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Situated along the scenic Connecticut coastline making great camping near New Haven, Rocky Neck State Park is a is a small recreation area that features white sand beaches, salt marshes, and the rocky remnants of Ice Age glaciers. The park is located about 1 hour southeast of Hartford, near the town of East Lyme, with a view across the sound of Fishers Island, Gardiners Island, and Long Island. The park showcases several examples of ancient glacial terrain, including rock scouring and polishing, potholes and erratic boulders. In some places, the overlying sediment has been completely eroded away to reveal interesting outcrops of banded granitic gneiss.
The campground at Rocky Neck offers 160 drive-in campsites for tent and RV campers. Visitors can choose from open, grassy sites and wooded, shady sites. Each site is equipped with picnic tables and fire rings, but RV hookups are not available. Sites can accommodate vehicles/trailers up to 35 feet; some sites are tent-only. Water faucets, restrooms, and trash/recycling receptacles are located throughout the campground; a dump station is located near the campground entrance. Dogs are not permitted in this park. Camping is available from May through September; sites are $20–$30/night; reservations accepted.
The main attraction at Rocky Neck is its wide, sandy beach, where visitors can lounge in the sun, or go for a dip in Long Island Sound. The park has several picnic areas for family and group gatherings, several miles of hiking trails for exploring the park’s salt marshes, waterways and natural features, and anglers can fish for saltwater bass, blackfish and flounder. Along the park’s western shore, the historic Ellie Mitchell Pavilion has concessions, and dining and lounging areas. The park also offers a variety of seasonal interpretive programs, guided hikes, wildlife viewing, and evening entertainment.
Nice Sandy Beach. Going for years. One of the best State park in CT. Family and Kids friendly beach. East and west beaches. Water level and current will differ by season. Parking free for CT registered cars as you pay the cost on registration time. Restroom and Picnic area available. Swimming allowed. Life guards are available. May be sometimes not
This Park has a nice Sandy beach, picnic areas, trails and board walk. Parking is free for Connecticut registered vehicles. The water level is shallow close to the shore and is perfect for water sports for kids and family. However the water isn’t suitable for swimming due to bacteria level. There are shower places and restrooms available close to the west and east side of the beach. Plenty of parking space. Best time to visit is either during the sunrise or sunset. Busy on weekends.
We went to the Rocky Neck State Park Beach. It was beautiful. Bathrooms were clean. Was a bit of a walk from the parking lot to the beach. The water was ankle deep, if you wanted to swim you had to walk a ways. It is Fabulous for young families. There were kids playing in the sand and water, they were happy and keeping busy. Parents could relax and not worry their kids would get knocked down by a wave. The waves were small and relaxing to listen to.
I gave it 4 stars and not 5 only because of the walk. I have trouble walking at times.
Board walk next to the beach gives you an amazing view during summer and fall. The Pavilion is great for some family pictures and right next to it there’s plenty of hiking trails with a medium/low difficulty. Great place to bring your dog for a walk.
Nice sandy beach with with camp grounds for longer stays. The beach has sufficient parking for most weekends. It also has two restroom pavilions and a fair amount of grassy picnic area for gatherings. The restrooms were generally clean. Along the east side of the beach is a short boardwalk. One of my favorite things to do is take pictures of the various birds that inhabit the salt marsh area inside the park.
