Rocky Hill: Dinosaur Footprints, River History and Trails

Rocky Hill is a destination for anyone who wants to discover dinosaur footprints, river history, historic buildings and trails through parks. At the center are more than 750 Early Jurassic dinosaur footprints. In addition, there are the Rocky Hill-Glastonbury Ferry, the Connecticut River and several places where nature and cultural interests can be combined. If you are looking for a holiday apartment, you can choose your accommodation based on whether your trip will focus more on geological history, historical discoveries, walks or the special ferry connection.

Dinosaurs and History along the Connecticut River

Dinosaur State Park preserves more than 750 Early Jurassic dinosaur footprints in a museum at their original site of discovery; the tracks are also visible there. For families, this provides an engaging way to learn about geological history, because the preserved footprints themselves—not just individual exhibits—form the starting point of the visit. Anyone interested in such an excursion can take this focus into account when planning their days in Rocky Hill.

Another historic feature is the Rocky Hill-Glastonbury Ferry. It is the oldest continuously operating ferry in the United States. The original ferry dates back to 1655 and crosses the Connecticut River between Rocky Hill and Glastonbury. The connection serves local motorists, cyclists and tourists. During operating hours, it runs on demand and without fixed departure times. If you would like to include the crossing in your travel plans, you should take this special operating method into account when planning your day.

Academy Hall also adds to the town's historic profile. The building was constructed in 1803 in the Federal style; its exterior has survived in Connecticut with only minor alterations. The Academy Hall Museum exhibits, collects, catalogs and preserves objects, photographs and archives. At Dividend Park, visitors can explore the ruins. The park is part of the Dividend Brook Industrial Archaeological District, which is listed on the state register of historic places and designated as an archaeological preservation area.

Parks, Trails and Views

For days outdoors, the 84-acre Quarry Park offers another side of Rocky Hill. The public park provides views of Hartford, Glastonbury and the Connecticut River, as well as opportunities for hiking and birdwatching. This makes it appealing to travelers who want to alternate between cultural sightseeing and outdoor activity. The Rocky Hill Greenway extends from Matterson Avenue in the north for approximately 3 miles to the border with Cromwell. It passes through parks and historic sites, including Quarry Park.

Ferry Park is an adjoining open space with views of the Connecticut River. Together with Quarry Park and the Greenway, it offers a choice of different experiences: You can explore historic traces, learn about a river connection or spend time hiking and birdwatching. Which places you combine depends on your personal interests and preferred pace; no fixed order or shared route is required.

Guidance for Choosing Your Accommodation

For arriving by car, exits 23 and 24 of I-91 are important reference points. They provide quick and easy access to the major north-south highway route through Connecticut. When looking for a holiday apartment in Rocky Hill, it is worth first deciding what your trip will focus on. Those particularly interested in dinosaurs and historic sites can plan to visit Academy Hall, the museum at Dinosaur State Park and Dividend Park. For a more active stay, Quarry Park and the Rocky Hill Greenway are the main attractions. If the ferry is part of your plans, information about its on-demand operation is more important for planning your day than a fixed departure time.

This makes choosing accommodation in Rocky Hill a way to use your own interests as the starting point for planning your trip, without combining the various experiences into a single route. You can combine cultural discoveries, trails through parks and the history of the Connecticut River according to your preferences.

For further destination pages to help with orientation, you can also visit Hartford, Berlin, East Hartford, Plainville, Farmington, West Hartford, Manchester and Simsbury.

Back to the overarching travel overview: Hartford.