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All the United States Connecticut Bloomfield Matianuck Natural Area Preserve
AO Edited

Matianuck Natural Area Preserve

Sand dunes from a glacial lake are preserved in this woodland park.

Bloomfield, Connecticut

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John Meszaros
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Ancient sand dunes from Glacial Lake Hitchcock.   Johnmeszaros / Atlas Obscura User
Another view of the dunes.   Johnmeszaros / Atlas Obscura User
The entrance to the preserve is often overgrown.   Johnmeszaros / Atlas Obscura User
Grasses stabilize the sands in some places.   Johnmeszaros / Atlas Obscura User
Bits of clam shell and dried driftwood are reminders of the dunes’ aquatic origins.   Johnmeszaros / Atlas Obscura User
Plants more common at the seashore can be found among the dunes.   Johnmeszaros / Atlas Obscura User
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About

 

About 15,000 years ago, water melting off the massive glaciers filled the Connecticut Valley and created Lake Hitchcock. Although the lake drained long ago, sand dunes formed along its shores and a few can still be found in parts of Connecticut. Some of the best-preserved dunes are located in Matianuck Natural Area Preserve, located just a half-mile from Hartford.

Most of the preserve is thick woodland and swamps, but an overgrown path leads to two areas of open, sandy dunes dominated by pitch pines and other plants normally found on beaches. Pieces of bleached clamshells and blackened driftwood are scattered over the sand.  

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Geology Nature Preserves Geological Oddities Dunes

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The entrance to Matianuck Natural Area Preserve is located in a car park at the intersection of Columbia Road and Route 218 in Windsor, Connecticut. The trails to the dunes are often overgrown and the ground is swampy in places, prepare for rough terrain.

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Johnmeszaros

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August 30, 2021

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Sources
  • https://www.ctmq.org/matianuck-sand-dunes-natural-area-preserve/
  • https://www.courant.com/community/hartford/hc-xpm-2012-08-30-hc-marteka-windsor-sand-dunes-0831-20120830-story.html
  • https://www.realhartford.org/2018/10/09/backyard-dunes/
Matianuck Natural Area Preserve
210 E Pershing St
Bloomfield, Connecticut, 06002
United States
41.807063, -72.680717
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Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Connecticut

Connecticut

United States

Places 161
Stories 11

Nearby Places

Hartford Circus Fire Memorial

Hartford, Connecticut

miles away

Statue of Jack the Pardoned Turkey

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miles away

A. Everett Austin Facade House

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miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Connecticut

Connecticut

United States

Places 161
Stories 11

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