Hammonasset Beach State Park in Connecticut 2023-2024
How about roaming along the state's longest shoreline park?
Best time: all year round
Hammonasset Beach State Park is a family-friendly recreation area with 2 mi (3.2 km) of sandy beachfront on Long Island Sound in Madison, Connecticut. The park is located about 30 minutes from New Haven and is named after the Hammonasset tribe of the eastern woodland Indians. The Indian word "Hammonasset" literally means "where we dig holes in the ground," which serves as a reference to the tribe's agricultural way of life.
This largest shoreline park represents one of Connecticut's most popular attractions and draws around one million visitors each year.
Here in Hammonasset Beach State Park, you will find over 550 grassy campsites, a nature center, and numerous beach activities such as scuba diving, saltwater fishing, hiking, and boating. You can also rent a bicycle through Labor Day with rates beginning at $10 per hour.
Once closed to the public, Hammonasset Beach State Park was reopened to beach lovers after World War II and quickly began to break attendance records. The park is especially crowded in summer, but you can always discover a spot for tanning. It is also an excellent place for a quiet stroll by the sea on mild days in the off-season. Hammonasset Beach State Park is open daily from 8 am and until sunset.
