Connecticut Water Trails Association
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Connecticut Water Trails Association |
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Connecticut Water Trails Program Connecticut Coastal Paddling Fairfield County Norwalk Norwalk Islands
Site Location:
Basic Information:
The
Norwalk Islands are a chain of more than 25 islands amid partly
submerged boulders, reefs and mudflats along a six-mile stretch and
mostly about a mile off the coast of Norwalk, Connecticut and southwest
Westport, Connecticut, in Long Island Sound. The islands are
used for several different types of recreational activities, including
camping, boating, kayaking, swimming, bird watching. Ownership of the
islands varies, with about a half dozen held in private hands, some
owned by the governments of Norwalk or Westport and some are part of the
Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge. Various laws protect the islands, including town
ordinances, the Coastal Barriers Resource Act and the National Wildlife
Refuge. On a clear day, Manhattan's skyscrapers are visible. Geologists
generally consider the islands to be terminal moraines — material left
by glaciers. Above water, the moraines are characterized by various
rocks, gravel, sand, silt and clay, sometimes sorted out by waves. Some
historians have speculated that rocks from the islands were used as
ballast for sailing ships returning to New York, where the rocks may
have been used for cobblestones. The islands are popular with kayakers, with some
paddling all the way from New York City. Tidal currents are gentle, the
mainland is always visible and the electric power plant on Manressa
Island helps with navigation (although if fog hits it can cause sudden
and complete disorientation).Public boat launches and beaches are
nearby, and some businesses in Norwalk rent kayaks. Type: Island Water Type: Saltwater Season: Site Contact Information:
Site Coordinates:
Longitude
73.240488
ºW Latitude
Location Map:
USGS Quadrangle: Navigational Charts: Use ChartKit Region 3, pages 26 and 27; Maptech Waterproof Charts 1 and 16; and Maptech electronic and NOAA paper charts 12368 (1:20,000), 12364 (1:40,000), and 12363 (1:80,000). Use tide tables for Bridgeport. High tide at Greens Ledge is 2 minutes earlier; low tide is 1 minute earlier. Multiply height of tide at Bridgeport by 1.1 for height of tide at Greens Ledge. Mean tidal range is 7.2 feet.
Driving Directions: Take Exit 16 off I-95 East
Norwalk. Go south on East Ave. .05 mile to small cemetery on left. Go
left at south end of cemetery then make a quick right on to Gregory
Blvd. Follow Gregory through traffic light. Take a right on Second St.
(first street. after the light). Follow to end of street. Launch on
beach at end of street. Park on surrounding streets.
Boat Launch Information:
ADA Access: Site Description: Environment: Island Additional Info:
Largest Islands At 59 acres Chimon is the largest of the islands and
is located in the middle of the group and a bit less than a mile to the
southeast of the entrance to Norwalk Harbor. The island is part of the
Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Reserve. The north and west coasts of the island are gravely,
and boulders are strewn along the south and east coasts. Although
boaters may land at the three-acre beach at the northwest shore during
the day, year round, access to the rest of the island is restricted from
April 1 to August 15 each year (bird-nesting season). No overnight
camping is allowed. Owned by the Westport town government, the island
(Pronounced "kah-KEE-nee") has almost all the bird rookeries in the
chain. Herons, egrets, black cormorants can be seen on Cockenoe. The
cormorants' guano, which leaves some of the rocks white, is toxic to the
trees and kills them off after the birds nest in a spot for less than a
year. Overnight camping is allowed by the town Conservation Department,
but for only four parties per night Once called "Ram Island", the 45-acre isle was
renamed after Daniel Shea, a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient from
Norwalk who died in the Vietnam War. Owned by Norwalk city government,
the island is just northeast of Sheffield Island and about 4,000 yards
south of Manressa Island. Along with
Grassy Island, Shea is open to the public
from May through Columbus Day, and campers with a permit can stay
overnight. Two solar-powered restrooms are available in season, and
there are 16 campsites. The entire shoreline is strewn with rocks and
boulders, making it a more difficult place to approach by boat.
At 51 acres, Sheffield is the second largest island in the group, and
the most southerly, located about 1,500 yards from the Norwalk coast and
just southwest of Shea Island. The entire shoreline is strewn with rocks
and boulders.
Many bird species nest on the island. Sheffield is also one of the best
places to see seals. The
Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk
organizes boat trips circling the islands, including a cruise to see the
fall foliage and a winter cruise to see harbor seals and waterfowl.
Part of the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Reserve, the island is
controlled by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which closes it to the
public most of the year in order to protect the bird nesting areas. The
public is usually restricted to the 3.5 acres around the
Sheffield Island Light, which the Norwalk Seaport
Association maintains, although a 2,000-yard trail has been created to
allow the public controlled access. In the summer, the association
arranges tours for people to visit the lighthouse and picnic there. On
Thursday nights, clambakes and sunset cruises are held. The lighthouse,
built in 1868, was a navigational aid until about 1900.
The Smaller Islands
These other islands are in the group:
Site History: Developers have always salivated over the islands' resort potential. A few lavish clubhouses were attempted, but they were doomed by storms, logistical problems, and a lack of fresh water. Chimon Island is the only one with a freshwater supply, but the creation of the McKinney? Refuge put an end to any thought of building a resort. Tavern Island, once called Pilot Island, got its name during Prohibition, when it was reputedly a speakeasy. Now, along with Sheffield Island, it's a favorite watering hole for herds of seahorses. Of the island's many owners, none was more famous than Billy Rose, a champion shorthander and typist who wrote and produced Broadway musicals. Rose went to the altar many times; local savants say that there is a statue on Tavern Island for each of Billy Rose's five wives, one of whom was comedienne-singer-actress Fanny Brice. He later made a fortune as a Wall Street stockbroker, owning more AT&T stock than any other person. Legend says Goose Island is bare because it was stripped of vegetation by treasure hunters madly searching for Captain Kidd's buried booty. Of course, there's not an island in Long Island Sound without a Captain Kidd legend attached to it. Truth is he wasn't a very good pirate, nor did he spend much time in the Sound. The moral: if someone wants to sell you a tiny island with some of Captain Kidd's treasure buried on it, offer to swap it for the Brooklyn Bridge. Just north of Goose Island you'll spot the
solar-powered Pecks Ledge Lighthouse, built in 1906 and said to be
haunted by the ghost of one of the keepers. During World War II both the
Pecks Ledge and Greens Ledge lighthouses were manned by Coast Guard
personnel on the lookout for German submarines.
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