Bluff Point State Park

Author's Comments

You walk in. That is the first thing to understand about Bluff Point. There are no cars beyond the trailhead, no overlooks engineered for the windshield view, no concession stand at the end of the path. Just a mile and a half of flat gravel through scrubby coastal forest, and then the trees thin and the Sound opens in front of you. I came here on a September afternoon expecting a quick walk and stayed until the light was nearly gone. The bluff itself is modest - a low rocky point, not a dramatic cliff - but the sand spit that extends out into the Poquonnock estuary is the photograph. At low tide the flats stretch out in long, wet planes that hold the sky, and a long exposure here at golden hour does something quiet and strange to the water. The salt marsh on the inland side reads differently again, all soft grasses and tidal channels catching the last warm light. This is the last significant piece of undeveloped coast in Connecticut, and you can feel it. There is no skyline behind you. The crowds are minimal even in summer, and by October you may have the spit largely to yourself. Check the tide chart before you come. Low tide is when this place gives you the most to work with - the reflections, the textures, the long composed horizontals that a wide lens was made for. Bring more time than you think you need. The walk back in last light is part of the visit.

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