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Caves

South Central Connecticut Planning Region

Judges Cave

Caves

South Central Connecticut Planning Region

New Haven

Judges Cave

Highlight • Cave

Judges Cave

Name: Judges Cave
Rating: 2

Recommended by 3 hikers

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Location: New Haven, South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut, United States

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Best Hikes to Judges Cave

4.6

(7)

hikers

1. Regicides Trail loop — West Rock Ridge State Park

11.4km

03:07

170m

Intermediate hike. Good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.

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Intermediate

4.5

(2)

hikers

2. Full Regicides Trail from South Overlook to Quinnipiac Trail Junction — West Ridge State Park

22.0km

06:03

350m

Expert hike. Very good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Expert

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3. Judge's Cave from South Overlook loop — West Rock Ridge State Park

2.94km

00:51

80m

Intermediate hike. Great for any fitness level. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.

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Intermediate

Tips

Jamie S.

August 22, 2023

Edward Whalley and William Goffe were two of the 59 British judges who sentenced King Charles I to death in 1649. When King Charles II, the son of Charles I, was eventually restored to the throne, he issued an order that each judge should be hanged, drawn, and quartered. Whalley and Goffe and another judge, John Dixwell, all fled across the Atlantic to North America. They initially hid in people's homes in Boston and New Haven, but even that was too dangerous, so Whalley and Goffe fled to the woods of what is now West Rock Ridge State Park. In the woods, they hid in this large rock for an unknown amount of time in the spring of 1661, aided by local townspeople who brought them food. A scary encounter with a panther forced the judges to flee their hiding spot in the woods. They eventually settled in Hadley, Massachusetts, where they escaped arrest and execution. In honor of these fugitives, this "cave" was named “Judges Cave” and the trail to it, “Regicides Trail.” There is a small plaque on the west side of the rock dedicated to this history.

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Details

Informations

Elevation 80 m

Weather

Today

Sunday 9 November

16°C

10°C

67 %

If you start your activity now...

Max wind speed: 9.0 km/h

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Location: New Haven, South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut, United States

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Judges Cave

1. Regicides Trail loop — West Rock Ridge State Park

2. Full Regicides Trail from South Overlook to Quinnipiac Trail Junction — West Ridge State Park

3. Judge's Cave from South Overlook loop — West Rock Ridge State Park

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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