Camp Columbia State Forest
Camp Columbia State Forest and State Historic Park is one of Connecticut DEPs most recent land acquisitions. The 591-acre property was acquired from Columbia University in 2000 and dedicated in 2004. A small portion of the acreage was designated as a State Historic Park, including the frontage on Bantam Lake and the immediate site of the Columbia University buildings. In the State Forest portion of the property, regulated hunting is permitted during fall hunting season.
In 1903, Columbia University purchased farmland to serve as a summer camp for Columbia Universitys surveying and engineering students. For 80 years, students used the grounds of Camp Columbia to put their classroom skills to practical use, sometimes even resulting in engineering breakthroughs. A demonstration of a new method of construction using a pre-stressed concrete roof with no interior supports was later tested on a much larger scale with the construction of Madison Square Garden in New York City! The university football team also practiced here, and Dwight D. Eisenhower is one of the dignitaries who reportedly hunted on the property during the 20th Century. During World War I, the Camp was used for combat training for college students that planned to apply for commissions as officers. Even today, subtle remnants of trenches dug in 1917 and 1918 are still evident in various parts of the property. Camp Columbia closed in 1983, and has since remained relatively quiet.
Access: Roadside parking along Munger Lane or Route 109.
