By: Maria Moore

To have one private town beach is great but to have two: that’s just plain FANTASTIC!

The first of the town’s two beaches to open for the season is the beach at Brodie Park on West Hill Lake, which opened on Memorial Day weekend. For information on the beach at Brodie Park please see our May 31 article Summer At The Lake: Town Beach At Brodie Park Is Open For The 2011 Summer Season.

The second of the town’s private beaches located at Stanclift Cove which opens for the season on Father’s Day weekend. This private beach is on the Barkhamsted Reservoir and is shared by the towns of New Hartford and Barkhamsted. Following is everything you need to know about utilizing the Stanclift Cove beach, including a little bit of the history of the beach and a downloadable copy of the Stanclift Cove 2011 brochure. This report is essentially the same as the one we posted last year; some of the information in the brochure has changed.

Whichever of the town’s two beaches you choose to summer on, we wish you and your family many happy days at the beach, right here in the Northwest Corner of Connecticut, one of the most beautiful parts of the world.

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“Let’s go to the beach!” For New Hartford residents has more and more come to mean: “Let’s go up to Brodie Park Beach on West Hill Pond!”

But before the 1986 purchase of the Brodie Park property, “Let’s go to the beach!” had a different meaning ~ it used to mean: “Let’s go to Stanclift Cove on the Barkhamsted Reservoir!”

For those who aren’t familiar with our town’s beach on the Reservoir, here’s a snapshot of the special beach where our family spent many happy hours watching our children grow.

Where Is Stanclift Cove Beach?

Stanclift Cove Beach is located on the Barkhamsted Reservoir and is accessed by means of a long, unpaved road leading off Route 318, Saville Dam Road.

Click the following Google map image to access Google maps directly:

Click the image to see a Google map of Stanclift Cove in relation to Pleasant Valley, the Dam and Route 219

The GPS (Global Positioning System) coordinates are: 41° 54′ 27.26″ N 72° 58′ 3.19″ W

Information About Stanclift Cove Beach

Cove Schedule:

The Cove opens on the weekend of Father’s Day, which this year is June 18, and it closes on Labor Day weekend, this year on September 5. The beach is open from 9:30 a.m. until 7:45 p.m., with the gates at the top of the access road closing at 8:00 p.m.

Sticker Prices for 2011:

Resident Sticker: $50 for the first car, $25 for the second car. Resident Senior (62 years+) Stickers are $20.

Non-resident Sticker: $250 for the first car, $125 for the second; Non-Resident Senior: $75.

Student Sticker: 50% off applicable fee (must show valid college ID).

Note: No one under the age of 16 is allowed at the Cove without adult supervision.

Swimming lessons:

Swimming lessons are available in three sessions at a cost of $25 per child, per session:

• Session 1 Night: June 27 through June 30. Classes are held Monday through Thursday, with classes beginning at 5:30 p.m., and the last class beginning at 6:15 p.m. ; Registration begins on June 18.
• Session 2 Day: July 11 through July 21. Classes are held Monday through Thursday, with classes beginning at 10:00 a.m. and the last class beginning at 12:00 noon; Registration begins on June 26.
• Session 3 Night: August 1 through August 11.  Classes are held Monday through Thursday, with classes beginning at 5:30 p.m., and the last class beginning at 6:00 p.m.; Registration begins July 10.
• Private Lessons: Are permitted and are between the Lifeguard instructor and the sticker holder; see the Head Lifeguard for more information.

Telephone Number:

The telephone number for the Cove is: 860-379-8082.

For complete information on Stanclift Cove, including Sticker Prices, Recreation Area Regulations, Swim Lesson Information and Schedule, Private Lessons, Permit Revocation, and a Special Notice from the Stanclift Cove Board, download a copy of the 2011 Stanclift Cove Brochure: Stanclift Cove Brochure (151).

Some Background on The Cove

Stanclift Cove Beach has been operating since 1960 as a jointly-owned beach of New Hartford and Barkhamsted through an easement granted by the MDC to the two towns. The beach came about through a settlement negotiated by the two towns under the Allied Towns’ Agreement with the MDC:

“as compensation for the vast tracts of land the MDC had purchased from 1913 through 1945 for the creation of several dams and reservoirs, including the Compensating Reservoir (now known as Lake McDonough) and the Barkhamsted Reservoir, Connecticut’s largest water supply reservoir…”

Quote from the Town Diary: Stanclift Cove ~ August 2000 section of the Barkhamsted Historical Society’s website, where you may find a detailed history of the creation of Stanclift Cove.

The Cove is administered by the Stanclift Authority, which is made up of six board members, three from New Hartford and three from Barkhamsted. One of the current New Hartford representatives on the Stanclift Cove Authority is Daria Hart, who was interviewed back in 2000 for the Barkhamsted Stanclift Cove article. The other two New Hartford representatives on the Stanclift Cove Authority are Melanie Dias and Bill Coates.

The Stanclift Cove Beach looks out over a secluded part of the Barkhamsted Reservoir. Photo by "danielle0221" from the internet

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Lake McDonough: MDC’s Public Beaches On The Reservoir

For non-residents of New Hartford and Barkhamsted who would like have access to a beach on the Reservoir, please visit the Lake McDonough section of the MDC’s website, where you will find information on East Beach, West Beach and Goose Green Beach.