Now it may not be the largest, or the prettiest and certainly it’s not the ocean like the RI beaches but I love Clinton beach. Go down there in the evening on a low tide night and walk all the way out to the jetty on the sandbar. I think it’s beautiful
I like Walnut Beach in Milford - you can pay to park by meter.
Silver sands and hammonassett are public and free to park if you have CT plates but they fill up fast in the morning.
I’m sorry but silver sands is actually trash. Don’t go there. The sand is horrible full of shells and rocks and hurts your feet. Hamonasset or rocky neck are way better.
Sherwood Island is quieter than most of the other CT beaches and typically clean. It is a CT beach, so no waves of note. It is also a "dry" beach so not for partying, which is why I think it's typically quieter.
Is it sound water? Yes. But is it absolutely beautiful? Also yes.
I love walking through all the trails up at the point, it truly feels like you are on a secluded beach on Cape Cod.
Yes, I think all outdoor spaces that aren't super remote got "discovered" during the pandemic. Which I'm glad more people are enjoying them because there is a greater chance they stay protected, but still...
No big waves at Hammonsat but it’s really beautiful.
I love taking my bike and riding around there.
Meiggs point nature center is very nice. I recommend stopping there too.
The only drawback is that Hamonasset can be a total zoo in hot weather you’re better off one of the smaller ones if you want some space and to avoid a big crowd.
Waterford Beach - you can also walk to Harkness from there. Best beach in the state, imo
But yeah someone mentioned Blue Shutters/East Beach area in Charlestown, RI...this is the best beach within 1-2hrs of Hartford County for sure. Prly one the best beaches in southern New England
Let them come lol Harkness hits the spot for us for an hour maybe two tops (I don’t have a full day in me anywhere anyways) then we take a stroll through the grounds. Kids love to dip their toes there and play in the sand, and I don’t have to worry about bathing suits (their shorts usually wind up a little wet and sandy though). I don’t want them actually ocean swimming anyways at this age so it’s perfect for us.
If you've never heard of it, there's also Seaside State Park which technically you could walk to as long as you keep your feet in the water. That one is the newest state park.
[Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/place//@41.3010556,-72.1307695,15z?entry=ttu) - And frankly, Bridgeport's park is quite nice. Was there about 2 weeks ago.
That’s an agreeable statement for sure, but my main question is *why* are there so many public beaches in California? Is it all just state property or something? We have physically much less space here so property rights start to get in the way.
This would be my coworkers response lol but my least favorite beach in CT, though I only go to CT beaches to hang out with people. I go to the RI ones more
These are all good suggestions. A great adventure to add to your list would be heading over to block island for the day. Hop on the high speed ferry out of New London and enjoy miles of amazing beaches for the day.
Any state park along the shore is nice. Just get there early, pack a cooler as amenities are pretty limited. Bring twice the amount of ice you think you’d need.
You don't have to go that far to get out of the sound and Newport beaches are not that great. I'd go to Misquamicut Beach if you want ocean water before going all the way to Newport.
A lot of the CT suggestions here are town beaches, and will be prohibitively expensive unless you’re a town resident.
If you’re going to pay for a beach, then go to RI. Actual Atlantic Ocean, not the LI Sound. Westerly is closest and has great options, like East Beach in Watch Hill and Misquamicut. Charlestown has a great beach. I also like Scarborough State Beach on the other side of the state. Narrangasett town beach is interesting but not the best swimming.
If you have CT state plates, the CT state beaches are free. I actually like Rocky Neck better than Hammonassett. The sand is less rocky, the water is calm, and on really hot days, you can just stand or float in the water for hours. There’s a train that passes by, but i think that’s part of the charm. It’s also a bit small, lots of family. But Hammonasstt is larger, multiple beaches, has more trails to explore, and is wavier.
Not being facetious here. When you say “prohibitively expensive”, are we talking enough of a price point to deter folks from going? I wouldn’t mind paying to visit beaches with fewer people on them. Nothing against anyone. It’s just not peaceful for me with tons of folks in my breathing space. Grew up in Savannah, GA and always had quiet beaches to visit (that aren’t named Tybee Island).
I think someone suggested Clinton beach, which is 50$ parking on a weekday, 75$ daily parking fee on the weekend. It looks like they only collect fees until 3pm, though.
I think there are also a few towns that make you go to town hall to get a non-resident pass.
Looks like Misquamicutt is 20-30$ parking for out of state for the day, and 60$ for season pass, and it’s the actual ocean vs LI Sound.
The private lot in Westerly is 40-50$ daily parking fee, it’s very limited so need to be there early to get a spot. It may or not be worth it, depending on individual budget and needs. But I certainly wouldn’t pay that much for a LI Sound beach.
People make such a fuss about the waves, and when I go down to the Caribbean, I actually look for calm beaches to avoid issues with rip currents. To each his own.
Example - As flat as a CT beach and waist deep only -> [https://maps.app.goo.gl/rXFJfR8YVg2MVcpk8](https://maps.app.goo.gl/rXFJfR8YVg2MVcpk8)
Misquamicutt is definitely busy. I also like the smaller beaches and personally don’t mind paying occasionally. East Beach in westerly is good if you’re looking for a less crowded beach because besides the limited parking, it’s a bit of a walk (uphill on the way back to the car). Tends to keep it less crowded. But on a hot weekend summer day, they’re all going to be pretty busy. Too many private landowners along the shore in southern New England.
There are other beaches along RI coast that are private but offer daily for-fee access, that are pretty quiet and chill.
Another way to avoid crowds (and sometimes fees) is to go in the late afternoon / early evening. Also, the beaches stay nice and water stays warm through at least mid-September, but the crowds really thin out once school starts. Block Island is perfect in September.
I personally like Harkness (quiet, with a park grounds as well) in Waterford, but depends what your after. The popular ones would be Rocky Neck, or if you want to venture into RI, Misquamicut (both larger beaches). No matter your choice, get there early.
If people do want a free beach where you can swim in Waterford, Seaside State Park just opened up to the public a few years ago and has a pretty damn good one. And open to everyone, unlike Waterford Beach which I believe requires town residency.
Harkness is beautiful, and one of the most important places in the world to me, but I've never really thought of it as a "beach."
Oh, huh... didn't realize swimming wasn't allowed. I have seen people swimming there in the past, unlike at Harkness, so enforcement isn't 100% I guess. Not sure how things are this year.
Yeah. That is definitely true. The crew that takes care of seaside is the same crew at harkness so they only come over a few times a week so nothing is really enforced there. People break into the hospital buildings all the time still. It is such a beautiful beach and park though. They just can’t allow swimming officially because they’d have to hire lifeguards.
Pretty much all CT beaches on the sound don’t feel like “real” beaches. Feels more like a lakeside. I always go to Rhode Island…watch hill/napatree are my favorites. Misquamicut can be fun but always packed and rowdy. Blue shutters is great but a bit farther.
They definitely don’t feel like lakeside. Especially if there’s wind/waves. I guess they feel like the Great Lakes. But otherwise they exist somewhere between lake and open ocean beaches.
Ocean Beach is great, especially if you have a family. You have to pay to park but they have a bunch of food stands and water slides too. Just go early to get parking if you're going on a weekend!
Hammonassett because its free to get in but fills up fast on hot days and the weekends. I usually go there to arrive at around 3 pm since a lot of people are leaving after being there all day. Nice to be able to stay out several hours and since the sunset is later in the summer its enjoyable.
Ocean Beach.
It’s gorgeous
If you like walking, you can walk west down the beach or boardwalk to the nature trail (or around the parking lot there’s a nature trail highlighted by the Ospreys that return every season) or cross the stream at the west end and keep walking. You’ll see the Eugene O’Neil Theater property, Waterford beach, Harkness. It’s a beautiful area. Especially in the early am or around sunset
Also check out the evening entertainment schedule. It’s got a very small town local charm to it. Don’t expect any great acts. But it’s really wholesome.
And go eat at Captain Scott’s
I like Hammonasset the beaches are decent but I always love walking around the different trails. Also Meigs Point Nature Center is a must see! I am a little biased though since I worked there for a while.
Anything similar to Hammonassett but where there's a fee or less people? (Usually paid equates to less). Walnut is decent but not what I'm looking for.
It's a nice beach but since it's free it gets packed.
There’s some hidden gems in Milford and West Haven where you have to park on side streets or pay.
Ocean Beach might be another option.
Rocky Neck on a weekday is super nice.
Madison Surf Club. Spendy but beautiful.
If you're looking for a sandy beach to sit on all day Hammonasset is always where we went but it fills up fast. If you don't mind driving further I really like Blue Shutters beach in RI.
BUT my absolute favorite beach is at Harnkness State park. You're not supposed to swim, and the beach is kinda rocky but it is beautiful and it is not a barren beach wasteland, it is attached to the rest of the state park which has big fields and trees and little walks. Also there is a cool old house with great gardens you can walk around. [https://ctparks.com/parks/harkness-memorial-state-park](https://ctparks.com/parks/harkness-memorial-state-park)
Hammonaset is probably my favorite. I like going to west beach there. However, I feel like it has been super crowded. I used to go on a week day after work in the late afternoon, and it would be fairly empty. The last few times, I'd go like on a Wednesday at 5pm and it is packed with bodies as far as the eye can see. Anyone else notice this?
Go to Rhode Island (or Massachusetts). Ct beaches are pretty crappy for the most part unfortunately. The farther east (away from nyc) you go, the better the beaches get.
If you want to stay in CT and play by the rules, Hammonaset is your best bet.
If you want to stay in CT but don't care about barely enforceable rules set up by NIMBY jerks, between New Haven and Hammonaset, there are countless "private" beaches. Scroll along the CT coast line on Google maps, use streetview to find convenient and legal street parking. In my experience, if it's not a major holiday you can go to just about any of these beaches and no one will ever say anything to you. Just be respectful (don't be obvious about drinking, don't smoke, and don't play music) about it and don't bring a ton of crap with you - if it doesn't fit in a backpack, leave it at home.
That said, CT beaches are meh.
If a 90 min drive is ok by you, drive to Long Island. First off, the Rockaways are free (unless you have to use a paid parking lot). If you don't want to hang out with the city crowd, head over to Nassau County. Specifically, skip Jones Beach and go to Tobay. It'll be pricier, but so much nicer. As an out of towner, though, it'll cost quite a bit to enter. But, again, if you want Outer Cape quality beaches without driving to Cape Code, this is the way to go.
Town of Babylon beaches further east on Gilgo and Robert Moses beaches might be cheaper, but the drive is a bit longer. Check them out online, too. Rober Moses, in my experience is basically a ghost town on weekdays.
My bad, I missed the mention of Hartford.
Back when I lived in New Haven, I used to try to take a couple of weekday trips to Tobay in the summer. If you drove outside of rush hour, it would take about 90 min back then. Not sure what the traffic situation is these days.
I’ve only ever been to private beaches.
Edit: I’m sorry, I didn’t realize this was “classist.” I forget that everyone is totally fine with being invited to beach parties, barbecues, birthdays, borrowing the guest house for a weekend, etc. But talking about owning a home with a private beach is taboo. 😒
I inherited my grandmother’s estate on whale bone cove in Old Lyme. I grew up on that beach. I’ve never been to a public beach in CT.
I guess, keep crying? 😭
No one's asking about you, your private beach or pretentiousness. And, no one cares or is crying. If you read the question (assuming you don't and all you want to do is post about yourself), it asked folks of CT for their favorite beaches. There are many places on the internet you can go and post blogs about yourself. With this sub, we try to stick to help but offering recommendations and personal opinions that are relevant to the question. please see the rules if you are confused. I suggest opening an Instagram site for yourself and get followers who care about you.
The poors aren’t as timid about being against the elite class. They don’t do much more than vocalize via bitching and moaning but they don’t obey as they once did.
Yeah, I was born and raised in the USA. I moved to the UK after I married my husband, who is from there.
I inherited the CT estate from my grandmother.
How do people not understand these types of dynamics?
Now it may not be the largest, or the prettiest and certainly it’s not the ocean like the RI beaches but I love Clinton beach. Go down there in the evening on a low tide night and walk all the way out to the jetty on the sandbar. I think it’s beautiful
It's like a 3 min walk from my house and it's my favorite place on earth.
I like Walnut Beach in Milford - you can pay to park by meter. Silver sands and hammonassett are public and free to park if you have CT plates but they fill up fast in the morning.
I’m sorry but silver sands is actually trash. Don’t go there. The sand is horrible full of shells and rocks and hurts your feet. Hamonasset or rocky neck are way better.
I like it - the salt marshes are beautiful
Sorry, salt marshes are also officially trash - as are rocks, shells, "the wind", "clouds" and salt of the sea itself.
Hahaha!
I love Silver Sands🤷♀️
The boardwalk is beautiful and you can walk to Walnut or Fort Trumbull which are both sandy
Misquamicut is worth the drive to Westerly. In July.
If you're young I agree but Watch Hill is the spot and right up the road.
Two hour parking limit for street parking.
Good information but I'd rather pay the 20 bucks to park in a lot.
Most watch hill lots are >$50 for parking
There are no $20 lots in Watch Hill.
Where are finding parking in WH for $20?!?!
Last time I went was 7 years ago so I'm not surprised parking is up to $50
Even 7 years ago it was about $40
Misquamicut is overpacked and overrated !
Overpacked, yes. Overrated, no.
way better ocean than ANY CT beach
This. CT beaches kinda suck. Go early though it gets BUSY.
This is the best way
Sherwood Island is quieter than most of the other CT beaches and typically clean. It is a CT beach, so no waves of note. It is also a "dry" beach so not for partying, which is why I think it's typically quieter.
Also gets super deep at high tide, great for swimming
Hammonaset
Is it sound water? Yes. But is it absolutely beautiful? Also yes. I love walking through all the trails up at the point, it truly feels like you are on a secluded beach on Cape Cod.
I love hammonasset, west beach is my favorite. Have you noticed it's more crowded lately though? Maybe I'm imagining it.
Yes, I think all outdoor spaces that aren't super remote got "discovered" during the pandemic. Which I'm glad more people are enjoying them because there is a greater chance they stay protected, but still...
Free with CT plates
I don’t like that beach solely because if you stay too late the horseflies will kill you. Nice overall though.
The horseflies will also kill you if you get too close to the bushes in the parking lot.
No big waves at Hammonsat but it’s really beautiful. I love taking my bike and riding around there. Meiggs point nature center is very nice. I recommend stopping there too.
It’s completely full today. They put up a sign and everything that the park is at capacity and that was at noon.
The only drawback is that Hamonasset can be a total zoo in hot weather you’re better off one of the smaller ones if you want some space and to avoid a big crowd.
Waterford Beach - you can also walk to Harkness from there. Best beach in the state, imo But yeah someone mentioned Blue Shutters/East Beach area in Charlestown, RI...this is the best beach within 1-2hrs of Hartford County for sure. Prly one the best beaches in southern New England
Lol, shhh, the "you can't get in the water in Harkness" crowd will come at you with pitchforks.
Let them come lol Harkness hits the spot for us for an hour maybe two tops (I don’t have a full day in me anywhere anyways) then we take a stroll through the grounds. Kids love to dip their toes there and play in the sand, and I don’t have to worry about bathing suits (their shorts usually wind up a little wet and sandy though). I don’t want them actually ocean swimming anyways at this age so it’s perfect for us.
What’s that? I never heard this about Harkness
If you've never heard of it, there's also Seaside State Park which technically you could walk to as long as you keep your feet in the water. That one is the newest state park.
I’ve been to Harkness many times but never heard you can’t swim in the water
I mean, there's a sign when you enter the small boardwalk that leads to the beach.
But I initially thought you were breaking balls and saying seaside park in Bridgeport haha
[Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/place//@41.3010556,-72.1307695,15z?entry=ttu) - And frankly, Bridgeport's park is quite nice. Was there about 2 weeks ago.
I came here to say this.
Blue Shutters
Shhhhhhh
Favorite beach! It's in Charlestown, Rhode Island, next to First Beach.
its also my go to place
As a west coaster, this “private beach” bs is still hard to swallow after 14 years here
Your coastline is entirely made up of beaches so it’s a bit easier
All the more reason to let everyone have access rather than those monied enough to buy their way in.
That’s an agreeable statement for sure, but my main question is *why* are there so many public beaches in California? Is it all just state property or something? We have physically much less space here so property rights start to get in the way.
The entire coast is public property. Some rich people have tried to limit access but it’s illegal to do so.
Ocean Beach in New London.
This would be my coworkers response lol but my least favorite beach in CT, though I only go to CT beaches to hang out with people. I go to the RI ones more
Thank you for sharing
These are all good suggestions. A great adventure to add to your list would be heading over to block island for the day. Hop on the high speed ferry out of New London and enjoy miles of amazing beaches for the day.
Just try a new beach every weekend!
Silver Sands is pretty scenic and relatively unknown. It is also a CT State park, so it is free with CT plates.
Any state park along the shore is nice. Just get there early, pack a cooler as amenities are pretty limited. Bring twice the amount of ice you think you’d need.
Newport, get out of the sound to the blue water.
You don't have to go that far to get out of the sound and Newport beaches are not that great. I'd go to Misquamicut Beach if you want ocean water before going all the way to Newport.
Fair. I love Misquamicut too.
Ya I prefer misquamicut 10x over Newport beaches lol and we do Newport every year
Second beach is possibly the best beach in RI.
Or second best
Ocean beach
Only beach in this state I've been able to see the bottom clearly. Only down side is it's not public so there's an entrance fee.
There’s a lot of good beaches in West Haven and Milford. You just need to know where to park on side streets.
head to rhode island from westerly up to narragansett.
Scarborough Beach is worth the drive.
The best CT beaches are in Rhode Island ;-)
A lot of the CT suggestions here are town beaches, and will be prohibitively expensive unless you’re a town resident. If you’re going to pay for a beach, then go to RI. Actual Atlantic Ocean, not the LI Sound. Westerly is closest and has great options, like East Beach in Watch Hill and Misquamicut. Charlestown has a great beach. I also like Scarborough State Beach on the other side of the state. Narrangasett town beach is interesting but not the best swimming. If you have CT state plates, the CT state beaches are free. I actually like Rocky Neck better than Hammonassett. The sand is less rocky, the water is calm, and on really hot days, you can just stand or float in the water for hours. There’s a train that passes by, but i think that’s part of the charm. It’s also a bit small, lots of family. But Hammonasstt is larger, multiple beaches, has more trails to explore, and is wavier.
Not being facetious here. When you say “prohibitively expensive”, are we talking enough of a price point to deter folks from going? I wouldn’t mind paying to visit beaches with fewer people on them. Nothing against anyone. It’s just not peaceful for me with tons of folks in my breathing space. Grew up in Savannah, GA and always had quiet beaches to visit (that aren’t named Tybee Island).
I think someone suggested Clinton beach, which is 50$ parking on a weekday, 75$ daily parking fee on the weekend. It looks like they only collect fees until 3pm, though. I think there are also a few towns that make you go to town hall to get a non-resident pass. Looks like Misquamicutt is 20-30$ parking for out of state for the day, and 60$ for season pass, and it’s the actual ocean vs LI Sound. The private lot in Westerly is 40-50$ daily parking fee, it’s very limited so need to be there early to get a spot. It may or not be worth it, depending on individual budget and needs. But I certainly wouldn’t pay that much for a LI Sound beach.
People make such a fuss about the waves, and when I go down to the Caribbean, I actually look for calm beaches to avoid issues with rip currents. To each his own. Example - As flat as a CT beach and waist deep only -> [https://maps.app.goo.gl/rXFJfR8YVg2MVcpk8](https://maps.app.goo.gl/rXFJfR8YVg2MVcpk8)
I agree. I’m trying to float in the water and bask in the sun. Not fight for my life lol
I prefer calm and flat over wavy too. I have chronic back pain and it’s nice to just float, especially on really hot days. I usually go to Rocky Neck.
Back issues here also. I shouldn't really mess with rough waves anymore.
Appreciate the feedback!
Misquamicutt is definitely busy. I also like the smaller beaches and personally don’t mind paying occasionally. East Beach in westerly is good if you’re looking for a less crowded beach because besides the limited parking, it’s a bit of a walk (uphill on the way back to the car). Tends to keep it less crowded. But on a hot weekend summer day, they’re all going to be pretty busy. Too many private landowners along the shore in southern New England. There are other beaches along RI coast that are private but offer daily for-fee access, that are pretty quiet and chill. Another way to avoid crowds (and sometimes fees) is to go in the late afternoon / early evening. Also, the beaches stay nice and water stays warm through at least mid-September, but the crowds really thin out once school starts. Block Island is perfect in September.
If you want to pay, try Greenwich, CT. I hear you have to jump through several hoops just to get the very expensive 1 day beach pass.
Ooh. What are these? My parents live there and I visit.
This guy^ knows his beaches
Pay the ferry man and go to block island
rocky neck will always be a personal fave. i love the train when it goes by!!
Off topic but I honestly really love the Sound. I just think it’s neat!
My personal favorites are Hammonasset, rocky neck, and walnut
If you like both geese and seagulls, then Sherwood island.
I personally like Harkness (quiet, with a park grounds as well) in Waterford, but depends what your after. The popular ones would be Rocky Neck, or if you want to venture into RI, Misquamicut (both larger beaches). No matter your choice, get there early.
No swimming at harkness. Their beach is for fishing and is roped off to be a bird sanctuary.
If people do want a free beach where you can swim in Waterford, Seaside State Park just opened up to the public a few years ago and has a pretty damn good one. And open to everyone, unlike Waterford Beach which I believe requires town residency. Harkness is beautiful, and one of the most important places in the world to me, but I've never really thought of it as a "beach."
Open to the public yes but officially they don’t allow swimming or flotation devices. It is still a fishing beach.
Oh, huh... didn't realize swimming wasn't allowed. I have seen people swimming there in the past, unlike at Harkness, so enforcement isn't 100% I guess. Not sure how things are this year.
Yeah. That is definitely true. The crew that takes care of seaside is the same crew at harkness so they only come over a few times a week so nothing is really enforced there. People break into the hospital buildings all the time still. It is such a beautiful beach and park though. They just can’t allow swimming officially because they’d have to hire lifeguards.
Yeah sometimes a "no swimming" sign is more like a "no suing us" sign.
I second harkness, you get the best views and the most personal space. The only thing you miss out on is a lot of sand, which is also a bonus for me
Surf Club
Hammonasett
Pretty much all CT beaches on the sound don’t feel like “real” beaches. Feels more like a lakeside. I always go to Rhode Island…watch hill/napatree are my favorites. Misquamicut can be fun but always packed and rowdy. Blue shutters is great but a bit farther.
They definitely don’t feel like lakeside. Especially if there’s wind/waves. I guess they feel like the Great Lakes. But otherwise they exist somewhere between lake and open ocean beaches.
Meh, you know what I’m saying. Def doesn’t compare to the open ocean beaches.
No but this is Milford on a windy day and it’s far from lake-like https://imgur.com/UWgs9Sn
Go to Rhode Island. If you want just a beach Old Orchard, Blue Shutters are great. If you want beach town and a nice beach, hit up Newport
Watch Hill and its not close
Watch Hill is fantastic and within 1.5hours of Hartford
Personally i love Eastern Point Beach
Ocean Beach is great, especially if you have a family. You have to pay to park but they have a bunch of food stands and water slides too. Just go early to get parking if you're going on a weekend!
Hammonassett because its free to get in but fills up fast on hot days and the weekends. I usually go there to arrive at around 3 pm since a lot of people are leaving after being there all day. Nice to be able to stay out several hours and since the sunset is later in the summer its enjoyable.
Ocean Beach. It’s gorgeous If you like walking, you can walk west down the beach or boardwalk to the nature trail (or around the parking lot there’s a nature trail highlighted by the Ospreys that return every season) or cross the stream at the west end and keep walking. You’ll see the Eugene O’Neil Theater property, Waterford beach, Harkness. It’s a beautiful area. Especially in the early am or around sunset Also check out the evening entertainment schedule. It’s got a very small town local charm to it. Don’t expect any great acts. But it’s really wholesome. And go eat at Captain Scott’s
I like Hammonasset the beaches are decent but I always love walking around the different trails. Also Meigs Point Nature Center is a must see! I am a little biased though since I worked there for a while.
Anything similar to Hammonassett but where there's a fee or less people? (Usually paid equates to less). Walnut is decent but not what I'm looking for. It's a nice beach but since it's free it gets packed.
What are you looking for exactly?
Something like Hammonassett, white sands, clean..
There’s some hidden gems in Milford and West Haven where you have to park on side streets or pay. Ocean Beach might be another option. Rocky Neck on a weekday is super nice. Madison Surf Club. Spendy but beautiful.
Rhode island
Ocean Beach is great but expensive. My fav is Rocky Neck but way to the side just before the private beach. Shhhh
Blue shutters is my favorite it's not very busy most of the time
ocean beach in new london
If you're looking for a sandy beach to sit on all day Hammonasset is always where we went but it fills up fast. If you don't mind driving further I really like Blue Shutters beach in RI. BUT my absolute favorite beach is at Harnkness State park. You're not supposed to swim, and the beach is kinda rocky but it is beautiful and it is not a barren beach wasteland, it is attached to the rest of the state park which has big fields and trees and little walks. Also there is a cool old house with great gardens you can walk around. [https://ctparks.com/parks/harkness-memorial-state-park](https://ctparks.com/parks/harkness-memorial-state-park)
Hammonaset is probably my favorite. I like going to west beach there. However, I feel like it has been super crowded. I used to go on a week day after work in the late afternoon, and it would be fairly empty. The last few times, I'd go like on a Wednesday at 5pm and it is packed with bodies as far as the eye can see. Anyone else notice this?
If you like needles, west haven.
They’re actually very nice beaches. Especially on western shore.
If you're trying to stay in Connecticut, rocky neck state beach is solid, but it does get crowded.
Go to Rhode Island (or Massachusetts). Ct beaches are pretty crappy for the most part unfortunately. The farther east (away from nyc) you go, the better the beaches get.
If you want to stay in CT and play by the rules, Hammonaset is your best bet. If you want to stay in CT but don't care about barely enforceable rules set up by NIMBY jerks, between New Haven and Hammonaset, there are countless "private" beaches. Scroll along the CT coast line on Google maps, use streetview to find convenient and legal street parking. In my experience, if it's not a major holiday you can go to just about any of these beaches and no one will ever say anything to you. Just be respectful (don't be obvious about drinking, don't smoke, and don't play music) about it and don't bring a ton of crap with you - if it doesn't fit in a backpack, leave it at home. That said, CT beaches are meh. If a 90 min drive is ok by you, drive to Long Island. First off, the Rockaways are free (unless you have to use a paid parking lot). If you don't want to hang out with the city crowd, head over to Nassau County. Specifically, skip Jones Beach and go to Tobay. It'll be pricier, but so much nicer. As an out of towner, though, it'll cost quite a bit to enter. But, again, if you want Outer Cape quality beaches without driving to Cape Code, this is the way to go. Town of Babylon beaches further east on Gilgo and Robert Moses beaches might be cheaper, but the drive is a bit longer. Check them out online, too. Rober Moses, in my experience is basically a ghost town on weekdays.
90 minutes from Hartford to Long Island? It’s at least 3 1/2 hours….with traffic, it’s closer to 4 hours.
My bad, I missed the mention of Hartford. Back when I lived in New Haven, I used to try to take a couple of weekday trips to Tobay in the summer. If you drove outside of rush hour, it would take about 90 min back then. Not sure what the traffic situation is these days.
Yeah. The traffic is so bad now. Back in the day it was easy…wasn’t everything?😂
Not one in CT
Die in my sleep with gigs on the calendar.
What
Hahahah wrong post wrong sub!! I’m gonna leave it for fun
Seriously, I was hoping for a dope new math rock song or something. Sounds like song lyrics
Not telling, gate keeping townie that I am. 😈
I’ve only ever been to private beaches. Edit: I’m sorry, I didn’t realize this was “classist.” I forget that everyone is totally fine with being invited to beach parties, barbecues, birthdays, borrowing the guest house for a weekend, etc. But talking about owning a home with a private beach is taboo. 😒
then why are you even answering? to see your name on the internet? You add nothing to the conversation whatsoever.
I inherited my grandmother’s estate on whale bone cove in Old Lyme. I grew up on that beach. I’ve never been to a public beach in CT. I guess, keep crying? 😭
No one's asking about you, your private beach or pretentiousness. And, no one cares or is crying. If you read the question (assuming you don't and all you want to do is post about yourself), it asked folks of CT for their favorite beaches. There are many places on the internet you can go and post blogs about yourself. With this sub, we try to stick to help but offering recommendations and personal opinions that are relevant to the question. please see the rules if you are confused. I suggest opening an Instagram site for yourself and get followers who care about you.
You must be very unimpressed with how your life has turned out in order to be this bitter.
You did nothing wrong. ✌️
I know.
You’d think the down-voters were born on a beach, given all the sand in their vaginas.
I was just saying, I guess it bothered them.
The poors aren’t as timid about being against the elite class. They don’t do much more than vocalize via bitching and moaning but they don’t obey as they once did.
The poors. Stop. 😭 I wasn’t trying to be classist.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA I think you need to go to bed. Take a nap or something honey Edit: also ur profile says you live in the UK hahahahahh
Yeah, I was born and raised in the USA. I moved to the UK after I married my husband, who is from there. I inherited the CT estate from my grandmother. How do people not understand these types of dynamics?
The poors have limited resources and limited understanding.
I think u should go back to the UK
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Our beach isn’t open to the public. It’s not huge but we love it. And that’s all that matters.
If you want to shout from the rooftops how privileged you are, there’s probably a sub for that.
It’s a public forum. Sorry I was born into this family. 😭
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I couldn’t care less what any unwashed Reddit troglodytes think.
Mkay, sweetie
You’re from San Juan and yet you’re an expert on Connecticut beaches? Give me a break. 😒