Day at the Beach!!!!Hammonasset State Park

A visit to Hammonasset beach is more then just another day at the beach. This is Connecticut biggest shoreline park with over 2 miles beach to enjoy swimming, walking, bike riding or just relaxing in the sun.

Picture Credit: Torin Collins

Picture Credit: Torin Collins

On July 18, 1920, Hammonasset State Park was first opened to the public. The first season attracted over 75,000 visitors. Today, over one million people visit Hammonasset State Park each year.

Photo Credit: Torin Collins

Hammonasset State Park offers over 550 campsites. In the campgrounds is has many restrooms, showers, a camp store, dump stations, and water. The MeigsPoint Nature Center offers programs and activities during the summer to visitors also.

Photo Credit: Torin Collins

During World War II, the park was closed to the public because the federal government needed to use it as an army reservation camp. Meigs Point was used as an aircraft range. Planes flew over Clinton Harbor, fired at the range and then flew over Long Island Sound.

Photo Credit: Torin Collins

Native groups first lived here before Hammanasset became a state park. Hammonasset, roughly translates to “where we dig the ground.”

Photo Credit: Torin Collins

The area around Hammonasset served a different purpose at the end of the 19th century. Winchester Repeating Arms Company bought the land and used it to test there weapons by shooting at the beach

Photo Credit: Torin Collins

In 1954, hurricanes and flooding brought allot of damage to the area around Hammonasset. In 1955, the state approved $50,000 for cleaning and repair to the state park.

Photo Credit: Torin Collins

The popularity of the restored park brought in many visitors so much as they had many traffic jams and over flowing parking lots. They created more roads and widen parking lots. The reservations of Hammonasset in the past shows how successful the park is today