Bluff Point is the last remaining undeveloped
public land of any size along the Connecticut coastline. That
is an irony since it was one of the first to be developed. Connecticut
Governor John Winthrop (1698-1707), grandson of the founding
governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, made his home on the
peninsula and subsequent generations farmed the land for more
than a century.
Over the years more than 100 vacation homes were built around
the headlands of Bluff Point. Each and every cottage was destroyed
during the Hurricane of 1938 and none was rebuilt. The State
had eyed the bluff as a possible recreation site since before
World War I but the first land here was not acquired until 1963.
In 1975 Bluff Point was designated a "Coastal Reserve"
to preserve its unique ecological integrity.
A short detour from the main loop path
leads to a one-mile wide sand spit that connects to the small
Bushy Point Beach. Your dog will salivate at the chance to romp
across the open sand but it is closed to dogs during the plover
nesting season from April 15 to September 15. That means the
beach and small, grassy dunes are now open to your dog. And since
it requires a one-mile hike to reach the Bushy Point Beach you
can usually count on plenty of space for your dog to romp when
you get there.
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