List of Connecticut state parks
This is a list of state parks and reserves in the Connecticut state park system, shown in four tables. The first table lists state parks and reserves, the second lists state park trails, the third list state forests, and the fourth lists other state-owned, recreation-related areas.
Connecticut state parks
Name | Town | County | Area[1] | Estab- lished | River / lake / other | Image | Remarks | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
acres | ha | |||||||
Above All State Park | Warren | Litchfield | 31 | 13 | 1927 | ![]() |
Undeveloped site with Cold War defense installation remnants | |
Beaver Brook State Park | Chaplin, Windham | Windham | 401 | 162 | 1955 | Bibbins Pond | ![]() |
Fishing; abuts Air Line State Park Trail |
Becket Hill State Park Reserve | Lyme | New London | 260 | 110 | 1961 | Uncas Pond | ![]() |
Adjacent to Nehantic State Forest |
Beckley Furnace Industrial Monument | North Canaan | Litchfield | 12 | 4.9 | 1946 | Historic iron-making furnace dating from 1847 | ||
Bennett's Pond State Park | Ridgefield, Danbury | Fairfield | 460 | 190 | 2002 | ![]() |
Former estate and nursery called Outpost Farm | |
Bigelow Hollow State Park | Union | Tolland | 516 | 209 | 1949 | Bigelow Pond, Mashapaug Lake |
![]() |
Adjoins Nipmuck State Forest and borders Mashapaug Lake; boat launch, swimming |
Black Rock State Park | Watertown | Litchfield | 444 | 180 | 1926 | Black Rock Pond | ![]() |
Camping, pond fishing, Mattatuck Trail |
Bluff Point State Park | Groton | New London | 806 | 326 | 1963 | Long Island Sound | ![]() |
Ocean access, boat launch; near Haley Farm State Park |
Bolton Notch State Park | Bolton | Tolland | 95 | 38 | 1918 | Rock climbing | ||
Brainard Homestead State Park | East Haddam | Middlesex | 25 | 10 | 1929 | ![]() |
Undeveloped | |
Burr Pond State Park | Torrington | Litchfield | 438 | 177 | 1949 | Burr Pond | Boating, fishing, swimming | |
Camp Columbia State Park/State Forest | Morris | Litchfield | 600 | 240 | 2000 | Former rural campus of Columbia University Engineering Department | ||
Campbell Falls State Park Reserve | Norfolk | Litchfield | 102 | 41 | 1923 | Whiting River | ![]() |
On the Massachusetts border |
Chatfield Hollow State Park | Killingworth | Middlesex | 412 | 167 | 1949 | ![]() |
Swimming, fishing | |
Collis P. Huntington State Park | Redding, Newtown, Bethel | Fairfield | 878 | 355 | 1973 | ![]() |
Former estate with ponds for fishing and canoeing and multipurpose trails | |
Connecticut Valley Railroad State Park | Essex | Middlesex | 136 | 55 | ![]() |
Essex Steam Train from Essex to Chester up the Connecticut River valley | ||
Dart Island State Park | Middletown | Middlesex | 19 | 7.7 | 1918 | Connecticut River | Accessible by water only | |
Day Pond State Park | Colchester | New London | 180 | 73 | 1949 | Day Pond | ![]() |
Swimming, pond fishing |
Dennis Hill State Park | Norfolk | Litchfield | 240 | 97 | 1935 | ![]() |
Former estate with hiking, picnicking and scenic views | |
Devil's Hopyard State Park | East Haddam | Middlesex | 860 | 350 | 1919 | Eightmile River | ![]() |
Historic millsite with camping, stream fishing, waterfall |
Dinosaur State Park | Rocky Hill | Hartford | 60 | 24 | 1968 | Natural history museum, arboretum | ||
Eagle Landing State Park | Haddam | Middlesex | 16 | 6.5 | 2003 | Connecticut River | ![]() |
Boat dock, fishing pier, winter eagle viewing |
Farm River State Park | East Haven | New Haven | 61 | 25 | 1998 | Farm River | Boat launch, fishing | |
Ferry Landing State Park | Old Lyme | New London | 1 | 0.40 | Unknown | Connecticut River | ![]() |
Boat launch, fishing, Crabbing |
Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park | Groton | New London | 16 | 6.5 | 1953 | Thames River | Site of the 1781 massacre led by Benedict Arnold; American Revolutionary War museum and artifacts | |
Fort Trumbull State Park | New London | New London | 16 | 6.5 | 2000 | Long Island Sound | ![]() |
19th-century fort with museum, fishing pier |
Gardner Lake State Park | Salem | New London | 10 | 4.0 | 2001 | Gardner Lake | Boating, fishing, swimming | |
Gay City State Park | Hebron | Tolland | 1,569 | 635 | 1944 | Blackledge River | Former mill-town ruins; pond fishing, swimming, youth group camping; bordered by Meshomasic State Forest | |
George Dudley Seymour State Park | Haddam | Middlesex | 222 | 90 | 1960 | Connecticut River | Abuts Hurd State Park and Higganum Meadows Wildlife Area; fishing, hunting | |
George Waldo State Park | Southbury | New Haven | 150 | 61 | 1960 | Lake Lillinonah | Undeveloped; multi-use trails | |
Gillette Castle State Park | East Haddam | Middlesex | 184 | 74 | 1943 | Connecticut River | ![]() |
Castle house museum; boat camping |
Haddam Island State Park | Haddam | Middlesex | 14 | 5.7 | 1944 | Connecticut River | Accessible only by boat | |
Haddam Meadows State Park | Haddam | Middlesex | 175 | 71 | 1944 | Connecticut River | ![]() |
Boating, fishing |
Haley Farm State Park | Groton | New London | 198 | 80 | 1970 | ![]() |
Bike trail, near Bluff Point State Park | |
Hammonasset Beach State Park | Madison | New Haven | 919 | 372 | 1920 | Beach, swimming, fishing, camping, nature center, carry-in boating | ||
Harkness Memorial State Park | Waterford | New London | 116 | 47 | 1952 | Long Island Sound | ![]() |
42-room mansion museum, formal gardens, fishing |
Haystack Mountain State Park | Norfolk | Litchfield | 292 | 118 | 1917 | Observation tower | ||
Higganum Reservoir State Park | Haddam | Middlesex | 147 | 59 | 1955 | Higganum Reservoir | Car-top boating, fishing, hunting | |
Hopemead State Park | Bozrah, Montville | New London | 70 | 28 | 1954 | Gardner Lake | Fishing, hiking | |
Hopeville Pond State Park | Griswold | New London | 544 | 220 | 1938 | Pachaug River | Camping, boating, swimming, pond fishing, field sports | |
Horse Guard State Park | Avon | Hartford | 105 | 42 | 1964 | Undeveloped | ||
Housatonic Meadows State Park | Sharon | Litchfield | 451 | 183 | 1927 | Housatonic River | Camping, canoeing, fly fishing | |
Humaston Brook State Park | Litchfield | Litchfield | 141 | 57 | 1920 | Fishing | ||
Hurd State Park | East Hampton | Middlesex | 991 | 401 | 1914 | Connecticut River | Boat camping, mountain biking, scenic views | |
Indian Well State Park | Shelton | Fairfield | 153 | 62 | 1928 | Lake Housatonic | Boating, swimming, fishing, waterfalls | |
John A. Minetto State Park | Torrington | Litchfield | 715 | 289 | 1965 | Pond and stream fishing, cross-country skiing | ||
Kent Falls State Park | Kent | Litchfield | 307 | 124 | 1919 | Falls Brook | Waterfalls, replica covered bridge | |
Kettletown State Park | Southbury | New Haven | 599 | 242 | 1950 | Lake Zoar | ![]() |
Camping, swimming, fishing |
Killingly Pond State Park | Killingly | Windham | 162 | 66 | Killingly Pond | Boating, fishing | ||
Lake Waramaug State Park | Kent | Litchfield | 95 | 38 | 1920 | Lake Waramaug | ![]() |
Camping, car-top boating, swimming, fishing |
Lamentation Mountain State Park | Berlin | Hartford | 47 | 19 | 1936 | Hiking, scenic vistas | ||
Lovers Leap State Park | New Milford | Litchfield | 127 | 51 | 1971 | Housatonic River | ![]() |
Scenic river vistas |
Macedonia Brook State Park | Kent | Litchfield | 2,300 | 930 | 1918 | Camping, stream fishing | ||
Machimoodus State Park | East Haddam | Middlesex | 300 | 120 | 1998 | Salmon River | ![]() |
Fishing, horseback riding |
Mansfield Hollow State Park | Mansfield | Tolland | 251 | 102 | 1952 | Mansfield Hollow Lake | ![]() |
Boating, fishing, field sports, mountain biking, cross-country skiing |
Mashamoquet Brook State Park | Pomfret | Windham | 917 | 371 | 1924 | ![]() |
Camping, swimming, stream fishing | |
Mianus River State Park | Stamford | Fairfield | 94 | 38 | 2001 | Mianus River | Biking, fishing, horseback riding | |
Millers Pond State Park | Durham, Haddam | Middlesex | 280 | 110 | 1955 | Millers Pond | ![]() |
Fishing, hunting, mountain biking |
Minnie Island State Park | Salem, Montville | New London | 1 | 0.40 | 1925 | Gardner Lake | Boating, fishing, accessible only by boat | |
Mohawk Forest/Mohawk Mountain State Park | Cornwall, Goshen, Litchfield | Litchfield | 4,016 | 1,625 | 1921 | ![]() |
Includes Mohawk Mountain Ski Area | |
Mono Pond State Park Reserve | Columbia | Tolland | 218 | 88 | 2008 | Mono Pond | Boating, fishing, hunting, cross-country skiing | |
Mooween State Park | Lebanon | New London | 577 | 234 | 1989 | Red Cedar Lake | Boating, fishing | |
Mount Bushnell State Park | Washington | Litchfield | 214 | 87 | 1916 | ![]() |
Hiking | |
Mount Riga State Park | Salisbury | Litchfield | 276 | 112 | 1954 | ![]() |
Hiking | |
Mount Tom State Park | Litchfield, Washington, Morris | Litchfield | 231 | 93 | 1915 | Mount Tom Pond | Historic lookout tower | |
Old Furnace State Park | Killingly | Windham | 367 | 149 | 1918 | Ross Pond | ![]() |
Site of an 18th-century iron furnace; hiking, boating, fishing, hunting |
Osbornedale State Park | Derby | New Haven | 350 | 140 | 1956 | ![]() |
Former Osbornedale Farms; hiking, pond fishing | |
Penwood State Park | Bloomfield | Hartford | 787 | 318 | 1944 | Lake Louise | ![]() |
Metacomet Trail, hiking, cross-country skiing |
Platt Hill State Park | Winchester | Litchfield | 159 | 64 | 1960 | Scenic vistas | ||
Pomeroy State Park | Lebanon | New London | 200 | 81 | 1953 | Undeveloped; hiking, hunting | ||
Putnam Memorial State Park | Bethel, Redding | Fairfield | 183 | 74 | 1887 | Lake MdDougall | ![]() |
American Revolutionary War museum, interpretive trail, youth group camping |
Quaddick State Park | Thompson | Windham | 116 | 47 | 1951 | Quaddick Reservoir | Boat launch, swimming, fishing, field sports | |
Quinebaug Lake State Park | Killingly | Windham | 181 | 73 | 1964 | Quinebaug Lake | Boating, fishing | |
Quinnipiac River State Park | North Haven | New Haven | 323 | 131 | 1951 | Quinnipiac River | Car-top boating, fishing, hunting | |
River Highlands State Park | Cromwell | Middlesex | 177 | 72 | 2001 | Connecticut River | Boat camping | |
Rocky Glen State Park | Newtown | Fairfield | 46 | 19 | 1943 | Pootatuck River | Hiking | |
Rocky Neck State Park | East Lyme | New London | 710 | 290 | 1931 | Long Island Sound | ![]() |
Beach, swimming, camping, saltwater fishing |
Ross Pond State Park | Killingly | Windham | 314 | 127 | 1964 | Ross Pond | Boating, fishing, hunting | |
Salt Rock State Campground | Sprague | New London | 149 | 60 | 2001 | Shetucket River | Camping, fishing, pool swimming, access to Shetucket River | |
Satan's Kingdom State Recreation Area | New Hartford | Litchfield | 1 | 0.40 | 2012 | Farmington River | ![]() |
Canoeing, kayaking, tubing |
Scantic River State Park | Enfield, East Windsor, Somers | Hartford | 784 | 317 | 1967 | Scantic River | ![]() |
Fishing, hunting |
Selden Neck State Park | Lyme | New London | 607 | 246 | 1917 | Connecticut River | Accessible only by boat; camping, fishing, hunting | |
Seth Low Pierrepont State Park Reserve | Ridgefield | Fairfield | 305 | 123 | 1956 | Lake Naraneka | ![]() |
Car-top boating, fishing |
Sherwood Island State Park | Westport | Fairfield | 238 | 96 | 1932 | Long Island Sound | Beach, swimming, nature center, field sports, saltwater fishing | |
Silver Sands State Park | Milford | New Haven | 297 | 120 | 1960 | Long Island Sound | ![]() |
Beach, swimming, saltwater fishing |
Sleeping Giant State Park | Hamden | New Haven | 1,439 | 582 | 1924 | ![]() |
Quinnipiac Trail, lookout tower, stream fishing, youth group camping | |
Southford Falls State Park | Oxford | New Haven | 126 | 51 | 1932 | Eightmile Brook | ![]() |
Waterfalls, covered bridge, pond and stream fishing, cross-country skiing, field sports |
Squantz Pond State Park | New Fairfield | Fairfield | 172 | 70 | 1926 | Squantz Pond | Boating, swimming, pond fishing, scuba diving | |
Stillwater Pond State Park | Torrington | Litchfield | 226 | 91 | Stillwater Pond | Boating, fishing | ||
Stoddard Hill State Park | Ledyard | New London | 55 | 22 | 1954 | Thames River | Boating, fishing | |
Stratton Brook State Park | Simsbury | Hartford | 145 | 59 | 1949 | Stratton Brook | ![]() |
Swimming, fishing, biking, cross-country skiing |
Sunnybrook State Park | Torrington | Litchfield | 464 | 188 | 1970 | Naugatuck River | Fishing, hunting | |
Sunrise State Park | East Haddam | Middlesex | 143 | 58 | 2009 | Salmon River | ![]() |
Undeveloped |
Talcott Mountain State Park | Simsbury, Avon, Bloomfield |
Hartford | 574 | 232 | 1965 | ![]() |
Observation tower, scenic vistas, Metacomet Trail | |
Tri-Mountain State Park | Durham, Wallingford |
Middlesex, New Haven |
157 | 64 | 1925 | Hiking | ||
Trout Brook Valley State Park Reserve | Easton | Fairfield | 300 | 120 | 1999 | ![]() |
Hiking | |
Wadsworth Falls State Park | Middlefield, Middletown |
Middlesex | 285 | 115 | 1942 | Coginchaug River | ![]() |
Waterfall, swimming, stream fishing, mountain biking |
West Rock Ridge State Park | Hamden, New Haven, Woodbridge, Bethany |
New Haven | 1,691 | 684 | 1975 | Lake Wintergreen | ![]() |
Features the Regicides Trail, scenic vistas, fishing, car-top boating, horseback riding |
Wharton Brook State Park | Wallingford, North Haven |
New Haven | 96 | 39 | 1918 | Allen Brook Pond | ![]() Allen Brook Pond in Wharton Brook SP at dusk. |
Fishing, swimming |
Whittemore Glen State Park | Naugatuck, Middlebury | New Haven | 242 | 98 | 1945 | ![]() |
Horseback riding, hiking | |
Windsor Meadows State Park | Windsor | Hartford | 155 | 63 | 1968 | Connecticut River | Boat launch, fishing, bicycling | |
Wooster Mountain State Park | Danbury | Fairfield | 444 | 180 | 1920 | ![]() |
Skeet, trap and target shooting, hunting |
Connecticut state park trails
Name | Towns | Counties | Length | Estab- lished | Image | Remarks | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
mi | km | ||||||
Air Line State Park Trail |
East Hampton, Colchester, Hebron, Columbia, Lebanon, Windham, Chaplin, Hampton, Pomfret, Putnam, Thompson | Middlesex, New London, Tolland, Windham |
50 | 80 | 1969 | ![]() |
Nearly fifty miles of converted rail-trail |
Farmington Canal State Park Trail |
Cheshire, Hamden | New Haven | 5.5 | 8.9 | ![]() |
Part of the Farmington Canal Trail | |
Hop River State Park Trail |
Andover, Bolton, Columbia, Coventry, Manchester, Vernon | Hartford, Tolland | 19 | 31 | ![]() |
Nineteen miles of rail-trail from Manchester to Willimantic | |
Larkin State Park Trail |
Southbury, Oxford, Middlebury, Naugatuck | New Haven | 10 | 16 | 1943 | Ten-mile-long rail-trail | |
Moosup Valley State Park Trail |
Plainfield, Sterling | Windham | 6 | 9.7 | 1987 | ![]() |
Six miles of rail-trail |
Windsor Locks Canal State Park Trail |
Windsor Locks, Suffield | Hartford | 4.5 | 7.2 | ![]() |
4.5 mile bike trail, fishing along the canal | |
Connecticut state forests
Connecticut Wildlife Management Areas
Name | Town | County | Area[1] | Established | River / lake / other | Image | Remarks | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
acres | ha | |||||||
Aldo Leopold Wildlife Management Area | Southbury | New Haven | 554 acres | 224 ha | Housatonic River, Lake Lillinonah | Forest. Limited off-road parking available on Kuhne, Purchase Brook, Little York and East Flat Hill roads. | ||
Assekonk Swamp Wildlife Management Area | North Stonington | New London | 693 acres | 280 ha | Assekonk Swamp | Swamp. Limited off-road parking available off CT-184. | ||
Babcock Pond Wildlife Management Area | East Haddam, Colchester | Middlesex, New London | 1524 acres | 617 ha | Babcock Pond | Swamp, forest, pond. Parking off Myles Standish Road, | ||
Barber Pond Wildlife Management Area | Bloomfield, Windsor | Hartford | 72 acres | 29 ha | Barber Pond | Wetlands. Access via CT-305 (Old Windsor Road). | ||
Barn Island Wildlife Management Area | Stonington | New London | 1013 acres | 410 ha | Little Narragansett Bay | Marshes. Parking at the Barn Island Boat Launch and South East Parking. | ||
Bartlett Brook Wildlife Management Area | Lebanon | New London | 687 acres | 278 ha | Bartlett Brook and Exeter Brook. | Streams. Stone foundations. Fields. Trails. | ||
Bear Hill Wildlife Management Area | ||||||||
Belding Wildlife Management Area | ||||||||
Bishops Swamp Wildlife Management Area | ||||||||
Black Pond Wildlife Management Area | ||||||||
Candlewood Hill Wildlife Management Area | Groton | New London | 201 acres | 81 ha | Swamps, streams, forest, glacial erratics, quarries and 44 acre pitch pine grove. | |||
Cedar Swamp Wildlife Management Area | ||||||||
Charles E. Wheeler Wildlife Management Area | Milford | New Haven | 625 acres | 253 ha | 1955 | Housatonic River, Long Island Sound | ![]() |
|
Charter Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary | Tolland | Tolland | 240 acres | 97 ha | Skungamaug Marsh (lake) and Skungamaug River. | Marsh, River, Pond. | ||
Cromwell Meadows Wildlife Management Area | ||||||||
Durham Meadows Wildlife Management Area | ||||||||
East River Marsh Wildlife Management Area | ||||||||
East Swamp Wildlife Management Area | ||||||||
Eightmile River Wildlife Management Area | ||||||||
Franklin Wildlife Management Area | North Franklin | New London | website | |||||
Goshen Wildlife Management Area | ||||||||
Great Harbor Wildlife Management Area | ||||||||
Higganum Meadows Wildlife Management Area | ||||||||
Housatonic River Wildlife Management Area | ||||||||
King's Island Coop Wildlife Management Area | ||||||||
Kollar Wildlife Management Area | ||||||||
Larson Lot Wildlife Management Area | ||||||||
Little River Fish and Wildlife Area | ||||||||
Lord's Cove Wildlife Management Area | ||||||||
Maromas Coop Wildlife Management Area | ||||||||
Meadow Brook Wildlife Management Area | ||||||||
Menunketesuck Wildlife Management Area | ||||||||
Messerschmidt Wildlife Management Area | ||||||||
Newgate Wildlife Management Area | ||||||||
Nod Brook Wildlife Management Area | ||||||||
Nott Island Wildlife Management Area | ||||||||
Pease Brook Wildlife Management Area | ||||||||
Plum Bank Wildlife Management Area | ||||||||
Quinebaug River Wildlife Management Area | ||||||||
Quinnipiac River Marsh Wildlife Management Area | ||||||||
Ragged Rock Wildlife Management Area | ||||||||
Raymond Brook Marsh Wildlife Management Area | ||||||||
Robbins Swamp Wildlife Management Area | ||||||||
Roger Tory Peterson Wildlife Area | ||||||||
Roraback Wildlife Management Area | Harwinton | Litchfield | 1976 acres | 800 ha | Leadmine Brook | Fields, Swamps, Ponds. | ||
Rose Hill Wildlife Management Area | ||||||||
Ross Marsh Wildlife Management Area | ||||||||
Salmon River Cove and Haddam Neck Wildlife Management Area | ||||||||
Sessions Woods Wildlife Management Area | Burlington | Hartford | ![]() |
website, includes the Sessions Woods Conservation Education Center with an exhibit area and a meeting room, interpretive trails, habitat management demonstration areas, and a backyard wildlife habitat area, Friends site, Town of Burlington information | ||||
Simsbury Wildlife Management Area | ||||||||
Skiff Mountain Coop Wildlife Management Area | ||||||||
James V. Spignesi Wildlife Management Area | ||||||||
Stanley Works Wildlife Management Area | ||||||||
Suffield Wildlife Management Area | ||||||||
Talbot Wildlife Management Area | ||||||||
Tankerhoosen Wildlife Management Area | ||||||||
Wangunk Meadows Wildlife Management Area | ||||||||
Wopowog Wildlife Management Area | ||||||||
Zemko Pond Wildlife Management Area |
Other state areas
Name | Town | County | Established | Remarks |
---|---|---|---|---|
Burlington Trout Hatchery | Burlington | Hartford | 1923 | website, information, located within Nassahegon State Forest |
Quinebaug Valley Trout Hatchery | Plainfield | Windham | website, information | |
gollark: I'm pretty sure the idea of zettelkasten is that you can *quickly* write down a small note for things and connect it to other things.
gollark: You mean *your* system is hard or zettelkasten is?
gollark: I... see.
gollark: Specify || minoteaur (which is vaguely zettelkastenous also).
gollark: What is YOUR preferred approach, "g"nobody?
See also
- List of U.S. national parks
References
- "Appendix A: List of State Parks and Forests" (PDF). State Parks and Forests: Funding. Staff Findings and Recommendations. Connecticut General Assembly. January 23, 2014. pp. A–1 – A–4. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
External links
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