Went on a half day (morning) fishing trip with these guys. Had to get up and leave Boston wicked…read moreearly in the morning, but the captain suggested getting there for a morning run... Once we got out to the middle of the sound, it was NON STOP. There were four of us, and we must have reeled in at least 20 bluefish each. Didn't get any stripers, they are pretty outnumbered. The captain and mate do most of the work, all you really have to do is reel the fish in. I think you can take turns driving or preparing bait if you want. $550 for a half day (5 hours or so). Four of us was perfect. Bring beer, snacks, etc! Boat was great too, good condition, and the captain and mate know there stuff. Highly recommended!

Love fishing, and the mate was really helpfull.read more

A beautiful free quiet preserve along the inlet allows for gentle relaxing walking trails, and you…read morecan bring your dog. It's an 18 acre natural meadow that can be explored. This acreage overlooks the Indian River, marsh and Long Island Sound in the distance. It's a quaint little gem lots of parking, adjacent to the also free McCuster Landing, a small boat dock and cupola called McCusker Landing.

9/25/21 The Guilford Town Marina holds very special childhood memories for me, as my dad would…read moresometimes take the family here on one of those "Sunday drives", that so many of us knew in the '50's & early '60's, in our 1949 Dodge Falkner Island is a scant 4 miles from here, but visitors are highly discouraged from setting foot on it as it's a designated nature preserve. There is a long abandoned small red "cottage" just across the West River from the marina that is a favorite subject of artists and photographers. I came today to bask in the warm early Autumn sun & air and to relive some of those great childhood memories. it's even quite beautiful and popular in the winter months as well. Come down here, if you haven't already. You'll be addicted to this spot as I am, and return again and again.

Not only is the Guilford Town Marina home port to many boats and yachts for fishing and pleasure,…read moreit is also one of the best places in town to watch the sunrise and sunset. Personally I recommend getting lunch at the Guilford Lobster Pound, located here (of course you have to get a warm CT-style lobster roll!) Another pro move is to stop at Ashley's to bring a hot fudge sundae down to the Guilford Town Marina for a sweet treat whilst watching the sunset. Bring your camera for glimpses of nature's beauty in all weather and all seasons!

This is a nice little park, but pretty small - 61 acres per the DEEP site. The main entrance for…read morethis park is on Short Beach Road in East Haven, where there's a small lot right next to a house - it can be easy to miss. This park is surrounded by houses, so it doesn't really feel all that private. It feels almost like it should be a municipal park or preserve. It seems to be a favorite of locals walking their dogs, which is what we were doing as well. Once you get past the fire road, there's a lot of meandering trail in the marsh area. The views are pretty, and it's a nice little place, but it seems to need some blazing and trail maintenance. There's also a picnic area marked on the map, but it's just a meadow area - no picnic tables.

Great little nature preserve nestled in East Haven. Some beautiful views and osprey nests. Yes,…read morethere are houses around but it's pretty sweet for basically being right in town.

We are not regular visitors of this beach because its a bit of a drive for us but we like to enjoy…read moreit every now and then We visited the East side of the beach this time. Pretty far from the crowded side and no food shack because it was permanently closed. Bummer. Good thing I brought some food . My daughter had a school beach day programmed and I came along. Why not? Breezy day but everyone enjoyed their time.

It has been a washout Memorial Day weekend. It rained all day Sunday. Today, Monday, we wanted to…read moretake a walk on the beach in Hammonasett State park. This is a gorgeous naturally beautiful piece of land. To our shock they were already charging $22 for out of state fees. Normally the season starts July 4th. We were unaware of the change in policy. Then, as we walked along the beach, we talked to life guards- all teenagers. They said they were asked to come out & stay on the beach even on Saturday although it was raining all day. Who are the ppl in charge of the park? Who makes these unilateral decisions? We the ppl are charged to walk on the edge of the ocean that belongs to the human race, so they can pay life guards on a rainy day with no ppl on the beach. Clearly, the CT govmt is in trouble.

This is a great little spot on the CT River, that is quiet and relaxing. This isn't a park with…read moreactivities for kids. Pack a lunch, bring a fishing pole and get back to basics. There is plenty of open space for a gathering, if you wanted to bring some lawn games, a cooler and a grill. The grounds are always clean and there is ample parking. Unfortunately, this park is directly across from a stable. On warm days, you can not escape the smell of manure.

Having read much about the mysterious Moodus noises, my curiosity lead me here on a surprisingly…read morecool morning, with hiking boots on my feet, and a day pack on my back. There was entrance fee, and plenty of parking; so, it seemed I was off to a good start. I chose to hike the upper vista "trail" in the beginning, making my way back via the lower vista trail. You'll notice that "trail" is in parenthesis, for the reason that this is not a trail at all; it's a dirt road. That in itself would prevent any hiking area from receiving a a five, or even a four, star rating from me. In any event, it was a moderately steep ascent; but, not so much that I felt the need to stop for a rest. There was an adequate forrest canopy, providing plenty of shade. The forrest had the appearance of being dense on each side; but alas, the constant sound of traffic let me know better. Another star gone Upon reaching the summit, I noticed a number of picnic tables and benches. Although this area seemed well maintained, the view of the Connecticut river below was partially obscured by rather tall fauna. Continuing on, I immediately found myself descending on the lower vista trail, which, at this juncture, is as advertised, indeed being a narrow, winding trail. To my dismay, I noted several improvised footpaths, clearly made in attempt to avoid zig zag patterned descent. The descent itself was all to short; and, I again found myself on the lower fork of that same dirt road. All in all, it felt as if it took longer to drive there then it took to hike the main loop, leaving me to ponder whether or not I should have brought my fishing poll, instead. To extend the hike, chose to branch off the main trail, on to the yellw, then blue, to make a wider loop. At one point, I glanced a rooftop through the trees wondering if that was part of once abandoned town of Johnsonville, that I been told was visible from the trail. Maybe it was; maybe, it wasn't. All in all, this was a pleasant, but unremarkable, hike. If your kids are in reasonably good shape, this is a great place to bring them. Your dog is welcomed as well; in fact, I jokingly commented one fellow hiker that felt out place, not having brought a dog of my own. But wait! You say. The mysterious noise! Did you hear it? Well, at one point I did hear what sounded like the roar of a Civil War reenactment cannon. Unfortunately, that sounds a lot like the sound of a dumpster lid slamming against a garbage truck as it's lifted from the ground; and given the constant sound of traffic, I'd say either is plausible.

Maybe this is just me, but I don't feel the entrance is clearly marked from the road. There is an…read moreentrance and an exit sign, but I was looking for a state park sign and plum drove right past it the first go-round. But I made it... Parking lot is a good size, and there was a porta potty on the far side. Now, when you're in the parking lot, there is a trail to the left ambling downward, and a trail going up that leads to a paved parking lot with a few creepy boarded up houses, paved parking lot, and (at the time) a bunch of cherry pickers. It used to be a SOMETHING because there are overgrown basketball courts to be seen. This is not part of the park, although a friendly native let us know how to pick up a trail back into the park. Moral of our story - when you're in the parking lot, pick the trail ambling down, not up. Once you're in the actual park and not a mile out of your way, it's lovely. The trails are well maintained, lots of signage about how far you are from what lookout and the parking lot. There are also cute little fairy doors and elements, surely a magical place! I didn't see any picnic benches, but if you bring a blanket the lower overlook is very picnic worthy!

Great playground for the kids. Has a great area for sports like soccer or softball playing…read more Bathrooms and ample parking available.

Twin Brooks Park is a very beautiful and well maintained park. It has a nice paved walking/bike…read morepath with flowers and trees that bloom in spring and summer. There are a total of 5 ponds/lakes, two of which people sometimes fish at. There are swings (in very good condition) and a playground that is suitable for kids around age 4-13. In the winter Twin Brooks has easily the best sledding hill in a 10 mile radius. It's such a good sledding hill that it can actually be dangerous due to the sheer distance. With most sleds you don't have to worry but with high quality inner tubes you can generate a lot of speed. Sledding not your thing? No problem! There is also an extensive network of mountain biking/hiking trails in the woods to the north of the park. In fact you can mountain bike or hike from Beach Memorial Park all the way to Twin Brooks! Twin Brooks is beautiful in all 4 seasons, just don't forget your Trumbull parking pass. If you don't have one there is street parking on Franklin Street.

Sarah and Emma delivered some of the absolute best customer service I've experienced. Indian River…read moreMarina & Kayak is family-owned, and you can immediately tell that these two know their stuff! My friends and I drove all the way from Long Island, NY, to Clinton, CT, specifically to demo kayaks and I would absolutely make the drive again. I mean we drove over 2 hours! I recently picked up kayaking as a new hobby and am now apparently at risk of becoming a kayak hoarder. I wanted to test the Perception Carolina 12.0 and 14.0, while my friends were interested in trying Eddyline and Stellar kayaks. Sarah and Emma helped us get in and out of the kayaks, made sure we were properly geared up with our life jackets, and answered every question we threw at them. We were able to paddle out on the river and toward the bay, which gave us an opportunity to actually see how the different kayaks handled on the water. I specifically wanted something that could handle choppier conditions in the bay and, eventually, cross the Long Island Sound so we can avoid paying the tolls. (I'm kidding. Please don't do that based on this Yelp review.) One thing I really appreciated was that they didn't just try to sell us whatever we initially had in mind. When I asked about a Wilderness Systems kayak, they encouraged me to actually sit in the cockpit and see how it felt. I'm glad I listened because I realized I didn't love the cockpit nearly as much as the Perception. Being able to compare everything in person and then actually take the kayaks onto the water made a HUGE difference. I also couldn't decide whether I preferred the Carolina 12.0 or the 14.0, and at no point did I feel pressured to make a purchase or choose a kayak before I was ready. Sarah and Emma were completely fine with us taking our time, testing different options, asking questions, and going home to think everything over. I really appreciated that. When you're making an investment in something like a kayak, it's nice to be able to make an informed decision without feeling like someone is trying to close a sale. Then Sarah told us that Stellar kayaks can be customized with different color combinations, and that opened an entirely new can of worms. We went there trying to decide which kayaks we wanted and left trying to design the prettiest kayaks possible before placing our orders. Sarah took our information, explained the payment options available to us and how the process would work, and never made us feel rushed or pressured. Once we finally stop changing our minds about our color schemes, Sarah will be getting a phone call from us ASAP! While we were demoing, I also saw other customers coming in to rent kayaks, and I thought the rental prices were very reasonable. They offer both new and used kayaks for sale, along with rentals, and there's a showroom where you can take a closer look at the different boats. Another detail that really stood out to me was how well they cared for their equipment. After each kayak was returned, Sarah and Emma cleaned and dried it right away. Even the rental kayaks looked well cared for. That kind of attention to detail says a lot about how a business is run. For anyone planning to visit, there is plenty of parking, and they also have a clean changing room available. If you're planning to demo or rent, bring water shoes, a towel, and probably a change of clothes especially if you're anything like me and somehow manage to get soaked. Sarah and Emma were friendly, patient, knowledgeable, and incredibly generous with their time. We had such a great experience that the two-hour drive didn't bother me at all. Even if I lived farther away, I would still make the trip because customer service like this is worth traveling for. Now we just need to figure out our kayak colors...and apparently I need to figure out whether I'm Team Carolina 12.0 or Team Carolina 14.0. I can't wait for our next trip to Clinton and will absolutely be returning to Indian River Marina & Kayak. Whether you're looking to rent, demo, buy your first kayak, or accidentally start a kayak collection like me, stop by and check them out. I highly recommend them!

I was looking to rent a couple tandem kayaks to introduce my granddaughter to kayaking. So many of…read moremy friends spoke highly about Sarah and Indian River Kayak so I decided to rent there. Sarah made the whole process quick and easy. As soon as we walk up we were greeted, and size up for proper fitting life jackets. We were also offered use of dry bags. Next we walked down to the launch chose our kayaks, and the staff helped us getting in and shoving off. When we came back the staff again was there to help us. Super great customer service, and friendly staff.

Came here for the fireworks celebration! Middletown always knows how to put on a good show with…read moreplenty of things to do We ended up getting some fried dough and some jerk chicken from the Irie pot fusion and it was probably some of the best jerk chicken that I've had in the states.

Cute little park right on the Connecticut River. I Came here to watch the fireworks recently and…read morethe view was incredible.