Governor Lamont Announces Summer Tourism Season Kicks Off at State Parks, Beaches, and Cultural Attractions
Governor Ned Lamont today visited Silver Sands State Park in Milford – one of Connecticut’s 110 state parks and 32 state forests – where he held an event to kick off the summer tourism season and encourage the state’s residents and visitors to consider the many outdoor recreation opportunities Connecticut has to offer.
Many of these opportunities can be explored by visiting Connecticut’s official state parks website at CTparks.com and by visiting Connecticut official tourism website at CTvisit.com.
Connecticut’s shoreline and inland state parks that have swimming areas are now almost fully staffed with lifeguards, and campgrounds are now open for the season. Museums, nature centers, and other interpretive seasonal sites within the parks are also open for fun activities, including tours. Through the Passport to the Parks program, drivers that have a Connecticut-registered vehicle do not have to pay a fee to park at any state park and forest.
All of the state parks are overseen by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP).
New state parks website recommends local tourism attractions
Earlier this year, DEEP launched a new state parks website (CTparks.com) to help visitors better access Connecticut’s 110 state parks, 32 state forests, 14 campgrounds, 23 designated swimming areas, thousands of miles of trails, and hundreds of thousands of acres to enjoy. The state parks offer opportunities for hiking, camping, swimming, boating, fishing, and picnicking, among many other outdoor activities.
The innovative online platform allows residents and visitors the opportunity to search state parks by desired activity or location, reserve a campsite, find a hiking trail, or explore options to extend their stay by visiting nearby restaurants, shops, hotels and attractions.
Connecticut’s state parks are one of the state’s largest tourism attractions and fuels the outdoor recreation economy, which contributes $4.6 billion annually to the state’s economy.
Connecticut’s tourism website compliments state park opportunities
Exciting new attractions and events are available for summer 2024
Several new tourism opportunities are available for the summer of 2024. This includes:
- Inaugural Oyster Trail: Connecticut revealed its first-ever oyster trail, which includes over a dozen oyster farms and more than 20 restaurants and stores across the state. Check it out at ctvisit.com/articles/connecticut-oyster-trail.
- Yale Peabody Museum in New Haven: After three years of major renovations, the museum has doubled its exhibition space, added new research facilities, and eight classrooms. It is now free and open to all.
- The Glass House in New Canaan: Celebrating its 75th anniversary, the Glass House features the newly restored Brick House, designed by Philip Johnson in 1949.
- Soundside Music Festival (September 28-29) in Bridgeport: Formerly known as Sound on Sound, Connecticut’s largest music festival at Seaside Park has been reimagined with more experiences and site improvements. Headliners include Noah Kahan and Foo Fighters.
- Voyage to the Deep – Underwater Adventures at Mystic Seaport Museum: This highly interactive exhibit allows visitors to climb aboard a submarine and explore marine habitats, diving equipment, and maritime archaeology.
- Lake Compounce in Bristol: The park features enhancements including a re-tracked 97-year-old Wildcat Roller Coaster, an upgraded Boulder Dash roller coaster with more than 1,000 feet of Titan Track, and a new coffee shop offering fun coffee creations, pastries, and more.
- Sun Patio at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville: The renovated open-air area now features fire pits, Adirondack chairs, grassy turf, and a large stage. The Sun Patio will host a weekly concert series every Friday with live music, drink specials, food trucks, and more.
This year, Connecticut is once again expanding access to state parks and beaches through the ParkConneCT program.
Beginning Memorial Day weekend and operating on weekends through Labor Day, DEEP and the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) are again partnering to provide this service, which helps residents and out-of-state visitors access certain parks and rail and connect to buses that provide services to Silver Sands State Park, Hammonasset Beach State Park, and Sleeping Giant State Park.
As DEEP and DOT expand efforts to improve equitable access to the outdoors, ParkConneCT is teaming up with the DEEP No Child Left Inside program to pilot a program that aims to provide guided bus excursions to the program’s events and other recreational opportunities.
“In its fourth season of operation, the ParkConneCT program continues to offer residents a safe and reliable transportation option to some of Connecticut’s most beautiful state parks, beaches, and campgrounds,” CTDOT Public Transportation Bureau Chief Ben Limmer said. “We look forward to future collaborations with our state partners to expand access to outdoor recreational opportunities through stress-free and environmentally friendly public transit.”
For more information on ParkConneCT, visit ctparks.com/parkconnect.
Restore CT State Parks initiative is keeping infrastructure at state parks in good repair
Another way the state is supporting access to state parks is through the Restore CT State Parks initiative, an historic funding commitment led by Governor Lamont and the state legislature to address a backlog of parks infrastructure repairs.
To date, $70.7 million ($10.7 million of American Rescue Plan Act funds and $30 million of state bond fund authorizations in both FY 2024 and FY 2025) has been committed to support these important investments.
Some of the recent infrastructure improvement projects include new observation deck windows on Heublein Tower at Talcott Mountain State Park in Simsbury, ADA fishing access improvements at Salmon River State Forest in East Hampton, and the replacement of restroom facilities at American Legion State Forest in Barkhamsted.
For more information on Restore CT State Parks, visit portal.ct.gov/deep/state-parks/restore-ct-state-parks.