Kenosia Lake Park
Christopher Columbus Avenue, Danbury, Fairfield County, Connecticut
25 acres

Directions:

Saw Mill River north until its end at around green mileage marker 29; get onto US 684 heading north; drive around ten miles and get off at the exit for US 84 heading east;  get off at Exit 1; turn left onto Saw Mill Road; in a short distance turn right at the light onto Mill Plain Road; drive 2.3 miles ands turn right onto Kenosia Avenue; take the first right turn, onto Christopher Columbus Avenue.  Drive a short distance and turn left into the park entrance.

History:

Lake Kenosia (originally named Mill Plain Pond and part of the Still River) was accessed by Danburyites by trolley. It provided a hotel, boat rides, swimming, and other amusements.

It was destroyed by fire in 1926 and Danbury citizens flocked to the newly created Lake Candlewood.

In 1948 a small section of the lake became a town park for Danburyites.

(Danbury Museum and Historical Society, 2001)

Trails:

6/08/2005.  Ceferino Santana, dog Sonar and I first stopped at a fishing and boating access point just before the bridge over Still River on Kenosia Avenue.  There were some interesting plants in the small area, but it is really dangerous crossing back and forth over the bridge on foot.  There is no shoulder on the narrow bridge.  We next drove over to the park itself.  It is a fairly big park with lots of lawn (for the soccer).  There is not that much woods here, just some woods hedge between the park and Christopher Columbus Avenue.   r. Patrick L. Cooney.

Facilities:

soccer fields, beach area, concession stand, picnic area, children's playground

PLANT LIST:
Dr. Patrick L. Cooney

*= plant blooming on date of field trip, 6/08 /2005

Trees:
Acer platanoides (Norway maple)
Acer saccharinum (silver maple)
Fraxinus americana (white ash)
Pinus strobus (white pine)
Populus deltoides (cottonwood)
Prunus serotina (black cherry)
Quercus alba (white oak)
Quercus rubra (red oak)
Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust)
Salix alba var. (weeping willow)
Tilia americana (American basswood)
Ulmus rubra (slippery elm)

Shrubs:
Alnus serrulata (smooth alder)
Cornus amomum (swamp dogwood)
Elaeagnus umbellata (autumn olive)
Ligustrum sp. (privet)
Rhus glabra (smooth sumac)
Rosa multiflora (multiflora rose)  *
Rubus flagellaris (northern dewberry)  *
Rubus sp. (blackberry)  *
Salix sp. (willow)
Viburnum dentatum (smooth arrowwood viburnum)

Vines:
Ampelopsis brevipedunculata (porcelain berry)
Apios americana (groundnut)
Celastrus orbiculatus (Asiatic bittersweet)  *
Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper) 
Toxicodendron radicans (poison ivy)
Vitis labrusca (fox grape)
Vitis sp. (grape)

Herbs:
Achillea millefolium (common yarrow)   *
Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard)  *
Arabis glabra (tower mustard)   *
Artemisia vulgaris (common mugwort)
Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed)
Barbarea vulgaris (common wintercress)
Cerastium vulgatum (mouse-ear chickweed)   *
Chelidonium majus (celandine)   *
Coronilla varia (crown vetch)  *
Daucus carota (Queen Anne's lace)
Erigeron philadelphicus (common fleabane)   *
Galium aparine (cleavers)  *
Galium mollugo (wild madder)   *
Hesperis matronalis (dame's rocket)   *
Impatiens sp. (jewelweed)
Lemna sp. (duckweed) 
Linaria vulgaris (butter and eggs)  
Lotus corniculatus (birdfoot trefoil)   *
Ludwigia palustris (water purslane)
Lythrum salicaria (purple loosestrife) 
Medicago lupulina (black medick)    *
Myosotis scorpioides (forget-me-not)   *
Oenothera biennis (common evening primrose)
Oxalis sp. (yellow wood sorrel)   *
Peltandra virginica (arrow arum) 
Plantago lanceolata (English plantain)   *
Plantago major (common plantain)
Ranunculus sp. (buttercup)   *
Rumex crispus (crisped-leaved dock)
Sisyrinchium sp. (blue-eyed grass)   *
Trifolium pratense (red clover)   *
Trifolium repens (white clover)   *
Typha latifolia (broad-leaved cattail)
Verbascum thapsus (common mullein)
Veronica officinalis (common speedwell)   *
Yucca filamentosa (Adam's nettle) 
water lily

Rushes:
Juncus effusus (soft rush)

Sedges:
Carex lurida (sallow sedge)
Eleocharis sp. (spike rush)

Grasses:
Anthoxanthum odoratum (sweet vernal grass)
Bromus inermis (smooth brome grass)
Panicum clandestinum (deer-tongue grass)
Phragmites australis (giant reed grass)
Poa annua (annual bluegrass)

Ferns:
Equisetum arvense (field horsetail)
Onoclea sensibilis (sensitive fern)

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