Hammonasset Beach

Just over a hundred years ago, in July 2020, Hammonasset Beach State Beach opened to the public. It has been a popular destination ever since. Easy to access from I-95 Exit 62 and close to Madison, CT it attracts over a million visitors each year.

Once a settlement for native American Indians, the name “Hammonasset” means “place where we dig holes in the ground”. By 1898 the Winchester Rifle Company was using it as a firing range to test their weaponry.

Today this 2 mile stretch of soft golden sand is the largest public beach in Connecticut. It is on a sandy spit that protrudes into Long Island Sound with views across the water to Sag Harbor and Montauk.

Hammonasset is ideal for sandcastles, swimming, shelling, sunbathing and strolling (all the S’s) along the ¾ mile boardwalk. There is also volleyball, bocce, playground, campsites, wildlife talks and open-air film nights. Nearby Meigs Point Nature Center has more informative displays about this area and a touch tank. There is a fee to enter the state park, currently in excess of $20 per vehicle for non-residents, but no charge for locals with Connecticut registered vehicles.