Hopemead State Park
A Forgotten Estate on the Shore of Gardner Lake
Hopemead State Park is one of Connecticut’s quietest secrets — a 60-acre undeveloped park on the eastern shore of Gardner Lake in the towns of Bozrah and Montville. Where most state parks announce themselves with entrance signs and visitor centers, Hopemead barely whispers: a small parking area on Cottage Road, a single unblazed trail, and the remnants of a vanished estate slowly being reclaimed by the forest.
That’s exactly the point. Hopemead exists as a place where nature has been allowed to reassert itself over a former landscape of wealth and leisure — and the result is a hauntingly beautiful walk through layered history.
From Summer Estate to State Park
The land was originally part of a farm owned by Solomon Gardner in the 1800s — the same family for whom Gardner Lake is named. In the early 20th century, industrialist James E. Fuller acquired the property and transformed it into a summer estate he called “Camp Charmarlou” (after his daughters Charlotte, Harriet Louise). He later renamed it “Hopemead.”
The estate included a main house, summer lodge, carriage house, and barn. In 1954, the Fuller sisters donated the property to Connecticut, funded by a gift from historic preservationist George Dudley Seymour. The state designated it as a park in 1955 — and then, remarkably, allowed the buildings to be removed and the landscape to return to its natural state.
The Trail to Gardner Lake
Hopemead’s single trail is an approximately 1-mile round-trip walk that follows the old estate driveway through forest to the shore of Gardner Lake. The path is flat, easy, and unblazed — but straightforward enough that navigation is simple.
Along the way, look for the estate’s archaeological fingerprints: stone walls from the Gardner farming era, foundation remnants from the Fuller buildings, and mature ornamental trees that were clearly planted rather than wild — living witnesses to a landscape that was once meticulously maintained.
The trail ends at Gardner Lake’s shore, where you’ll find quiet spots for bank fishing, nature observation, and contemplation. Gardner Lake itself is a 480-acre body of water popular for boating and swimming, but from Hopemead’s shore, you see it from an angle few visitors experience.
Visiting Information
There are no facilities at Hopemead — no restrooms, no picnic tables, no rangers. Just a small parking area on Cottage Road and the trail. The park is free and open year-round during daylight hours. It’s a perfect half-hour escape for those who appreciate the beauty of abandoned places being gently consumed by forest.
Park Location
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