Bobby Gibson

I am pleased to announce the launching of Passport to Parks Program, a new initiative that will support services at our state parks while allowing free access to Connecticut residents and their families.  That’s right; Connecticut residents will not have to pay parking fees when visiting state parks.

Out-of-state vehicles will still be charged parking fees ranging from $7 to $22 depending on the park and time of day. Fees to reserve overnight campgrounds for both in-state and out-of-state visitors will still apply.

The program will be sustained with a $10 fee that will be applied to non-commercial vehicles that have new registrations, renewals and plate transfers registered through the Department of Motor Vehicles.

This is welcome news to not only residents, but also for our parks that will now receive more financial support to better serve the millions of visitors  each year, including restoration of services that had been reduced. During past years, parks had significantly cut back on hours, services and length of their seasons.

This past summer, we had state beaches with few or no lifeguards.  We had parks with no bathrooms facilities open. This new funding source solves the problem and directs the money to the parks.

Please visit the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection for a complete list of our state parks and forests.

In addition, reservations at all state campgrounds for the 2018 season began online through the Reserve America service or by calling 1-877-668-CAMP (2267).