from Long Island Sound near New Haven, Connecticut, north through the Connecticut River Valley of...
and south as Bradley Mountain
Bradley Mountain
Bradley Mountain, , is a traprock mountain located west of New Britain, Connecticut, USA, in the town of Southington and PlainvilleIt is part of the narrow, linear Metacomet Ridge that extends from Long Island Sound near New Haven, Connecticut, north through the Connecticut River Valley of...
. The Quinnipiac River, no more than a brook this far north, passes through the gap between Pinnacle Rock and Bradley Mountain.
The northeast side of Pinnacle Rock drains into Trout Brook, then to the Park River
Park River (Connecticut)
The Park River, sometimes called the Hog River, is a subterranean urban river that flows through and under the city of Hartford, Connecticut. It was diverted underground by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1940. The stated reason for this was to reduce the risk of spring seasonal floods which had...
, thence into the Connecticut River
Connecticut River
The Connecticut River is the largest and longest river in New England, and also an American Heritage River. It flows roughly south, starting from the Fourth Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire. After flowing through the remaining Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, it defines the border between the...
and Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
; the rest of the mountain supports the headwaters of the Quinnipiac River, which flows directly into Long Island Sound.
Former missile site
HA-67 was a Nike 1B defensive missile base which operated from 1956 through March 1961 on the Plainville side of the rock near Loon Lake, southeast of the summit. The base is no longer in existence, with little remaining other than a parking lot and a few buildings which have been reduced to rubble. Further southeast is a small wide) traprock quarry.Geology and ecology
Pinnacle Rock, like much of the Metacomet Ridge, is composed of basaltBasalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
, also called traprock, a volcanic rock. The mountain formed near the end of the Triassic Period with the rifting apart of the North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n continent from Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and Eurasia
Eurasia
Eurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...
. Lava
Lava
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...
welled up from the rift and solidified into sheets of strata hundreds of feet thick. Subsequent faulting and earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
activity tilted the strata, creating the cliffs and ridgeline of Pinnacle Rock. Hot, dry upper slopes, cool, moist ravines, and mineral-rich ledges of basalt talus
Scree
Scree, also called talus, is a term given to an accumulation of broken rock fragments at the base of crags, mountain cliffs, or valley shoulders. Landforms associated with these materials are sometimes called scree slopes or talus piles...
produce a combination of microclimate
Microclimate
A microclimate is a local atmospheric zone where the climate differs from the surrounding area. The term may refer to areas as small as a few square feet or as large as many square miles...
ecosystems on the mountain that support plant and animal species uncommon in greater Connecticut. Pinnacle Rock is also an important raptor migration path. (See Metacomet Ridge
Metacomet Ridge
The Metacomet Ridge, Metacomet Ridge Mountains, or Metacomet Range of southern New England, United States, is a narrow and steep fault-block mountain ridge known for its extensive cliff faces, scenic vistas, microclimate ecosystems, and communities of plants considered rare or endangered...
for more information on the geology and ecosystem of Pinnacle Rock).
Recreation and conservation
Pinnacle Rock is traversed by the Metacomet Trail, (maintained by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association), which extends from the Hanging HillsHanging Hills
The Hanging Hills of south central Connecticut, USA are a range of mountainous trap rock ridges overlooking the city of Meriden and the Quinnipiac River Valley below. They are a sub-range of the narrow, linear Metacomet Ridge that extends from Long Island Sound near New Haven, Connecticut, north...
of Meriden, Connecticut
Meriden, Connecticut
Meriden is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 59,653.-History:...
to the Massachusetts border. The Metacomet Trail on the mountain is open to hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
, bird watching, picnicking, snowshoeing, and other passive pursuits.
The ecosystem of Pinnacle Rock is most threatened by development and quarrying. In 2000, Pinnacle Rock was included in a study by the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
for the designation of a new National Scenic Trail
National Scenic Trail
National Scenic Trail is a designation for protected areas in the United States that consist of trails of particular natural beauty.National Scenic Trails were authorized under the National Trails System Act of 1968 along with National Historic Trails and National Recreation Trails...
now tentatively called the New England National Scenic Trail
New England National Scenic Trail
The New England National Scenic Trail is a National Scenic Trail in southern New England, which includes most of the three single trails Metacomet-Monadnock Trail, Mattabesett Trail and Metacomet Trail. After the Metacomet-Monadnock-Mattabesett trail system, the trail is sometimes called Triple-M...
, which would include the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail
Metacomet-Monadnock Trail
The Metacomet-Monadnock Trail is a hiking trail that traverses the Metacomet Ridge of the Pioneer Valley region of Massachusetts and the central uplands of Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire...
in Massachusetts and the Mattabesett Trail
Mattabesett Trail
The Mattabesett Trail is a long, hook-shaped Blue-Blazed hiking trail in central Connecticut and a part of the newly designated New England National Scenic Trail. One half of the trail follows the high traprock ridges of the Metacomet Ridge, from Totoket Mountain in Guilford, Connecticut to...
and Metacomet Trail trails in Connecticut.
See also
- Metacomet RidgeMetacomet RidgeThe Metacomet Ridge, Metacomet Ridge Mountains, or Metacomet Range of southern New England, United States, is a narrow and steep fault-block mountain ridge known for its extensive cliff faces, scenic vistas, microclimate ecosystems, and communities of plants considered rare or endangered...
- Adjacent summits:
↓ South North ↑ Bradley Mountain Bradley MountainBradley Mountain, , is a traprock mountain located west of New Britain, Connecticut, USA, in the town of Southington and PlainvilleIt is part of the narrow, linear Metacomet Ridge that extends from Long Island Sound near New Haven, Connecticut, north through the Connecticut River Valley of...
(no image)