List of Connecticut state parks

This is a list of state parks, reserves, forests and wildlife management areas (WMAs) in the Connecticut state park and forest system, shown in five tables. The first table lists state parks and reserves, the second lists state park trails, the third lists state forests, the fourth lists wildlife management areas (WMAs) and the fifth lists other state-owned, recreation-related areas. It is possible to faintly view the Milky Way in 10 state parks.

State parks Name Town County Area Estab- lished River / lake / other Image Remarks acres haAbove All State Park WarrenLitchfield 1927Undeveloped site with Cold War defense installation remnantsAuerfarm State Park Scenic ReserveBloomfieldHartford40162015Farmland gifted to stateBeaver Brook State Park Chaplin, WindhamWindham1955Bibbins PondFishing; abuts Air Line State Park TrailBecket Hill State Park Reserve LymeNew London1961Uncas Pond Adjacent to Nehantic State ForestBeckley Furnace Industrial Monument North CanaanLitchfield1946Historic iron-making furnace dating from 1847Bennett's Pond State Park Ridgefield, DanburyFairfield2002Former estate and nursery called Outpost FarmBigelow Hollow State Park UnionTolland 1949Bigelow Pond, Mashapaug LakeAdjoins Nipmuck State Forest and borders Mashapaug Lake; boat launch, swimmingBlack Rock State Park WatertownLitchfield 1926Black Rock PondCamping, pond fishing, Mattatuck TrailBluff Point State Park GrotonNew London1963Long Island SoundOcean access, boat launch; near Haley Farm State Park Bolton Notch State Park BoltonTolland1918Rock climbingBrainard Homestead State ParkEast HaddamMiddlesex1929UndevelopedBurr Pond State Park TorringtonLitchfield 1949Burr PondBoating, fishing, swimmingCamp Columbia State Park/State Forest MorrisLitchfield2000Former rural campus of Columbia University Engineering Department Campbell Falls State Park Reserve NorfolkLitchfield1923Whiting RiverOn the Massachusetts borderChatfield Hollow State Park KillingworthMiddlesex 1949Swimming, fishingCollis P. Huntington State Park Redding, Newtown, BethelFairfield 1973Former estate with ponds for fishing and canoeing and multipurpose trails Connecticut Valley Railroad State Park EssexMiddlesex 1969Essex Steam Train from Essex to Chester up the Connecticut River valleyDart Island State Park MiddletownMiddlesex 1918Connecticut RiverAccessible by water onlyDay Pond State Park ColchesterNew London 1949Day PondSwimming, pond fishingDennis Hill State Park NorfolkLitchfield 1935Former estate with hiking, picnicking and scenic viewsDevil's Hopyard State Park East HaddamMiddlesex 1919Eightmile RiverHistoric millsite with camping, stream fishing, waterfallDinosaur State Park Rocky HillHartford 1968Natural history museum, arboretumEagle Landing State Park HaddamMiddlesex 2003Connecticut RiverBoat dock, fishing pier, winter eagle viewingFarm River State Park East HavenNew Haven 1998Farm RiverBoat launch, fishingFerry Landing State ParkOld LymeNew London UnknownConnecticut RiverBoat launch, fishing, CrabbingFort Griswold Battlefield State Park GrotonNew London 1953Thames RiverSite of the 1781 massacre led by Benedict Arnold; American Revolutionary War museum and artifactsFort Trumbull State ParkNew LondonNew London 2000Long Island Sound19th-century fort with museum, fishing pier Gardner Lake State Park SalemNew London 2001Gardner LakeBoating, fishing, swimming Gay City State Park HebronTolland 1944Blackledge RiverFormer mill-town ruins; pond fishing, swimming, youth group camping; bordered by Meshomasic State ForestGeorge Dudley Seymour State Park HaddamMiddlesex 1960Connecticut RiverAbuts Hurd State Park and Higganum Meadows Wildlife Area; fishing, huntingGeorge Waldo State Park SouthburyNew Haven 1960Lake LillinonahUndeveloped; multi-use trailsGillette Castle State Park East HaddamMiddlesex 1943Connecticut RiverCastle house museum; boat camping Haddam Island State Park HaddamMiddlesex 1944Connecticut RiverAccessible only by boatHaddam Meadows State Park HaddamMiddlesex 1944Connecticut RiverBoating, fishing Haley Farm State Park GrotonNew London 1970Bike trail, near Bluff Point State ParkHammonasset Beach State Park MadisonNew Haven 1920Beach, swimming, fishing, camping, nature center, carry-in boatingHarkness Memorial State Park WaterfordNew London 1952Long Island Sound42-room mansion museum, formal gardens, fishingHaystack Mountain State Park NorfolkLitchfield 1917Observation towerHigganum Reservoir State Park HaddamMiddlesex 1955Higganum ReservoirCar-top boating, fishing, huntingHopemead State Park Bozrah, MontvilleNew London 1954Gardner LakeFishing, hikingHopeville Pond State Park GriswoldNew London 1938Pachaug River Camping, boating, swimming, pond fishing, field sportsHorse Guard State Park AvonHartford 1964UndevelopedHousatonic Meadows State Park SharonLitchfield 1927Housatonic RiverCamping, canoeing, fly fishing Humaston Brook State Park LitchfieldLitchfield 1920FishingHurd State Park East HamptonMiddlesex 1914Connecticut RiverBoat camping, mountain biking, scenic views Indian Well State Park SheltonFairfield 1928Lake HousatonicBoating, swimming, fishing, waterfallsJohn A. Minetto State Park TorringtonLitchfield 1965Pond and stream fishing, cross-country skiingKent Falls State Park KentLitchfield 1919Falls BrookWaterfalls, replica covered bridgeKettletown State Park SouthburyNew Haven 1950Lake ZoarCamping, swimming, fishingKillingly Pond State Park KillinglyWindham Killingly PondBoating, fishingLake Waramaug State Park KentLitchfield 1920Lake WaramaugCamping, car-top boating, swimming, fishingLamentation Mountain State Park BerlinHartford 1936Hiking, scenic vistasLovers Leap State Park New MilfordLitchfield1971Housatonic RiverScenic river vistas Macedonia Brook State Park KentLitchfield 1918Camping, stream fishingMachimoodus State ParkEast HaddamMiddlesex1998Salmon RiverFishing, horseback ridingMansfield Hollow State Park MansfieldTolland 1952Mansfield Hollow LakeBoating, fishing, field sports, mountain biking, cross-country skiing Mashamoquet Brook State Park PomfretWindham 1924Camping, swimming, stream fishingMianus River State Park StamfordFairfield 2001Mianus RiverBiking, fishing, horseback ridingMillers Pond State Park Durham, HaddamMiddlesex 1955Millers Pond Fishing, hunting, mountain bikingMinnie Island State Park Salem, MontvilleNew London 1925Gardner LakeBoating, fishing, accessible only by boatMohawk Forest/Mohawk Mountain State Park Cornwall, Goshen, LitchfieldLitchfield 1921Includes Mohawk Mountain Ski AreaMono Pond State Park Reserve ColumbiaTolland 2008Mono PondBoating, fishing, hunting, cross-country skiingMooween State Park LebanonNew London 1989Red Cedar LakeBoating, fishingMount Bushnell State Park WashingtonLitchfield 1916HikingMount Riga State Park SalisburyLitchfield 1954HikingMount Tom State Park Litchfield, Washington, MorrisLitchfield 1915Mount Tom PondHistoric lookout towerNathaniel Lyon Memorial State ParkEastfordWindham 1920Located in Natchaug State ForestOld Furnace State ParkKillinglyWindham 1918Ross PondSite of an 18th-century iron furnace; hiking, boating, fishing, huntingOsbornedale State Park DerbyNew Haven 1956Former Osbornedale Farms; hiking, pond fishingPenwood State Park BloomfieldHartford 1944Lake LouiseMetacomet Trail, hiking, cross-country skiingPlatt Hill State ParkWinchesterLitchfield 1960Scenic vistasPomeroy State Park LebanonNew London 1953Undeveloped; hiking, huntingPutnam Memorial State Park Bethel, ReddingFairfield 1887Lake MdDougallAmerican Revolutionary War museum, interpretive trail, youth group campingQuaddick State Park ThompsonWindham 1951Quaddick ReservoirBoat launch, swimming, fishing, field sportsQuinebaug Lake State Park KillinglyWindham 1964Quinebaug LakeBoating, fishingQuinnipiac River State Park North HavenNew Haven 1951Quinnipiac RiverCar-top boating, fishing, huntingRiver Highlands State ParkCromwellMiddlesex2001Connecticut RiverBoat camping Rocky Glen State Park NewtownFairfield 1943Pootatuck RiverHikingRocky Neck State Park East LymeNew London 1931Long Island SoundBeach, swimming, camping, saltwater fishingRoss Pond State Park KillinglyWindham 1964Ross PondBoating, fishing, huntingSalt Rock State Campground SpragueNew London 2001Shetucket RiverCamping, fishing, pool swimming, access to Shetucket RiverSatan's Kingdom State Recreation Area New HartfordLitchfield 2012Farmington RiverCanoeing, kayaking, tubing Scantic River State ParkEnfield, East Windsor, SomersHartford 1967Scantic RiverFishing, hunting Selden Neck State Park LymeNew London 1917Connecticut RiverAccessible only by boat; camping, fishing, huntingSeth Low Pierrepont State Park Reserve RidgefieldFairfield 1956Lake NaranekaCar-top boating, fishingSeaside State ParkWaterfordNew London36152014Long Island SoundSanatorium remains, fishingSherwood Island State Park WestportFairfield 1932Long Island SoundBeach, swimming, nature center, field sports, saltwater fishingSilver Sands State ParkMilfordNew Haven 1960Long Island SoundBeach, swimming, saltwater fishingSleeping Giant State Park HamdenNew Haven 1924Quinnipiac Trail, lookout tower, stream fishing, youth group campingSouthford Falls State Park OxfordNew Haven 1932Eightmile BrookWaterfalls, covered bridge, pond and stream fishing, cross-country skiing, field sportsSquantz Pond State Park New FairfieldFairfield 1926Squantz PondBoating, swimming, pond fishing, scuba divingStillwater Pond State Park TorringtonLitchfield Stillwater PondBoating, fishing Stoddard Hill State Park LedyardNew London 1954Thames RiverBoating, fishing Stratton Brook State Park SimsburyHartford 1949Stratton BrookSwimming, fishing, biking, cross-country skiingSunnybrook State Park TorringtonLitchfield 1970Naugatuck RiverFishing, huntingSunrise State Park East HaddamMiddlesex 2009Salmon RiverUndevelopedTalcott Mountain State Park Simsbury, Avon, Bloomfield Hartford 1965Observation tower, scenic vistas, Metacomet TrailTri-Mountain State Park Durham, WallingfordMiddlesex, New Haven 1925HikingTrout Brook Valley State Park Reserve EastonFairfield 1999HikingWadsworth Falls State Park Middlefield, MiddletownMiddlesex 1942Coginchaug RiverWaterfall, swimming, stream fishing, mountain bikingWest Rock Ridge State Park Hamden, New Haven, Woodbridge, Bethany New Haven 1975Lake WintergreenFeatures the Regicides Trail, scenic vistas, fishing, car-top boating, horseback ridingWharton Brook State Park Wallingford, North HavenNew Haven 1918Allen Brook PondFishing, swimmingWhittemore Glen State Park Naugatuck, MiddleburyNew Haven 1945Horseback riding, hikingWindsor Meadows State Park WindsorHartford 1968Connecticut River Boat launch, fishing, bicyclingWooster Mountain State Park DanburyFairfield 1920Skeet, trap and target shooting, hunting

State park trails Name Towns Counties Length Estab- lished Image Remarks mi kmAir Line State Park TrailEast Hampton, Colchester, Hebron, Columbia, Lebanon, Windham, Chaplin, Hampton, Pomfret, Putnam, ThompsonMiddlesex, New London, Tolland, Windham1969 Nearly fifty miles of converted rail-trailFarmington Canal State Park Trail Cheshire, HamdenNew HavenPart of the Farmington Canal TrailHop River State Park TrailAndover, Bolton, Columbia, Coventry, Manchester, Vernon Hartford, TollandNineteen miles of rail-trail from Manchester to Willimantic Larkin State Park Trail Southbury, Oxford, Middlebury, Naugatuck New Haven1943Ten-mile-long rail-trail Moosup Valley State Park TrailPlainfield, SterlingWindham1987Six miles of rail-trail Windsor Locks Canal State Park Trail Windsor Locks, SuffieldHartford 4.5 mile bike trail, fishing along the canal

State forests