Hammonasset Beach State Park

We didn't stay here but visited friends who were camping to avoid paying more for the cottages we stayed at across the street.

Anyway, Connecticut state parks are pretty expensive, and non-residents pay up to $45 to camp in an RV in the park. Just to visit for the day, if you have a car, costs $22 on the weekends. Or you can bike in, as we did, for free as far as day access goes.

The campground is just a series of loops where you're essentially camping in wide open grass spaces, so there's no privacy at all. The beach is walkable or an even easier bike ride, and it's certainly beautiful. There was no trash and plenty of shells to explore. We went in September and the water was already frigid. A bike path from the park was fun and shaded, wide and well-maintained, and the bathrooms were clean.

The nearby town of Madison is pretty much a postcard of what I think everyone imagines New England small towns to be, and well worth the visit if you find yourself in this park anyway.

We camped here in early October 2020 and enjoyed our stay. We stayed in Beach loop which I think is the best area. Large grassy sites, just beautiful. We had a 27 foot Airstream and a large tent on our site and still had a ton of room. Most of the other loops were not in use due to COVID restrictions. Easy check in process, Clean bathrooms, clean sites. Kind of a bummer that there were no fire pits but you could rent one from the campground store. Sites were level and a short walk over the dunes to the beach. Other loop sites look closer together - it is a huge park.

The sites along Beach Road are pretty spacious! Plenty of room to set up a tent next to your RV and have 2 cars parked without feeling cramped at all. Our site was a 5 minute walk to the beach, so it's easy to set up a spot on the beach early and walk back to your campsite for lunch during the day. The sunset over the beach is beautiful, there are some great local seafood spots down the road, and a cute downtown area to check out in Madison. Bring a bike to cruise around the loops throughout the park or to take a ride down a dirt walking/biking trail.

Note that the $35/night rate is for a site with electric & water hook-up for CT residents, it's $45/night if you're from out of state. Cheaper sites without hookups are available.

Huge fields of campsites with little shade. If you are lucky, you might snag a larger perimeter campsite with a little privacy and a shade tree. The beach is awesome and we enjoyed kayaking. There is a smaller hidden beach to the East that is worth exploring. Our bathroom and showers were exceptional - I never tried another so I can’t report on them. We were dry camping and fortunately the temps were tolerable at night due to a light sea breeze.

Easy to find and such a beautiful place!