Best Connecticut Beaches

Sitting beside two neighbors, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, that advertise their seaside locations right in their nicknames (the Bay State and the Ocean State), Connecticut is a little quieter about its beachy appeal. But make no mistake, the Nutmeg State has its fair share of worthy beaches along the sheltered length of Long Island Sound. In fact, Connecticut recently nabbed a spot on Travel + Leisure’s list of the top 25 U.S. beaches, with New London’s Ocean Beach Park standing tall as one of just three New England beaches chosen. The following roundup of best Connecticut beaches is drawn from Yankee’s travel writings, places that our editors have returned to again and again over the years.

Best Connecticut Beaches

duBois Beach | Stonington, Connecticut

Poking into Fishers Island Sound at the tip of Stonington Point, duBois has been called a “secret beach,” though it’s received plenty of attention from the beach-ranking media. Owned by a local improvement association, it’s a tidy little beach with placid surf, lifeguards, a wee gazebo, lovely views, a modest day fee, and — rare for town beaches — free parking.

Hammonasset Beach State Park Beach | Madison, Connecticut

Extending along a peninsula for two miles into Long Island Sound, Hammonasset is Connecticut’s biggest beach and its most popular. A boardwalk runs for three-quarters of a mile along the sands, and along with lifeguards, bathhouses, and concessions including bicycle rentals, the park offers more than 500 campsites and eight rustic cabins for rent. It’s also popular with surf casters.

Harkness Memorial State Park Beach | Waterford, Connecticut

Not all beaches are made for swimmers, but they’re still heaven for those who love to stroll, wade, picnic, or fly a kite by the water. At this hidden gem of a state park, the expansive lawn of a preserved 1906 Italianate mansion slopes down to the shore, perfect for a walk amid sand and shells. Plus, if you’ve registered for a day license and brought your gear, you can head to the rocks to lure stripers and blues.

Jacobs Beach | Guilford, Connecticut

Historic Guilford is so well known for its classic New England town green, it’s easy to forget the seashore is a mile and a half from town center. Understandably, this Connecticut community doesn’t advertise its petite jewel of a town beach, which is tucked out of sight on a narrow dead-end street. Yet a day pass offers visitors access to a wide patch of sand and a calm, clear, sun-warmed saline pool, protected by a jetty. When gleeful shrieks from the playground punctuate the quiet, look up from the novel in which you’re immersed and across Long Island Sound to spy Connecticut’s second-oldest lighthouse, on Faulkner’s Island.

Jennings Beach | Fairfield, Connecticut

Picked by Yankee as the Best Town Beach on Connecticut’s Gold Coast, Jennings has plentiful parking; a “sandcastle” playground; a patriotic pier lined with American flags snapping in the breeze; a skate park; a concession stand with affordable fare, including fried clams and shrimp… Oh, and the town’s largest public beach, where lifeguards watch over swimmers and the warm sand lulls sunbathers to sleep.

Lighthouse Point Park Beach | New Haven, Connecticut

A popular cooling-off spot for residents of Connecticut’s second-largest city and the students who attend Yale University there, Lighthouse Point Park is one of the few places in the state where you can get up close to a historic lighthouse — in this case, the 80-foot-tall Five Mile Point Lighthouse, built in 1847. Kids will love it, but they’ll go nuts for the restored 1916 carousel filled with prancing horses, a camel, and two dragon chariots. The small beach is complemented by a playground, a kid-friendly splashpad, and a concession stand.

Ocean Beach Park Beach | New London, Connecticut

At this play-all-day park, it’s a snap to grant every family member’s wish. There’s an Olympic-sized pool as well as a spray park for tots; just steps from the beach’s half mile of soft sand are amusement rides, water slides, and an ice cream shop. Older kids gravitate toward the nautical-themed mini golf course and Connecticut’s only beachside arcade, while grown-ups can drink in views of Ledge Light from a restaurant deck with a local beer in hand. Summer nights here are sprinkled with beach blanket movies, concerts, classic car cruises, and fireworks.

Rocky Neck State Park Beach | East Lyme, Connecticut

A soft, sandy beach is only one of the lures at this public recreation area on Long Island Sound, whose 708 acres also offer scenic trails, salt marsh viewing platforms, and inviting picnic spots (not to mention 160 campsites for those looking to stay in the heart of it all). Fish and wildlife are abundant, with water-loving birds such as ospreys, cranes, and herons being among the flashiest residents.

Sherwood Island State Park Beach | Westport, Connecticut

Encompassing New England’s westernmost Long Island Sound beaches, Sherwood is Connecticut’s oldest state park. Twin swimming areas, whose sands get their color from garnet (red) and magnetite (black), flank a point designated for surf casting; inland, there are hiking trails, a nature center, and even a model airplane field. Picnic tables, a food concession, and showers round out the facilities.

Silver Sands State Park Beach | Milford, Connecticut

Nestled along Long Island Sound between Bridgeport and New Haven, Silver Sands offers calm, warm water; a boardwalk running nearly the length of the beach; and footpaths that wind through a restored salt marsh. Charles Island, where Captain Kidd allegedly buried treasure (where didn’t he?), lies a half mile offshore; access via low-tide sandbar is permitted only off-season, when birds aren’t nesting.

Do you have a beach you’d like to add to our list of the best Connecticut beaches? Tell us about it in the comments below!