Haley Farm State Park

Groton, CT

Located on a finger of land extending into Long Island Sound, the park preserves colonial-era farmland, with stone walls, old farm foundations, and traces of its agrarian past scattered amongst the scenic views of Palmer Cove and the Sound.

Laced throughout the park’s 272 acres of coastal plains, former pastures, and freshwater ponds, an expansive web of trails are especially popular for mountain biking, birdwatching, and dog walking. Explore the trails that traverse the park or connect to a vast regional trail network. Take the bridge over the railroad tracks to reach nearby Bluff Point State Park and Coastal Reserve. Combined, the two parks offer over 1,000 acres of permanently protected open space for public enjoyment.

Designated in 2022, Haley Farm State Park is part of the Connecticut National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR). This means that recreational activity is restricted for the purpose of coastal conservation along the Long Island Sound. With this, we promote land stewardship, environmental education, and research.

Connecticut NERR

Views from the Park

Group of people wearing jack-o-lanterns, celebrating the spooky season.

A woman and child painting in grassy field.

Smiling engaged couple surrounded by fall foliage.

A spider web glistening with dew in a lush forest.

Two women gracefully posed on a rock overlooking water.

A happy group of people and their dogs enjoying a scenic trail together.

Female hiker in green jacket standing among trees in forest.

Lady in stylish purple sunglasses sitting on a rocky surface.

Location

24 Haley Farm Ln.
Groton, CT 06340

Get Directions

Details

Open Daily
(8:00 a.m. – Sunset)

Park Maps

Contact

Main (860) 444-7591

Activities

Overview

Know Before You Go

Save the Haley Farm

Haley Farm State Park is a state park that almost wasn’t. Back in the 1960s, Haley Farm was one of the few undeveloped parcels on Connecticut’s coastline. So when a developer set his sights on building multifamily housing on the chunk of land in 1963, the people of Groton and beyond stood together to protect the farm.

Under the banner of the newly formed Groton Open Space Commission, together with The CT Forest & Park Association, the group launched a multi-year fundraising campaign to match state funds and purchase the land. Their persistence paid off and in 1970, the state acquired the property. The seven-year effort attracted national attention and was featured in a LIFE magazine article titled “Battles Won,” in July 1970, the same month Haley Farm became an official Connecticut State Park.

Nearby Bluff Point State Park was rescued from the same fate a few years later in 1975.

Biking

Paved, gravel, and packed earth trails crisscross the former farm’s pastures, routing visitors to scenic views within the park and beyond. Cross the bridge to neighboring Bluff Point State Park or venture further on the Groton X-Town Trail or the Groton & Stonington Trolley Line Trail.

The Haley Farm Bike Trail

0.8-mile wheelchair-accessible stone dust trail
Nearly a mile of the Haley Farm Bike Trail winds its way through the scenic old shoreline farm. The trail is a segment of a 7.5-mile town-owned bikeway routed from Mystic to Groton on local roadways.

Hiking

The trails at Haley Farm State Park are non-motorized multi-use. Take the pedestrian bridge over the railroad tracks to neighboring Bluff Point State Park or venture further on the Groton X-Town Trail or the Groton & Stonington Trolley Line Trail. See park maps below.

The Haley Farm Bike Trail

0.8-mile wheelchair-accessible stone dust trail that can also be utilized as a pedestrian path.
Nearly a mile of the Haley Farm Bike Trail winds its way through the scenic old shoreline farm. The trail is a segment of a 7.5-mile town-owned bikeway routed from Mystic to Groton on local roadways.

Historic

History

This historic 250-acre farm is located in Groton on Palmer Cove. Connecticut’s first governor, John Winthrop Jr., owned part of the farm in 1648. Over the years the land passed through various hands, including the Chester family in the 18th century, whose headstones are still on the property. When Caleb Haley owned and farmed the land in the late 19th to 20th centuries, he had a unique hobby that can be seen throughout the park—the building of stone walls. He used an ox drawn stone-puller to extract and place boulders found on the property to construct walls and separate pastures. Some remains of the farm’s buildings are still visible near the entrance of the park.

Fun fact: A tunnel under the railroad track was once used as a cow crossing.

Nature

Explore Haley Farm State Park's ample area for bird and wildlife viewing with its field, forest, marsh, salt- and freshwater wetland habitat. Feel free to use the habitat and wildlife spotted here as inspiration for photography, painting, and drawing.

Winter

During the winter months, Haley Farm State Park is a popular destination for visitors looking to enjoy winter activities like snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.