Featured Parks

Great Park Pursuit 2008 Destinations

Hammonasset Beach State Park: Madison – Connecticut's largest shoreline park is also the most-visited park in the state system. Over 1.5 million people ascend upon Hammonasset Beach State Park each year to enjoy swimming in the Sound, fishing from the jetties, strolling along the boardwalk, or camping at one of the 558 sites.

Suggested Destinations for Fall 2007

Week of December 24th

Mohawk Mountain State Park: Goshen - Among Connecticut ski areas, Mohawk Mountain has the greatest number of slopes and trails, the highest elevation, and the highest vertical drop. With 107 skiable acres and the state's largest night-skiing area, it is a perfect destination for winter play.

Week of December 17th

Haddam Meadows State Park: Haddam - This park consists of a large open floodplain, which is perfect for activities that require expansive and flat spaces such as cross country skiing and even dog sledding. Both activities are common sites during the snowy season, while field sports are enjoyed during warm weather.

Week of December 10th

James L. Goodwin State Forest: Hampton - This forest was a gift to the state of Connecticut from James L. Goodwin, who developed the land as a private tree farm and planted his first crop of Christmas trees in 1921.

Week of December 3rd

Osbornedale State Park: Derby - This hilltop park in the Derby-Ansonia area was the former estate of the Osborne family, whose homestead is now a museum that is traditionally decorated during the holiday season for guests to tour through December 16.

Week of November 26th

Gillette Castle State Park: East Haddam - One of Connecticut's most widely recognized and beloved landmarks, Gillette Castle is a unique and intricate structure that receives a decorative Christmas makeover in Victorian style each year during the holiday season. Visitors can tour the castle weekends from November 23 through December 23 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and sip hot cider, take in majestic bonfires and enjoy various musical performances during this festive celebration.

Week of November 19th

Hammonasset Beach State Park: Madison - Connecticut's largest shoreline park offers a host of recreational opportunities, including the annual Thanksgiving Day "Turkey Trot" 5-mile road race and 2-mile fitness walk.

Week of November 12th

Dennis Hill State Park: Norfolk - With vistas from a summit pavilion located at 1,627 feet above sea level, visitors to this walk-in park can take in dramatic views that are particularly spectacular during fall foliage season.

Week of November 5th

Shenipsit State Forest: Stafford Springs - Encompassing the towns of Ellington, Somers and Stafford, this sprawling 7,000-acre forest is a wonderful destination to view the vibrant fall foliage.

Suggested Destinations for Summer 2007

Week of September 7th

Talcott Mountain State Park: Bloomfield - For scenic vistas sweeping more than 1,000 square miles, hike the 1.25-mile broad, steep trail to Heublein Tower at Talcott Mountain State Park.

Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park: Groton - One of America’s best preserved Revolutionary War fortifications, Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park is a historic place to visit in New London County.

Week of August 31st

Osbornedale State Park: Derby - With an unprecedented 350 acres in the Derby-Ansonia area, Osbornedale State Park is a hilltop oasis of trees and fields in a corridor thick with industry and residential neighborhoods.

Air Line State Park Trail: East Hampton/ Colchester/ Hebron/ Lebanon/ Windham/ Chaplin/ Hampton/ Pomfret/ Putnam/ Thompson - Stretching from East Hampton all the way to the Massachusetts border in East Thompson, the Air Line State Park Trail is mecca for hiking, biking and horseback riding in Eastern Connecticut.

Week of August 24th

Kent Falls State Park: Kent - The dramatic waterfall is the main feature at Kent Falls State Park, located in the northwest corner of Connecticut.

Wadsworth Falls State Park: Middlefield - Rich with an industrial history, Wadsworth Falls State Park features both man-made and natural beauty in south-central Connecticut.

Week of August 17th

Burr Pond State Park: Torrington - With inviting waters that accommodate swimming, boating and fishing, Burr Pond State Park is a great place to enjoy a summer day in northwestern Connecticut.

Rocky Neck State Park: East Lyme - Spanning 710-acres along the eastern Connecticut shore, Rocky Neck State Park is a popular recreation spot for swimming in Long Island Sound, fishing the tidal rivers and salt marshes, and camping overnight in one of over 160 open and wooded sites.

Week of August 9th

Harkness Memorial State Park: Waterford - Jutting out into Long Island Sound, Harkness Memorial State Park is a beautiful piece of property situated on Goshen Point in Waterford.

Black Rock State Park: Watertown - Tucked into the scenic hills of the Western Highlands, Black Rock State Park is a recreation destination just outside Waterbury.

The Great Park Pursuit 2007 Destinations

Beardsley Park: Bridgeport - In 1878, James Beardsley, a wealthy cattle dealer, donated over 100 acres to the city of Bridgeport and in 1884 the city contracted noted landscape architect and Connecticut native Frederick Law Olmsted to create a design for Beardsley Park.

Haystack Mountain State Park: Norfolk - With a peak that sits 1,716 feet above sea level, Haystack Mountain State Park offers breathtaking views of Long Island Sound, the Berkshires, and peaks in Massachusetts and New York.

Collis P. Huntington State Park: Redding - Spreading 883 acres over fields and dense woodlands, Collis P. Huntington State Park is a peaceful and tranquil setting in Fairfield County.

Bigelow Hollow State Park: Union - With more than 9,600 acres of land offered by Bigelow State Park and the adjoining Nipmuck State Forest, there is plenty of space for recreation in Eastern Connecticut.

Sleeping Giant State Park: Hamden - Two miles of mountaintop in the south central Connecticut skyline bear an uncanny resemblance to a large man lying in repose, thus giving Sleeping Giant State Park its descriptive name.

Mansfield Hollow State Park: Mansfield - The central feature of this park is Lake Naubesatuck, a man-made lake created from the waters of the Fenton, Mount Hope and Natchaug Rivers.

Pachaug State Forest: Voluntown - Pachaug State Forest is the largest State Forest in Connecticut encompassing 24,000 acres in five towns.

Suggested Destinations for Summer 2006

Week of August 28th

Eastern CT – Gay City State Park: Hebron - With 11.5 miles of well-developed trails serving hikers, bikers and horseback riders, Gay City State Park is a recreational paradise of over 1500 acres in eastern Connecticut.

Western CT – Kettletown State Park: Southbury - Said to be purchased by colonists from Native American tribes for one brass kettle, Kettletown State Park is a 605-acre expanse that offers a little bit of everything.

Week of August 21st

Eastern CT – Rocky Neck State Park: East Lyme - Rocky Neck State Park is a coastal mecca for visitors wishing to relax along the beach, swim in Long Island Sound, fish the tidal rivers and salt marshes, and spend overnight along the shore.

Western CT – Collis P. Huntington State Park: Redding - Spreading 883 acres over fields and dense woodlands, Collis P. Huntington State Park is a peaceful and tranquil setting in Fairfield County.

Week of August 14th

Eastern CT – Pachaug State Forest: Voluntown - Pachaug State Forest is the largest state forest in Connecticut encompassing 24,000 acres in five towns.

Western CT – Indian Well State Park: Shelton - Lying on the west bank of the Housatonic River, Indian Well State Park features a long stretch of shoreline where visitors can swim, fish or enjoy a picnic.

Week of August 7th

Eastern CT – Chatfield Hollow State Park: Killingworth - Opened in 1933 as Connecticut’s first Civilian Conservation Corps recreation area, Chatfield Hollow State Park is a wonderful place to enjoy fishing, picnicking and hiking.

Western CT – Lake Waramaug State Park: New Preston - The pristine waters of Lake Waramaug make this state park a serene setting for a variety of aquatic activities.

Week of July 31st

Eastern CT – Bluff Point State Park: Groton - As the last remaining significant piece of undeveloped land along the Connecticut coastline, Bluff Point State Park in Groton is a wooded peninsula that juts out into waters of Long Island Sound.

Western CT – Kent Falls State Park: Kent - One of Connecticut’s oldest State Parks, Kent Falls State Park was acquired in 1919 through a gift of 200 acres from the White Memorial Foundation.

The Great Park Pursuit 2006 Destinations

Dinosaur State Park: Rocky Hill - Sitting on one of the largest dinosaur trackways in North America, Dinosaur State Park offers a window into the Jurassic period when dinosaurs roamed the earth.

West Rock Ridge State Park: Hamden/New Haven - Known as a hiker's paradise, West Rock Ridge State Park sits 627 feet above sea level and offers uncontested views of New Haven Harbor and Long Island Sound.

Stratton Brook State Park: Simsbury - Formerly part of neighboring Massacoe State Forest, Stratton Brook State Park is best known for its trout fishing, swimming and bikeway.

People’s State Forest: Barkhamsted - While in earlier times they were best known for their evergreens and poor farmland, today People’s State Forest and the American Legion State Forest are recognized for providing great recreational settings on neighboring sides of the Farmington River.

Putnam Memorial State Park: Redding - Putnam Memorial State Park offers a window into America’s Revolutionary heritage. Named for Israel Putnam, an American army general during the Revolutionary War who fought in distinction at the Battle of Bunker Hill, the state park is the site of Putnam’s Continental Army encampment during the 1778-79 winter.

Mashamoquet Brook State Park: Pomfret - Formerly made up of three different parks, Mashamoquet Brook State Park offers an eclectic variety of activities including swimming, hiking, camping and historic sites such as the Wolf Den cave.

Silver Sands State Park: Milford - Featuring a marsh rich in wildlife, visitors to Silver Sands State Park enjoy serene solitude on a half mile of beachfront located between Madison and Westport.

Fort Trumbull State Park: New London - Originally built in colonial times to protect New London harbor from British attack, Fort Trumbull is one of the 42 forts that defended the early United States’ coast and harbors.