Whether you are looking for a rigorous outdoor activity, a leisurely stroll or a peek into history, Connecticut’s parks and forests have something to offer you year round. With 139 state parks and forests statewide, you’re sure to find one close to home or just a short trip away. See a complete listing of CT Parks below!
Photo Credit: CT DEEP
Take a Walk in the Park Day is celebrated annually on March 30, which encourages all of us to invest in our health without spending any money! Who doesn’t like spending some quiet time in nature? All you have to do is wear some comfortable shoes, find a walking partner (or not), and go for a peaceful walk in one of your preferred parks. Did you know that there are 423 national park sites in the U.S.? Taking a leisurely stroll in the park is a fantastic way to clear your mind of everyday worries and appreciate the natural beauty around you. - Source National Today
Swimming is permitted at: Stratton Brook State Park, Hopeville Pond State Park, Gay City State Park, Day Pond State Park, Chatfield Hollow State Park, Black Rock State Park, Lake Waramaug State Park, Burr Pond State Park, Mount Tom State Park and Wharton Brook State Park. All other inland swimming areas and beaches are closed. There are no lifeguards on duty at these locations. For information on the water quality for the locations listed above please visit DEEP Water Quality Report page.
Above All State Park, Warren/Litchfield
Air Line State Park Trail, Multi-Town
Algonquin State Forest, Colebrook
American Legion State Forest, Barkhamsted
Beaver Brook State Park, Windham/Chaplin
Becket Hill State Park, Old Lyme
Beckley Furnace State Park, North Canaan
Bennett's Ponds State Park, Ridgefield
Bigelow Hollow State Park, Union
Black Rock State Park, Watertown
Bluff Point State Park, Groton
Bolton Notch State Park, Bolton
Brainard Homestead State Park, East Haddam
Burr Pond State Park, Torrington
C.P. Huntington State Park, Redding/Bethel/Newtown
Camp Columbia State Park, Morris
Camp Columbia State Forest, Morris
Campbell Falls State Park, Norfolk
Centennial State Forest, Fairfield
Chatfield Hollow State Park, Killingworth
Cockaponset State Forest, Haddam/Chester
Connecticut Valley Railroad State Park, Essex
Dart Island State Park, Middletown
Day Pond State Park, Colchester
Dennis Hill State Park, Norfolk
Devil's Hopyard State Park, East Haddam
Dinosaur State Park, Rocky Hill
Eagle Landing State Park, Haddam
Enders State Forest, Granby/Barkhamsted
Farm River State Park, East Haven
Farmington Canal Greenway State Park, Cheshire/Hamden
Fort Griswold State Park, Groton
Fort Trumbull State Park, New London
Gardner Lake State Park, Salem
George Dudley Seymour State Park, Haddam
George Waldo State Park, Southbury
Gillette Castle State Park, East Haddam
Green Falls State Campground, Voluntown
Haddam Island State Park, Haddam
Haddam Meadows State Park, Haddam
Hammonasset Beach State Park, Madison
Harkness Memorial State Park, Waterford
Haystack Mountain State Park, Norfolk
Higganum Reservoir State Park, Higganum
Hop River State Park, Multi-Town
Hopemead State Park, Montville/Bozrah
Hopeville Pond State Park, Griswold
Housatonic Meadows State Park, Sharon
Housatonic Meadows State Forest, Sharon
Humaston Brook State Park, Litchfield
Indian Well State Park, Shelton
J.A. Minetto State Park, Torrington
James L Goodwin State Forests Forest, Hampton
Kettletown State Park, Southbury
Killingly Pond State Park, Killingly
Lake Waramaug State Park, Kent
Lamentation Mountain State Park, Berlin
Larkin State Park Trail, Southbury/Naugatuck/Oxford/Middlebury
Lovers Leap State Park, New Milford
Macedonia Brook State Park, Kent
Machimoodus State Park, East Haddam
Mansfield Hollow State Park, Mansfield
Mashamoquet State Park, Pomfret
Massacoe State Forest, Simsbury/Canton
Mattatuck State Forest, Multi-Town
Meshomasic State Forest, East Hampton/Glastonbury/Portland
Mianus River State Park, Stamford
Millers Pond State Park, Haddam
Minnie Island State Park, Bozrah, Montville
Mohawk State Forest/ Mohawk Mountain State Park, Goshen/Cornwall
Mohegan State Forest, Scotland
Mono Pond State Park, Columbia
Mount Bushnell State Park, Washington
Mount Riga State Park, Salisbury
Mount Tom State Park, Litchfield
Nassahegon State Forest, Burlington
Natchaug State Forest, Eastford
Nathan Hale State Forest, Coventry/Andover
Naugatuck State Forest, Naugatuck/Oxford/Beacon Falls
Nepaug State Forest, New Hartford
Nye-Holman State Forest, Tolland
Old Furnace State Park, Killingly
Pachaug State Forest, Voluntown
Pattaconk Lake Recreation Area, Chester/Haddam
Paugnut State Forest, Torrington/Winchester
Paugussett State Forest, Newtown
Penwood State Park, Bloomfield
Peoples State Forest, Barkhamsted
Platt Hill State Park, Winchester
Pootatuck State Forest, New Fairfield
Putnam Memorial State Park, Redding
Quaddick State Forest, Thompson
Quinebaug Lake State Park, Killingly
Quinnipiac River State Park, North Haven
River Highlands State Park, Cromwell
Rocky Glen State Park, Newtown
Rocky Neck State Park, East Lyme
Ross Pond State Park, Killingly
S.L. Pierrepont State Park, Ridgefield
Salmon River Sate Forest, Colchester
Salt Rock State Campground, Sprague
Satan’s Kingdom State Park, New Hartford
Scantic River State Park, Enfield/East Windsor/Somers
Shenipsit State Forest, Stafford/Somers/Ellington
Sherwood Island State Park, Westport
Silver Sands State Park, Milford
Sleeping Giant State Park, Hamden
Southford Falls State Park, Southbury
Squantz Pond State Park, New Fairfield
Stillwater Pond State Park, Torrington
Stoddard Hill State Park, Ledyard
Stratton Brook State Park, Simsbury
Sunnybrook State Park, Torrington
Sunrise State Park, East Haddam
Talcott Mountain State Park, Simsbury
Topsmead State Forest, Litchfield
Tri-Mountain State Park, Durham/Wallingford
Trout Brook Valley State Park, Easton
Tunxis State Forest, Graby/Barkhamsted/Hartland
Wadsworth Falls State Park, Middlefield/Middletown
West Rock Ridge State Park, Hamden/New Haven
Wharton Brook State Park, Wallingford
Whittemore Glen State Park, Naugatuck/Middlebury
Windsor Locks Canal State Park, Windsor Locks
Windsor Meadows State Park, Windsor
Wooster Mountain State Park, Danbury
Wyantenock State Forest, Cornwall
Content updated July 20, 2020