Southford Falls State Park is a public recreation area in the towns of Oxford and Southbury, Connecticut, offering fishing, hiking, and scenic waterfalls. The state park is managed by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.HistoryThe fast flowing waters of Eight Mile Brook as it drops steeply from Lake Quassapaug to the Housatonic River provided power for an early industrial complex, which at one time included gristmills, sawmills, and the shops of iron workers, button makers, knife makers, and other skilled tradesmen. Evidence in the channel suggests that man-made improvements were introduced to strengthen the river's flow. At the turn of the 20th century, the Diamond Match Company bought up the site and built a factory for the manufacture of cardboard matchboxes. After the factory burned down for a second time, the site was ceded to the state in 1927. The state park was established in 1932.Activities and amenitiesThe park features a covered bridge over Eight Mile Brook, hiking trails, and picnicking facilities. Recreation includes skiing and ice-skating in winter, field sports, day-hikes and fishing. The park is a designated Trout Park, stocked weekly with trout from the state's fish hatcheries.