From Mystic Seaport to the Yale University Art Gallery, there are several activities to keep you busy in Connecticut, but did you know the "Nutmeg State" is home to 65 state parks? Whether it be camping, swimming, boating, or hiking, there's plenty for every outdoor enthusiast to do. So, get outside and enjoy Connecticut's beautiful scenery and its warm weather at one of its 10 greatest state parks.
1. Gillette Castle State Park
Gillette Castle was originally commissioned and designed by William Gillette, an actor most famous for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes. The castle looks like a beautiful, medieval fortress, nestled between East Haddam and Lyme, Connecticut. Once you step inside its stone walls, you will see built-in couches, a table trackway, and intricate woodcarvings.
2. Hammonasset Beach State Park
Hammonasset Beach is located in Madison, Connecticut. It is the largest shoreline park in Connecticut, offering over two miles of the Long Island Sound to enjoy swimming, strolling along the boardwalk, or relaxing in the sun.
3. Sleeping Giant State Park
With nearly three miles of mountaintop in Hamden and Wallingford, the Sleeping Giant gets its name for its resemblance to a slumbering human figure laying on its back. It is known for its large clifftop areas and hiking trails, leading up to a lookout tower at the summit of the Giant.
4. Talcott Mountain State Park
The Talcott Mountain ridgeline is located in Farmington, West Hartford, Avon, Bloomfield, and Simsbury, Connecticut. It encompasses several recreational areas and reservoirs, a science center, and school, and a demonstration forest. The historic Heublein Tower awaits hikers at the top of the mountain, providing panoramic views of the Hartford skyline and the Farmington River Valley.
5. Harkness Memorial State Park
Harkness Memorial is a botanical garden located in Waterford, Connecticut on the Long Island Sound. It holds a 42-room Renaissance Revival mansion, called the Eolia, designed by the New York architectural firm of Lord & Hewlett. The mansion surrounds sweeping lawns with stately trees and spectacular gardens and greenhouses.
6. Bluff Point State Park
Located in Groton, Connecticut, Bluff Point contains a barrier beach, steep cliffs, forested areas, and tidal wetlands that overlook the wildlife in and around the Long Island Sound. Many visitors go to the state park for its boating, saltwater fishing, shellfishing, hiking, and, even, mountain biking.
7. Silver Sands State Park
Silver Sands consists of 297 acres of beach, dunes, restored salt marshes, open areas, and woods in Milford, Connecticut. The park offers facilities for swimming in the Long Island Sound, picnicking, trails, boardwalks, and bird-watching. Out at sea, it holds the 14-acre bird sanctuary of Charles Island, which is rumored to be the site of Captain Kidd's buried treasure.
8. Kent Falls State Park
Visit Kent Falls in Kent, Connecticut to wander across the replica of a covered bridge, hike the trails, enjoy a picnic and feel the mist on your face as the water drops 250 feet down in under just a quarter mile. The largest cascade drops more than 70 feet before joining the Housatonic River.
9. Fort Trumbull State Park
Lying adjacent to the Coast Guard Station in New London, Fort Trumbull offers interactive history lessons at the visitor's center and walks around the Fort, ramparts, and boardwalk. Overlooking the Thames River, you can even go fishing at the pier before venturing out into the ruins of Fort Trumbull's neighborhood.
10. Dinosaur State Park
The Dinosaur State Park in Rocky Hill preserves one of the largest dinosaur track sites in North America, maintaining Jurassic fossil tracks in sandstone from about 200 million years ago. You can interact with the exhibits and cast your own dinosaur footprint to take home, or you can hike one of the many trails within the park's grounds.
