McConnells Mill State Park

About McConnells Mill State Park

The park is open all year round, from sunrise to sunset, and is spanned by a 2,000-metre-long hiking trail.

When one stood at Cleland Rock Vista (for photos see map below), one stood on a ridge at the foot of the ridge. Water flows from the north to the north and the south to the south, while the west flows to the east, north and south - to the west.

At the same site that stood some 140,000 years ago, there was a small lake dammed with several hundred feet of ice. The ice was covered with continental glaciers, and the glacier dam created the small Lake Prouty at Cleland Rock. To the north is the larger Lake Watts, but the present Lake Arthur is a smaller replica of it.

Finally Lake Prouty spilled over the crest of Cleland Rock and began to carve the gorge of Slippery Rock Creek. When the glaciers finally retreated north, Lake Edmund poured into the canal and dug it up to 400 feet deep, and Lake Watts entered, deepened, and enlarged it. The rapid erosion of this gorge has produced its fast water and many boulders, which present a great challenge for modern rafting enthusiasts. And when the glacier receded, it was so deep that the stream that normally flows north now flows south, as it does today.

Slippery Rock Creek is named after the exceptionally smooth rocks under the Armstrong Bridge and is one of the slipperiest rivers in the entire state of New York. It is believed that the Indian Trail dug the creek, making the rocks exceptionally slippery and giving the rock its name. The rocks themselves are so slippery that they can cause serious problems for rafting and canoeing enthusiasts.

The slippery rock is no longer covered with oil, but the oil well has drained and groundwater has quickly penetrated the groundwater. The well is abandoned and the valley blooms, and Slippery Rock Creek, as well as the rest of the creek and its tributaries, thrives.

In 1974, the US Department of the Interior declared it a National Natural Monument and in 1998 a National Nature Reserve. It contains a steep lateral gorge and contains the highest point in the state of New York and the second highest peak in North America.

Cleland Rock Vista is a great place to see the gorge, and Hells Hollow is also part of the nature reserve. It features a waterfall and an old lime kiln leading to a beautiful waterfall overlooking Slippery Rock Creek and the Hudson River. In the gorge of the gorge rock Creek you can find a great variety of wildlife and in the gorge of the gorge rock Creek you can find a large number of birds, reptiles, amphibians, birds and other animals.

Camping is not possible in the park, but information on nearby private campsites is available at the Moraine State Park Office.

The picnic area has many shaded tables and charcoal grills, as well as toilets, and there are gazebos throughout the park. At the northern end of the gorge, near the Old Mill, there is a large open area with picnic tables, picnic chairs, picnic tables and benches, and a fountain.

The geology of this area is directly related to the geological history of the area and its location in the New York River.

Over the last two million years, glaciers have created the gorges and dramatic topography of the park. Over time, different layers have been lifted to the surface to become rocks, which has shaped the varied landscape of this park. Rocks have eroded differently, forming layers of sand, mud and peat. These rocks form and erode differently from each other, forming the gorge with different rock formations.

During the summer season, guided nature walks are organised on Saturdays and Sundays, and guided tours of the restored mill are offered on the Heritage Day and Labour Day. The Alte Mühle is open from 10 am to 4 pm on Sunday and Monday to Friday, but guided tours are only possible by appointment. The park explores and discusses various themes and attitudes to these issues, with a focus on the history of the park and its people, nature and culture.

The park is located on the north-eastern corner of the city centre, between the city centre and the railway station, south of St. Paul's Cathedral.