Devil's Hopyard State Park

Devil’s Hopyard State Park, in East Haddam in the Eightmile River valley, is one of the most atmospheric and scenically dramatic state parks in Connecticut — a 1,000-acre forest park centered on Chapman Falls, a dramatic 60-foot series of cascades and drops over a staircase of smoothly glacially polished schist into a pothole-pocked pool below, one of the finest waterfall settings in New England.

The park takes its evocative name from local legend (some say it was once a hops yard with supernatural associations; others attribute the circular potholes at the base of the falls to the Devil’s hoofprints). The Eightmile River — one of the finest cold-water trout streams in Connecticut and a Wild and Scenic River — flows through the park past the falls. Devil’s Hopyard is a treasured natural icon of Connecticut.

Devil’s Hopyard State Park offers hiking through the mixed hardwood forest on the park trail system (about 15 miles of trails, with the falls trail and the Eightmile River corridor the most popular), fishing in the Eightmile River (a designated Wild and Scenic River and a top trout stream in Connecticut — excellent wild brook and brown trout), swimming at the natural pools below Chapman Falls (informal; no lifeguard), picnicking in the park, camping at the park campground (a beautiful, wooded campground along the river — one of the finest in Connecticut), birding (the forest and river corridor are excellent for wood warblers and stream birds), and photography of the falls and river. The Chapman Falls cascade and the Eightmile River trout fishing are the signature draws.

Spring (April through June) is the most spectacular season — Chapman Falls runs at its fullest volume with snowmelt and spring rain, the wildflowers bloom on the forest floor, the warblers arrive in the forest, and the trout fishing season opens. Fall brings the hardwood color framing the falls (spectacular photography conditions). Summer is pleasant but the falls are at their lowest; the river swimming and camping are the summer draws. Spring for the fullest falls and fall for the foliage are the highlights — visit in April after a rain for the most dramatic Chapman Falls.

Devil’s Hopyard takes its evocative name from local folklore — the most common explanation is that the perfectly circular potholes worn into the bedrock at the base of Chapman Falls were attributed to the Devil’s hoofprints by colonial settlers who could find no natural explanation for the smooth, round holes. Another theory is that the area was once a hops yard used by a settler named Dibble (Dibble’s Hopyard, corrupted to Devil’s). The park was established in 1919. The Eightmile River was designated a Wild and Scenic River in 2008 — one of the few Wild and Scenic Rivers in New England.

Chapman Falls drops over a series of ledges and plunges in the Eightmile River, carved into the schist and gneiss of the eastern Connecticut Highlands — ancient Paleozoic metamorphic rocks (predominantly phyllite and schist) that form the bedrock of the eastern Connecticut upland. The perfectly circular potholes at the base of the falls were drilled by pebbles and small rocks swirled in eddy currents at the fall base — a classic pothole formation. The glacially polished smoothness of the exposed rock faces was created by the Laurentide glacier scouring the rock. The resistant schist, the river cutting and the glacial polishing created the distinctive Chapman Falls landscape.

Devil’s Hopyard’s mixed forest, river corridor and streamside habitat support a rich wildlife community — the Eightmile River supports excellent wild brook and brown trout (the best trout fishing in the lower Connecticut River watershed), wood ducks, belted kingfishers and Louisiana waterthrushes along the stream, barred owls in the forest, wild turkeys, white-tailed deer, and a spring warbler migration through the hardwood and hemlock forest. The park’s river and forest combination creates excellent birding along the stream corridor.

Devil’s Hopyard State Park and the Eightmile River Wild and Scenic River corridor protect a nationally significant cold-water stream and its surrounding upland forest in southern Connecticut — a rare ecological treasure in one of the most developed states in the country. The Eightmile River’s clear, cold water and the intact forest buffer that maintains it are priorities for conservation. The park’s hemlock groves are threatened by the hemlock woolly adelgid (an invasive pest). Protecting the river water quality, the forest buffer and the cold-water fishery sustains this irreplaceable stream ecosystem.

Devil’s Hopyard holds a treasured place among the natural and folkloric icons of Connecticut — a park whose evocative name, supernatural potholes and dramatic Chapman Falls have made it one of the most beloved and atmospheric state parks in the state. The Eightmile River’s Wild and Scenic designation and the finest waterfall in southeastern Connecticut make it exceptional. Devil’s Hopyard is a cherished natural icon of Connecticut.

Devil’s Hopyard State Park is in East Haddam, Connecticut, off CT Route 82 on Hopyard Road. The park entrance and the Chapman Falls parking area are clearly marked. The campground is on the same access road. East Haddam (just west, with the Goodspeed Opera House — one of America’s great theatrical landmarks) has services. The park is about 30 miles southeast of Hartford and 40 miles northeast of New Haven. Check CT DEEP for current campground availability, trail conditions and falls status before visiting.

Connecticut DEEP manages Devil’s Hopyard State Park. The Eightmile River Wild and Scenic River designation protects the river corridor from development. Visitors help by not disturbing the trout (using catch-and-release is encouraged — the wild trout population is the park’s most significant ecological asset), staying on designated trails, respecting the potholes at the falls base (do not attempt to swim in the pothole pool immediately at the falls base — the current is dangerous), packing out all trash from the campground and trails, and supporting the Eightmile River Watershed Association. The hemlock woolly adelgid is an ongoing threat to the park’s hemlocks.

The base of Chapman Falls is dramatic and beautiful but the water at the direct fall base is dangerous — do not swim in the pothole pool immediately below the falls (the current and the depth are hazardous). The upper ledges above the falls are also dangerous — stay behind the safety barriers and do not approach the falls from above. The river pools below the immediate falls area are calmer and popular for informal swimming; use judgment on current conditions. The trail can be muddy and slippery after rain. Respect the falls safety barriers, the river current and the slippery trail conditions.

Park and campground fees apply (CT State Parks rates; check CT DEEP for current fees and campground reservations). Fishing in the Eightmile River requires a Connecticut license and compliance with the Wild Trout regulations for this section. Stay behind safety barriers at the falls. No swimming at the immediate falls base (posted). Pets on leash. Pack out all trash. Check CT DEEP for current fees, campground availability and conditions before visiting.

The Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam (one of America’s most celebrated musical-theatre venues, in a remarkable Victorian building on the Connecticut River — a must-see for any CT visit), the town of East Haddam, the Connecticut River and the Gillette Castle State Park (just up the Connecticut River from East Haddam — the remarkable castle of actor William Gillette), and the lower Connecticut River towns of Chester and Deep River define the region. Devil’s Hopyard and the Goodspeed Opera House make a superb combined natural-and-cultural day in the lower Connecticut River valley.

Visit Chapman Falls after a period of rain in April or May for the most dramatic full-flow cascade — the 60-foot series of drops over the glacially polished schist is extraordinary at high water. Bring polarizing filter or simply enjoy the photography (the falls are most photogenic in morning light with the sun on the east-facing drop). Hike the trail upstream from the falls along the Eightmile River for the finest riverside walking. Try the trout fishing in the river below the falls in May (wild browns and brookies in exceptional clear water). Combine with a Goodspeed Opera House matinee for the perfect southeast Connecticut day.