Elton Rogers Park
Frenchtown Road, Bridgeport, Connecticut
73 acres
Directions:
Merritt Pkwy./Rte. 15 north to Exit 48. Turn right onto Newton Turnpike; drive 0.3 of a mile to turn left onto Old Town Road; drive 0.4 of a mile to turn right onto Frenchtown Road. Drive 0.3 of a mile and park on the right by the sign for the Park.
History:
2005 (June 23) -- "the state legislature has approved spending at least $3 million to have the state purchase Veterans Memorial, formerly called Ninety Acres Park. . . . State Rep. Jack Hennessy, a Bridgeport Democrat who represents the area near the park, said constructing the proposed magnet school could put the potential state purchase of the park in peril. . . . Hennessy said Veterans Memorial contains an urban forest that should remain untouched."
"Hennessy also told the council
he has heard the new magnet high school could be built in Elton Rogers Woodland
Park, another large open space parcel in the North End."
Bridgeport News: Brad Durrell. Council backs park school; Hennessy: School may imperil purchase by state http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1343&dept_id=433660&newsid=14744803&PAG=461&rfi=9
Trails:
Hiking trails and biking trails.
11/30/2005. On an overcast day, we parked by a sign for the park just south of the intersection of Frenchtown Road and Wedgwood Place. At the start of the walk are several nice rock outcrops. The trail markings are a bit rough, but at least they have some blazes.
We follow the white trail that heads west. An orange side trail heads north. The red and white trails go together west and then south. We soon find beer party area with accompanying trash.
The side trails are a bit confusing because there were at least 3 white trails heading off our main trail. The white trail turns left heading east. The red trails goes south. Reach a vernal pond and nearby is an intersection where a great many trails meet. The white trail goes left (east) and right (west); the red goes right The orange trail goes straight south. We follow the red and white trail.
We come to an area where a great many trails meet. Come to a power cut near wetlands. An unmarked trail goes left. This path separates the shrub swamp on the left from a Phragmites marsh on the right. Continuing on, the orange trail returns to the white and red trail via a bridge over a small stream in a ditch next to the trail. We follow the red and white trail to its end at a road. To our surprise we realize that we must have made a big loop because we came out by a gate just north of Wedgewood Place. We looked south and saw our car less than 100 yards south of our position.
We turned left to head north along Frenchtown Road to a third gate to the park. This path heads up hill to the power cut. There is a nice view looking west from the hill. The view north is blocked by trees and houses. We returned to Frenchtown Road and walked south back to our car. The park is a good size with lots and lots of trails that can be combined in different combinations to make for many interesting walks. Dr. Patrick L. Cooney.
PLANT LIST:
Dr. Patrick L. Cooney, 11/30/2005
Trees:
Acer rubrum (red maple)
Acer saccharum (sugar maple)
Betula alleghaniensis (yellow birch)
Betula lenta (black birch)
Betula populifolia (gray birch)
Fagus grandifolia (American beech)
Ilex opaca (American holly)
Juniperus virginiana (red cedar)
Liriodendron tulipifera (tulip tree)
Pinus strobus (white pine)
Populus grandidentata (big-toothed aspen)
Prunus serotina (black cherry)
Pyrus malus (crab apple)
Quercus alba (white oak)
Quercus rubra (red oak)
Quercus velutina (black oak)
Tsuga canadensis (eastern hemlock)
Shrubs:
Berberis thunbergii (Japanese barberry)
Cephalanthus occidentalis (buttonbush)
Chimaphila maculata (striped wintergreen)
Clethra alnifolia (sweet pepper bush)
Comptonia peregrina (sweetfern)
Decodonverticillatus (yellow loosestrife)
Elaeagnus umbellata (autumn olive)
Euonymus alatus (winged euonymus)
Lindera benzoin (spicebush)
Rosa multiflora (multiflora rose)
Rubus occidentalis (black raspberry)
Rubus sp. (blackberry)
Vaccinium corymbosum (highbush blueberry)
Vaccinium sp. (a low bush blueberry)
Vinca minor (periwinkle)
Vines:
Celastrus orbiculatus (Asiatic bittersweet)
Lonicera japonica (Japanese honeysuckle)
Smilax rotundifolia (round-leaved greenbrier)
Toxicodendron radicans (poison ivy)
Vitis sp. (grape)
Herbs:
Achillea millefolium (common yarrow)
Arctium sp. (burdock)
Aster spp. (aster)
Geum canadense (white avens)
Lespedeza capitata (round-headed bush clover)
Polygonum cuspidatum (Japanese knotweed)
Pyrola sp. (pyrola)
Solanum dulcamara (bittersweet nightshade)
Solidago spp. (goldenrod)
Rushes:
Juncus tenuis (path rush)
Sedges:
Carex pensylvanica (Pennsylvania sedge)
Carex stricta (tussock sedge)
Grasses:
Panicum clandestinum (deer-tongue grass)
Phragmites australis (giant reed grass)
Schizachyrium scoparium (little blue stem grass)
Ferns:
Polypodium sp. (rock cap fern)
Polystichum acrostichoides (Christmas fern)
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