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Rocky Hill, Connecticut: Dinosaur Tracks and the Nation's Oldest Ferry

Rocky Hill, Connecticut

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Dinosaur State Park, Exhibit Center dome Rocky Hill-Glastonbury Ferry, west terminal Elm Street, Rocky Hill

The land that became Rocky Hill was originally home to the Wangunk people; Europeans began settling it in 1650 as part of Wethersfield, and the settlement was set off as Stepney Parish in 1722 before incorporating as the separate town of Rocky Hill in May 1843. The name comes from the trap rock ridge rising in the town's northeastern section, now within Rocky Hill's Quarry Park. Its position on the Connecticut River made Rocky Hill the natural port for Wethersfield and an early center of shipbuilding, agriculture and trade — a legacy carried on by the Rocky Hill-Glastonbury Ferry, which has crossed the river since 1655 and which the state's transportation department calls the oldest continuously operational ferry in the United States. In 1966, excavation for a state building uncovered more than 2,600 Early Jurassic dinosaur footprints roughly 200 million years old, and the site was declared a state park that September.

  1. Roughly 750 preserved dinosaur tracks under a geodesic dome.

  2. The Historical Society's home in an 1803 building.

  3. 68 acres with ten documented archaeological sites.

  4. An indoor family park with trampolines and rock climbing.

  5. Hand-cut Black Angus beef since 1970.

  6. Family-run Northern Italian cooking.

  7. Italian and Portuguese cooking since 1997.

  8. A from-scratch gastropub kitchen.

  9. The Rocky Hill branch of a Hartford Italian bakery.

750 dinosaur tracks under a geodesic dome

Dinosaur State Park's Exhibit Center is built directly over roughly 750 preserved Early Jurassic dinosaur tracks, part of the more than 2,600 footprints uncovered in 1966; the dominant track type, Eubrontes giganteus, is Connecticut's state fossil. The surrounding arboretum holds more than 250 Mesozoic-era plant species and over two miles of nature trails. Academy Hall Museum, the Rocky Hill Historical Society's home in the historic 1803 Academy Hall building, has been the society's base since 1967, with local collections on the town's history.

Getting there

Rocky Hill is a drive-to town roughly 10 miles south of Hartford on Interstate 91, with exits at Route 3 and Route 99 (Silas Deane Highway), the town's north-south commercial spine paralleling the Connecticut River. There is no rail station in Rocky Hill itself; train travelers use the CTrail Hartford Line at Berlin or Hartford Union Station and finish the trip by car. A seasonal option is the Route 160 Rocky Hill-Glastonbury Ferry across the Connecticut River, running April 1-November 30, weekdays 7 a.m.-6:45 p.m. and weekends 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m., $5-$6 per vehicle and $2 for walk-ons and cyclists.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get to Rocky Hill?
By car — Interstate 91 has exits at Route 3 and Route 99 (Silas Deane Highway) for Rocky Hill. There is no rail station in town; the nearest CTrail Hartford Line stops are Berlin and Hartford Union Station.
Is there a train to Rocky Hill?
No. The nearest CTrail Hartford Line stations are Berlin and Hartford Union Station, both reached by car.
What is Dinosaur State Park?
A state park built around roughly 750 preserved Early Jurassic dinosaur tracks under a geodesic Exhibit Center dome, plus an arboretum and two miles of nature trails. Grounds open daily 9 a.m. to 30 minutes before sundown; Exhibit Center Tue-Sun 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., closed Mondays. Admission $6 ages 13+, $2 ages 6-12, free under 6.
What is the Rocky Hill-Glastonbury Ferry?
A seasonal car-and-passenger crossing of the Connecticut River in service since 1655, run by the state's transportation department and billed as the oldest continuously operational ferry in the United States. It runs April 1-November 30.
Is there a hotel in Rocky Hill?
Rocky Hill has several hotels near I-91 — on Cromwell Avenue and on Water Chase Drive — though their current booking status could not be independently confirmed — call ahead.

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