"When she's walking by the river and the railway line She…read morecan still hear him whisper Let's go down to the waterline" (Dire Straits) Fort Saybrook Monument Park, mild January weather, and the adjacent waterfront combined to give us a wonderful time in Old Saybrook. The Park has a boardwalk and quite a few historical displays on the development, early industry and railroad heritage of the Saybrook Colony. You'll see some displays dedicated to Dutch explorer Adrian Block, one of the earliest European visitors to the area. Another display covers the Peqot War of 1636-38 when colonists from the Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, Saybrook colonies and allies from the Narragansett and Mohegan tribes joined forces to rout the Pequot tribe. As you head to the waterfront, there's a concrete path that takes you toward the marina and gorgeous Saybrook Point Resort. Check out the hand carved railroad tie poles along the marina! Walk in the other direction and you'll see a miniature golf course and a wood landing with some great photo opportunities to see some seagulls up close and personal, but be careful of the wood platform because some of the boards are missing and others are in disrepair and a state of failure. A boardwalk takes you over some marshland for nice photo opportunities and you can read about the fish and wildlife in the marsh. All in all, the Park and waterfront gave us a very enjoyable few hours to meander around, learn a few things, and enjoy the scenery.

Great park in Old Saybrook! Stopped by for a quick walk in the park with a friend and her baby. We…read moreloved the shady wooden pathway that looked over the marsh. We also loved the benches that overlook the water! My only complaint is I wish it were cleaner - lots of scattered trash all around, bummer!

This playground is perfect for kids of all ages, but I especially love that it's appropriate for my…read moretwo year old AND six year old. There's plenty of variety but I also feel that it's a safe environment for both kids to play without resorting to being a helicopter parent. It's also nice that there's the adjacent track, if one feels like taking a stroll or run. This is one of our favorite playgrounds!

This is an excellent park that is next to a large outdoor field that serves for many sports and…read morelocal events. the park has the distinction of being design to be accessible to special needs (i.e. wheelchair bound) children, but that in no way deters from the fun. There are two areas, one is designed for the younger children, and the other area for older kids, but most children over 4-5 should be able to play in either area. There are two drawbacks to this playground. 1) there are sometime porta potties available, but the park restrooms are not too close, and locked for the most part. and 2) there is no fence around the area, so you need to pay attention to make sure your kids don't wander. Overall, a very nice park

A good spot to hang out and chill alone or accompanied. You can observe nature, bike, jog, walk or…read moreget in the water & do kayak, boating, swim or paddle board if you desire. It's a beautiful park. Check it out.

Beautiful hiking spot with easy to navigate trails and stunning ocean views. We were able to see…read moreFisher's Island, Long Island, and Groton. The port-a-potties were a nice amenity too. It was a little loud due to small airplanes taking off and landing at the nearby airport but it added a layer of intrigue. There are picnic tables and plenty of spots to sit along the water. Next time, I'll bring food and a book.

This is a beautiful park, it's very well maintained and clean. There are a lot of people walking…read moretheir dogs. You can walk in a small boardwalk and read about the wildlife. There are also some more challenging hikes where there is even some scrambling. Very clean and peaceful. The pine needles smell so beautiful! There's lots of free parking. You need pay for parking if you're out of state. Plenty of porta potties and bathrooms.

It has been at least 25 years since we last visited this park which is a shame because it is a true…read moregem. There is no entrance fee for CT residents and only costs $5 for out-of-state vehicles. We enjoyed walking around the ponds and trails with out dog as it appears many others do. The sole disappointment is the small covered bridge is currently closed. Next time, and there will be a next time in the not too distant future, we will bring a lunch and settle in at one of the many picnic tables.

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.

A playground near the beach with grass areas and trees, I mean what more could a kid ask for! There…read moreare multiple play areas for varying age groups. The park is in good condition, all new rubber mats along the bottom and trees surround the park so it's a beautiful spot to picnic that overlooks the water. During fall months there was no fee, I'm sure the summer it is packed here due to the beach. But if you have kids this is a fantastic place to spend a a few hours.

Fantastic beach! It's not huge, but it's still a decent size. Brought my 4 yr old here on a Sunday…read moreand had a great time! We arrived about 10:30 and there was plenty of space. The nice guy in parking told us it was $30 to park for nonresidents (assume that's both parking and pass, though not sure), but free parking was available a short distance up the road and entry fee would be just $10. We went with that even though it meant I would be carrying everything to the beach. The parking was really not far... maybe one wide city block. It's literally across the playground (which you can't cut to since it's part of the park and fenced in). Then you go down the hill which is all sidewalk (good when you have kiddos), and down to the paid parking and beach. Once you arrive to the parking, you go to the restroom building on the left and there's a sign that says "passes" on the right side. Go there to pay the $10 pass. There were some rules I wasn't aware of, so some tips: umbrellas need to be behind the cones. I believe the life guard said it was to keep the incoming tide from washing it out? The tide did come up a little during the day we were there. Also, no boogie boards allowed anywhere at the beaches with life guards. What I didn't know, was it was allowed at the private beach strip between the two public beaches. There are houses overlooking the private beach area, but everyone seems to use it or at least walk it to get from one public beach to the other. I'm sure if someone really didn't want you hanging out there, they'd tell you, but we seemed to be allowed. We also were just 2 people and not a party hanging out, so that probably helps. The water was warmish in the shallow waves but cooler once in. Water is pretty clear and some areas had more seaweed than others, but not bad. There are a ton of boat type shells and not much of others. The sand and waters are full of nice pebbles, stones, and larger stones. There is also a floating raft a short distance out (of both public beach areas) that you can swim to, although we did not since my daughter still doesn't swim well. The beach gets busy after noon, but it wasn't too bad. There are a couple outdoor showers by the bathrooms that worked really well. We didn't use the bathrooms so not sure how they were. I don't know if there's a concession stand; I didn't see one. But there was an ice cream truck that came by at the main beach. A nice playground is up the hill a little bit from the beach that we were going to visit, but decided to keep moving and go home. I'd definitely come here again. For $10 and a little hassle of carrying your things a short distance, it's a really pretty and clean beach, with nice views of sailboats on the water. The waves are gentle too, so it's good for little ones. Still watch them though bc as the day went on, the waves got a little bigger and has a good pull for small kiddos.

Beautiful Campground with Spacious Sites!…read more We had a really nice camping experience at Rocky Neck State Park Campground. Arrival and check-in were very smooth. We actually decided to arrive a day earlier than our original reservation, and they were able to accommodate us as a walk-in and combine the extra night with our existing reservation, which made everything very easy. Firewood is available right outside the check-in area for about $7, and you get a pretty good-sized bundle. Our campsite was in the S section, and we really liked our spot. The sites are spacious with plenty of room for your setup, and each has a picnic table and fire ring. There are lots of beautiful trees throughout the campground, but keep in mind that you are not allowed to hang anything from them. One thing to know is that the campsites are fairly close together, so there isn't much privacy between neighboring sites. That was probably my least favorite part of the campground. However, the sites themselves are large enough that we never felt cramped. Our site was conveniently located near one of the bathroom and shower buildings (Seagull or Osprey, I can't remember which one), and the facilities were clean. There was also water nearby, which was very convenient for tent camping. The bathroom situation in the tent area could definitely use some improvement. The nearby pit toilets were closed during our stay, leaving portable toilets as the closest option. There is also a building near the tent camping area that looks like it could potentially be renovated into additional bathrooms or showers. Having working restroom and shower facilities closer to the tent sites would make a big difference, especially since the existing facilities can be a bit of a walk. Parking is another thing tent campers should be prepared for. Depending on your site, it can be a hike from the parking area to your campsite. If you're bringing a lot of camping gear and don't want to make multiple trips back and forth, I strongly recommend bringing a wagon! The campground itself is beautiful and very clean, and staff come through the area regularly. There is plenty of parking, and another big plus is that there is no additional campground charge for visitors. The other downside for us was the noise. Even after the 10 PM quiet time, there was still quite a bit of activity and noise from some campers. In the tent area, you can also hear cars traveling on the road behind the campground as well as the train when it passes. This may be more noticeable because Rocky Neck is a busy beach campground, but it's something to keep in mind if you're looking for a very peaceful and quiet camping experience. Overall, we had a wonderful stay. Rocky Neck State Park Campground is beautiful, clean, convenient, and offers spacious campsites. A little more privacy between sites, better enforcement of quiet hours, and improvements to the restroom and shower facilities near the tent camping area would make the experience even better.

Came here on a rainy dreery Tuesday and pretty much had the place to ourselves. We walked some of…read morethe trails by the big building that overlooked the water. They weren't too challenging, but you should def have sneakers on the rock overlook area. We walked the boardwalk where we found that the sound was flowing right under the boardwalk we were on under a tunnel. It was so cool and the water looked so clean. Certainly a far walk from the parking lot if you're going for a beach day, so I'd recommend bringing a wagon. Bathrooms were clean.

I really like this beach. It's cool for kids, has bathrooms, outdoor shower, and changing rooms…read more Plenty of parking, lifeguards, and even a food truck. The tide goes out really far, and leaves plenty of things to explore such as tide pools, and long sand bars that go out again very far. It does cost money to get in, but I think it's free after like 6pm. Only thing I wasn't a fan of is the swimming area. There are big patches of grasses growing right where you'd swim during high tide, and it makes the swimming area very small, and a few big rocks that should be moved and are dangerous. Very clean beach. Haven't seen really any trash or plastic. There are crabs to catch, and shells to find. They even let us drop off for free. It is considered one of the best beaches in Ct.

4 stars, nice (for ct!)…read more thats the way it is these days, when you summer in RI, you expect certain things, harvey beach is very different than what i typically experience. the flats! this is one of the neatest part of the beach, low tide you can walk out into the bay real far out, its surreal! high tide has a lot of grassy areas, again, kinda weird to me for a beach, but its still nice sand and clean water. there is also a lobster truck in the lot and bathrooms too. 15$ to park, which stung, but way better than say 16$! cost of doing business, this is a public beach, so if you can walk, save the moneys. sandy (danny?)

Going to a beach in CT was the reason we took our overnight trip. My husband and I have not been to…read morea beach in 15+ years mainly because of body image issues, and never wanted to run into people we know. This is the perfect spot. We actually felt liberated, and it was worth every penny. How do you get there? Go down past all the houses, and you will see a parking lot midway as you drive along the coast. Its $20 for non residents to park in the lot. This beach is small, with not much sand, but not very crowded. We enjoyed our time here as we didn't feel embarrassed, were far enough away from others and could just relax. The sand has many shells, tiny snails, and is quite shallow. When the tide is low you can sit way out, and watch all the little snails head towards the water. There is a little bbq hut incase you are feeling hungry. Our only disappointment is that we tried to come back here at night to just hang out, eat ice cream with a view of the water because the sign says the beach closes at 10pm, but the gates were closed up when we arrived around 9pm. We would definitely take a trip back here to feel comfortable, and pretend like it is our own private beach. Quite the opposite from the beaches on Long Island. Although tiny, well worth the privacy and relaxation.

PLAYGROUND WITH AN APP!! What a great park! Butternut Hollow is located on a cute little pond that…read moreactually gets stocked with trout in the spring (a great spot to take your kid to catch their first fish). The park was newly renovated in 2017 with a brand new playground. Slides, shapes, swings, monkey bars, and more. There are even several music stations. They also have an expression swing, which allows guardian and child to both be seates face to face. There is even a phone app you can download that coordinates with some of the equipment. The park gets busy during summer and weekends, you you might need to park on the street.

A great place to bring the kids to have fun in the sun. They have plenty of large slides swings and…read morejungle gym area. There are two covered picnic areas perfect for eating lunch or having a Bday party. The parking lot is a bit small but you can park your cars on the road if you need too. The pond has geese that will come up to you if you have food. It's a nice stroll to walk around.