Wharton Brook State Park
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| Wharton Brook State Park | |
|---|---|
 Allen Brook Pond in Wharton Brook SP at dusk | |
  Wharton Brook State Park  Wharton Brook State Park | |
| Location | North Haven and Wallingford, Connecticut, United States |
| Coordinates | 41°25′38″N 72°50′08″W / 41.42722°N 72.83556°W[1] |
| Area | 96 acres (39 ha)[2] |
| Elevation | 26 ft (7.9 m)[1] |
| Established | 1918[3] |
| Administered by | Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection |
| Designation | Connecticut state park |
| Website | Official website  |
Wharton Brook State Park is a public recreation area located off U.S. Route 5 in the towns of North Haven and Wallingford, Connecticut.[3] Activities in the 96-acre (39 ha) state park center on Allen Brook Pond, a 5-acre (2.0 ha) pond that empties into Wharton Brook.[4] The park is managed by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
The state park was established as a precursor of the modern highway rest stop, with picnic grounds, a camping area, and services for automobiles. It opened on August 1, 1919, as the first of what the State Park Commission intended to be a series of "Wayside Parks" created in the more heavily traveled areas of the state.[5]
On May 15, 2018, an EF1 tornado that transitioned into a microburst caused significant damage to the park, forcing officials to close the park. It reopened in 2019.[6]