State Considering Limiting Parking Time at Wadsworth Falls

The state is considering limiting the amount of time visitors are allowed to park at Wadsworth Falls in Middlefield, a state official said Thursday.

Thomas Tyler, director of Connecticut's state parks, told Patch the idea is being discussed among officials at that Department of Energy and Environmental Protection in light of recent complaints over the increase in visitors to the popular park on Cherry Hill Road.

"We've really got a growing number of folks utilizing that area not for just a quick stop to check out the falls, but really to come all day as a picnic spot," Tyler said. "It's not laid out that way. It was never envisioned for that kind of day-long use."

Tyler said the department manages hundreds of areas around the state, many of which are carry-in and carry-out facilities, but acknowledged that the state spends a significant amount of time picking up trash left behind by visitors of the scenic waterfall.

"Our staff's there every day," he said. "On Sundays and Mondays, cleaning up from the day before is a significant task."

In recent weeks, neighbors have complained about trash left behind at the park and the steady increase of off-site parking. Over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, police ticketed 77 drivers for illegal parking, a penalty that carries a $92 fine.

As for any immediate changes at the park, Tyler said the state is hesitant to install trash receptacles because they often do not reduce litter and because they come at the expense of taxpayers. He said there are also no plans to hire a park ranger or require visitors to pay a fee.

The state, however, is considering limiting the amount of time visitors can park in the designated parking lot, "perhaps two hours," Tyler said, although such a policy would be unique to Wadsworth Falls, would not be implemented until next year at the earliest, and would not prevent off-site visitors from coming to the park.

"There is no other state park area in Connecticut where we time limit use. It's something we're considering there just because the new way the property is being used," he said.