Cove Island Park

Cove Mills factory of the Stamford Manufacturing Company. The factory burned down on February 19, 1919, in a spectacular fire on the site of Cove Island Park.

Cove Island Park is a beach in The Cove section of Stamford, Connecticut, located on Long Island Sound. It is a popular spot for residents of Stamford to go rollerblading, biking and walking, as well as enjoy barbecues and ride the tram around the island.

Since 2000 the park has been the headquarters of SoundWaters, a nonprofit environmental education organization that offers a free small aquarium, music, canoe trips, school trips and family activities on land and aboard an 80-foot (24 m) schooner.

Outside the entrance of the park, there is a rink known as the Terry Conners Ice Rink, where children usually skate in the winter, take skating lessons, or even reserve the rink for special occasions, such as birthdays. A bit behind the rink, there is also a nature walk, but it has long been out of commission, with no attempts to repair it. (update)After many years of effort and repairs the tract of land behind and around Terry Conners rink has been turned into an Important Bird Area (IBA) -- one of the first eight IBA's in Connecticut. Inside the Sanctuary entrance, visitors will find an information kiosk featuring brochures, seasonal photos of the flora and fauna, and a chalkboard to share new bird sightings. Beyond the kiosk is a 5-acre (20,000 m²) native grass and wildflower meadow encircled by a handicap-accessible visitors' path that also leads to a beach-side viewing area from which visitors can observe shorebirds without encroaching upon Stamford's last undeveloped sand dune. The meadow path also connects to a rugged trail which winds through woods along the west border of the Park. To date, sightings of close to 300 bird species have been recorded in the Park area!

The movie Reservation Road was filmed at the park, including the opening scene of an outdoor concert and a climactic scene near the end. Weed Avenue, just north of the park, was used in two scenes where a character jogs.

External links

• [1] Article on manufacturing at the site of Cove Island Park (Stamford Historical Society newsletter)

Coordinates: 41°02′49″N 73°30′05″W / 41.0470°N 73.5013°W / 41.0470; -73.5013