Hammonasset Beach State Park

Connecticut's largest shoreline park has two miles of sandy beach on Long Island Sound, where Long Island blocks most ocean swell and the water tends to stay calm and clear. State lifeguards work the beach from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day, and DEEP tests the water weekly over the same stretch. Parking is free for Connecticut plates; out-of-state cars pay a daily fee.

Directions

Photo: rickpilot_2000 · CC BY 2.0

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Latest reading · SwimScore 73/100 (Good swim) for a typical swimmer: air 19°C, wind 29 km/h, waves 1.2 m, UV 2. Updated 23 Sept, 22:00 UTC.

Know before you go

Best conditions: Waves are generally calm, keeping the water clear; Long Island and Fishers Island act as a natural breakwater for the Connecticut coast.
Getting in: Open daily 8 a.m. to sunset. The free Clinton Trolley stops at the Middle Beach parking circle on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Parking & transport: Free for Connecticut-registered vehicles. Out-of-state: $15 weekdays, $22 weekends/holidays, $7 after 4 p.m., $112 season pass.
Lifeguards: State lifeguards staff Hammonasset from Memorial Day weekend (May 23) through Labor Day (September 7), with shifts 10 a.m.–6 p.m.; daily coverage depends on staffing.
Water quality: CT DEEP collects samples weekly from Memorial Day to Labor Day, analyzed by the Department of Public Health lab for indicator bacteria; results are posted in the State Swimming Water Quality Report.
Season: Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day for guarded swimming and water testing.
Facilities: Restrooms · Boardwalk · Accessible beach surf chairs (free, first come) · Picnic shelters · Meigs Point Nature Center · Campground with 558 sites