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Ravine Park
Location Information
Sponsored by:
City of Middletown: Department of Planning, Conservation, and Development
Location Entrance:
Beach Street
Middletown, CT 06457
Location Phone:
N/A
Type: An entire park
Alternate trailhead or entry point:
Difficulty: Moderate (Gently rising terrain with the likeliness to encounter occasional obstacles)
Primary Walking Surface:
Earth
Hours open:
Dawn to dusk
Suitable for ages: • Children • Teenagers • Adults
Number of walking trails: 1
Total walking route length: <1 miles
Admission fees:
Free
Location Details
Ravine Park, owned by the City of Middletown, occupies 19 acres in central Middletown, stretching from Beach Street at its east end to Pine Street to the west. It is a noteworthy oasis of biodiversity and constitutes the northeastern end of a nearly continuous greenway of undeveloped land that extends to Wadsworth State Park in Middlefield.
Ravine Park has been impacted by human activity. Non-native, invasive species are abundant and include Japanese knotweed, multiflora rose, and garlic mustard that covers the edges of the Marion Banks Nature Trail. A stream and its pond at the east end of the park serve as an important catchment area for runoff, which has grown in volume in recent years due to increased impervious surfaces in the area. Erosion due to storm flooding is visible at the west end of the stream. Nonetheless, Ravine Park contains some fine examples of wetland vegetation. In the early spring, there are extensive displays of trout lily and bloodroot, although the latter has been compromised by recent sewer construction in the area.
Location Features
| Landscape settings: | • Urban • Stream/river • Pond/lake • Woodland • Wetland |
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| Activities: |    |
| Neighboring towns: | |
| Access restrictions: | Not ADA accessible. |
How to get there
| Driving Directions: | From Route 66/Washington Street, go south on High Street for about one mile. Turn right on Beach Street, opposite Warwick Street. |
| Parking: |
There is a two to three car parking area on Beach Street in a pull-out near the park. |
| Public transportation: |
Other Items of Interest
| Flora and fauna: | The dominant tree species are beech, red maple, and several species of oak. The understory contains abundant ironwood and spicebush, whose misty yellow flowers give a lovely cast to the stream banks in early spring. Pagoda, or alternate-leaved, dogwood can be found at the west end of the trail. Horsetail grows in poorly drained areas, and other damp areas are carpeted with skunk cabbage. Pileated woodpeckers are seen here, and the whinny of screech owls is often heard at night. This is also a good spot to look for warblers during the spring and fall migrations. |
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