page_title: West Rock Ridge
section_title: Ecosystem
hierarchical_section_title: West Rock Ridge / Ecosystem
caption_attribution_description: Image of Quercus montana (syn. Quercus prinus)
context_page_description: West Rock Ridge or West Rock of south-central Connecticut, is a 7-mile long trap rock mountain ridge located on the west side of New Haven with a high point of 700 feet. The ridge forms a continuous line of exposed cliffs visible from metropolitan New Haven and points west. West Rock Ridge is part of the narrow, linear Metacomet Ridge which extends from Long Island Sound near New Haven north through the Connecticut River Valley of Massachusetts to the Vermont border.
  West Rock Ridge is popular for recreation and known for its microclimate ecosystems, rare plant communities, and expansive views from cliffs that tower up to 500 feet above the surrounding landscape. The ridge is traversed by a network of hiking trails including the 7-mile Regicides Trail and the southern terminus of the 23-mile Quinnipiac Trail.
context_section_description: West Rock Ridge hosts a combination of microclimates unusual in New England. Dry, hot upper ridges support oak savannas, often dominated by chestnut oak and a variety of understory grasses and ferns. Eastern red cedar, a dry-loving species, clings to the barren edges of cliffs. Lower eastern slopes tend to support oak-hickory forest species common in the surrounding lowlands. Narrow ravines support eastern hemlock that block sunlight, creating damp, cooler growing conditions with associated cooler climate plant species. These hemlocks have suffered from infestation by the hemlock woolly adelgid. Talus slopes are especially rich in nutrients and support a number of calcium-loving plants uncommon in eastern Connecticut. Because the ridge generates such varied terrain, it is the home of several plant and animal species that are state-listed or globally rare.
  West Rock Ridge is also an important seasonal raptor migration path.
caption: Chestnut oak
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