Hammonasset Beach — Attraction in Madison

best state park in ct they have a huge campground with a camp store where you can rent s fire barrel to have a camp fire or bring your own fire pit I highly recommen buying your firewood from a store outside the camp as the firewood at the camp store never lights i think it gets damp as it is stored in a bin outside the store however you should purchase the firewood locally as to not introduce invasive species into the park or state you can bring your bikes and ride all over camp as well as outside of camp into town they also have a bike path system as well as beach road where u can ride into the beach area plenty of space to toss a ball or frisbe or play other lawn games bring your bbq grill for a nice bbq under the stars they also have a nice playground and some camp activities such as bingo etc they have a great long island sound beach here as well they have east beach middle beach and west beach along with meigs point where you can walk out on the rocks that jut out into the sea for fishing or just sitting they also have a nice nature trail here as well as a nature conservatory with nature programs you can look out at the saly marshes which are host to migratory birds when you go into town be sure to stop at the ice house to get your ice especially if you like to fish as they carry both bags of cubed ice as well as blocks of ice for coolers as well as for preserving your catch of the day places to go in town right outside of camp there is donahues clam castle great food and variety at not terrible prices but expect a wait usually a long wait directly across the street there is the carousel and ice cream parlor where you order from an outside window plenty of outdoor seating if you want to go out at night not alot of nightlife here but your best bet would be donahues right next door to and owned by the same people and donahues clam castle always a great time great band on fri and sat night word of warning bands here finish by 1 am they also have a few places heading down towards the point a few enroute to the point on the msin road one has an upper deck i dont care for the music here but you may party atmosphere gets crowded best happy hour is at westbrook lobster best places to eat include they monkey farm has its own story on menu best sea scallops haywire for burgers and brews lobster landing which is at the marina has THE best lobster roll ever hot with drawn butter mmmmmm for great views of the long island sound visit the point all the way down at end of road where starbucks is attracts alot of fishermen they also have mini golf here also check out the blue crab as well as the river view restaurant also be sure to check out the restaurant under the singing bridge so named because when winds blow it sounds like the...

This is 1 of 2 beaches I frequent in Connecticut. I've been going here for over 50 years. I went as a child; I took my own children when they were young; and now I bring my grandson.

Not much has changed structurally over the last half century.

It's still a classic New England shoreline beach. The bottom of the water is full of rocks and sharp shells and the beach itself is full of shells, rocks, and pebbles.

This is typical for any natural shoreline and should not be compared to a groomed soft sandy beach like those in Florida and elsewhere.

My only concern is how lax they've become in enforcing the clearly posted regulations.

The speed limit within the facility is 20MPH and should be for many good reasons. I saw multiple vehicles going at least 3x that speed. Be Endangering the small kids that are everywhere.

There has always been a strict ban on alcohol on the beach. Still is and it is posted in multiple locations. Yesterday, multiple people were drinking and there were nip bottles and beer cans tossed on the beach. People were leaving beer cans in the ocean. Sad...

NO DOGS ALLOWED ON BEACH is and always has been the rule, yet yesterday multiple people had dogs with them- marched right past the "absolutely no dogs allowed on beach!" signs

I was on the beach for about 6 hours yesterday (labor day 2022) and never saw a single park employee. The beach was crowded and the camping area was quite full - but no signs of any park staff.

Still a good CT beach, but the absence of staff and lack of rule enforcement...

Great place to cool off on a hot day. There are clean bathrooms with showers located conveniently to the beach. The beach is clean with not much litter, and there are abundant seashells for beachcombers, including mussels, oysters, scallops, Quahog and softshell clams, and ladyslippers. Natural dunes dampen the wind from behind. The water is relatively shallow close to the shore, with small waves and minimal undercurrent, making this a nice place for wading and gentle swimming. The only real downside is that the shoreline is so packed with seashells and other debris that entering the water can be rough on your feet, but once you get past that, the sand is soft and walking is easy.

There are three beaches: East, Middle, and West (although all are continuous). I usually find the Middle Beach is the least populated, since it's a little further from the bathroom facilities. If you can make the walk or only intend to stay a short time, Middle Beach may be your best bet for space. That said, all three beaches are some of the best in CT and definitely...