Investing In Our Parks

March 19, 2018

Last year the Legislature created Passport to Parks in an effort to provide you with easier access to CT’s treasures and provide a revenue source for our woefully underfunded parks.

Get out and Enjoy!

Implementation of the Passport to Parks program will financially support the restoration of a number of services throughout the state park system, including:

  • All of the state’s eight lifeguarded state park beaches will be fully staffed for the summer, including at Hammonasset, Rocky Neck, Sherwood Island, Silver Sands, Black Rock, Burr Pond, Indian Well, and Squantz Pond.
  • Hours of operation at the state’s museums and nature centers will be restored from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
  • Four campgrounds will reopen:
    • Devil’s Hopyard (East Haddam) – Opening day of fishing season through Labor Day
    • Green Falls (Voluntown) – Opening day of fishing season through Labor Day
    • Macedonia Brook (Kent) – Opening day of fishing season through Labor Day
    • Salt Rock (Sprague) – Weekend before Memorial Day through Labor Day
  • Spring camping will be restored at the following locations:
    • American Legion and Peoples State Forests (Barkhamsted) – Opening day of fishing season through Labor Day
    • Mount Misery (Voluntown) – Opening day of fishing season through Labor Day
  • Fall camping will be restored at the following locations:
    • Hammonasset Beach (Madison) – Weekend before Memorial Day through Columbus Day
    • Rocky Neck (East Lyme) – Weekend before Memorial Day through the end of September
    • Housatonic Meadows (Sharon) – Weekend before Memorial Day through Columbus Day
    • Hopeville Pond (Griswold) – Weekend before Memorial Day through the end of September

This year, the opening day of the fishing season is on Saturday, April 14, 2018.

Reservations at all state campgrounds for the 2018 season can be made beginning at noon on Thursday, February 8, 2018. Camping reservations can be made online through the Reserve America service or by calling 1-877-668-CAMP (2267).

It’s another tough budget year, so my goal is to protect Passport to Parks from any attempts to divert funds to other state programs.