Sunrise State Park

State park in Connecticut, United States

41°30′26″N 72°28′50″W / 41.50722°N 72.48056°W / 41.50722; -72.48056Area143 acres (58 ha)^[1]DesignationConnecticut state parkEstablished2009AdministratorConnecticut Department of Energy and Environmental ProtectionWebsiteSunrise State Park

Sunrise State Park (originally Sunrise Resort State Park) is a public recreation area occupying the site of the former Sunrise Resort in the town of East Haddam, Connecticut. The state park encompasses 143 acres (58 ha) on the east shore of Salmon River and shares an entrance with Machimoodus State Park to the south.^[2] The park is managed by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.^[3]

History

The property came to life as Ted Hilton's Vacation Hide-A-Way in 1916,^[4] before becoming the Frank Davis Resort, and finally Sunrise Resort, when the property was purchased by the state in 2009 for $3.2 million. At that time, the state planned to maintain the resort as a meeting place with camping and other recreational facilities in place.^[5] After failing to find redevelopers, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection demolished more than 80 dilapidated resort buildings in 2013, allowing the land to return to its natural state.^[6] As of July 2020, some abandoned buildings remain standing, but are closed to the public.

Activities and amenities

The park offers hiking trails and concessionaire kayak rentals added to the site in 2016.^[7]

References

^ "Appendix A: List of State Parks and Forests" (PDF). State Parks and Forests: Funding. Staff Findings and Recommendations. Connecticut General Assembly. January 23, 2014. p. A-4. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
^ "Sunrise State Park Map" (PDF). Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. May 22, 2014. Retrieved September 13, 2017.
^ "Sunrise Resort State Park". State Parks and Forests. Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
^ Marteka, Peter (April 17, 2014). "Sun rising on an unblemished state park". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. Retrieved April 18, 2014.
^ Church, Diane (January 3, 2009). "Sunrise Resort bought by state, open to public". The Middletown Press. Middleton, Conn. Retrieved December 23, 2018.
^ Marteka, Peter (September 19, 2013). "Sunrise just a memory: State demolishes abandoned resort". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
^ Marteka, Peter (June 11, 2016). "A waterfront re-opening of hope at Sunrise State Park". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. Retrieved September 8, 2016.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sunrise State Park.

Sunrise State Park Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Sunrise State Park Map Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection

Protected areas of Connecticut

National Park Service