Bluff Point SP--Hot Corner

Bluff Point SP--Hot Corner

Groton, Connecticut 06340

Bluff Point State Park Official Website
Bluff Point State Park map

About Bluff Point State Park

See all hotspots at Bluff Point State Park

Bluff Point Coastal Reserve offers a delightful mixture of wooded hiking and biking trails coupled with spectacular wildlife viewing on Long Island Sound.

Bluff Point is the last remaining significant piece of undeveloped land along the Connecticut coastline. Jutting out into waters of Long Island Sound this wooded peninsula, measuring one and one-half miles long by one mile wide, encompasses over 800 acres.
Originally proposed for acquisition as a state recreation facility as early as 1914, it was not until 1963 that the western one-third of the land was purchased from Henry A. Gardiner III. State holdings include a north-south strip of the mainland, a portion of the headland bluff fronting the Sound, and the tombolo or sandspit forming a beach of nearly one mile in length. The beach terminates in a small, rocky island called Bushy Point.

Bluff Point was designated a "Coastal Reserve" by a special act of the Connecticut legislature in 1975 to establish the area "for the purpose of preserving its native ecological associations, unique faunal and floral characteristics, geological features and scenic qualities in a condition of undisturbed integrity".

Because of its Coastal Reserve designation, access to the bluff is by foot or non-motorized vehicle only. The trail to the bluff passes through wooded and open areas until the view broadens as the bluff is approached. Here vegetation is more sparse and diminutive because of wind exposure. Among the plants to be found at the headland are native beach plum, beach pea and red and white shore roses.

The long, narrow beach is a geological remnant of the continental glaciers and subsequent erosion by wind and water... an ongoing process.

Notable Trails

The AllTrails website has a description and map of several hikes at Bluff Point State Park.

Content from Bluff Point State Park Official Website

Last updated August 8, 2023

Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection