By: Maria Moore
We have said it before, but it bears repeating: “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 Summer 2012 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 27, 2012, article Town Beach At West Hill Lake Is Open For The Season!
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The swimming area with the reservoir as the backdrop
The second of the town’s private beaches is 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 2012 brochure. This report is essentially the same as the ones we have posted in previous years, with the information updated for 2012; please be sure to check the 2012 brochure at the end of this article for complete information.
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, in one of the most beautiful parts of the world!
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“Let’s go to the beach!” For New Hartford residents this 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 at 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, and many other town families before ours and since ours, spent many happy hours watching our children grow.
Where Is Stanclift Cove Beach?
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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 16, and it closes on Labor Day weekend, this year on September 3. 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 Summer 2012:
Resident Sticker: $55 for the first car, $28 for the second car. Resident Senior (62 years+) Stickers are $20.
Non-resident Sticker: $275 for the first car, $138 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 25 through June 28. Classes are held Monday through Thursday, with classes beginning at 6:00 p.m.; Registration begins on June 13.
- Session 2 Day: July 9 through July 19. Classes are held Monday through Thursday, with classes running on the half hour beginning at 10:00 a.m. through 11:30. Registration begins on June 24.
- Session 3 Night: July 30 through August 9. Classes are held Monday through Thursday, with classes running on the half hour beginning at 5:30 p.m., and the last class beginning at 6:00 p.m.; Registration begins July 9.
- 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 2012 Stanclift Cove Brochure: Stanclift Cove Brouchure Summer 2012 (34)
Some Background on The Cove
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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 taken 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 Historical Society’s Stanclift Cove article. The other two New Hartford representatives on the Stanclift Cove Authority are Melanie Dias and Bill Coates.
There’s plenty of room for everyone at the large beach at Stanclift Cove. Photo: Maria Moore
For more photos of Stanclift Cove, see our July 17, 2011, article Exploring New Hartford: With The Temperatures In The 90s, We Head For Stanclift Cove.
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Lake McDonough: MDC’s Public Beaches On The Reservoir
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For non-residents of New Hartford and Barkhamsted who would like to 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, which are all open to the public.
