6 Parks Kids Will Love

As you take in the views from the stone tower at the top, consider you are located on the hip of what for all the world looks like a…sleeping giant. The park offers an impressive network of hiking trails, ranging from expert to nearly child-proof.

For free and easy transportation to Sleeping Giant State Park check out ParkConneCT for more information. Need help planning your trip? Visit CTrides.com/transit for more details.

A state park located where dinosaurs once roamed the earth? Really? This park is located where giant lizards that crisscrossed the Connecticut River Valley 200 million years ago. While the indoor exhibits may not be open at this time, kids can still enjoy 2 miles of trails which are filled with a variety of wildlife and nature, including pieces of basaltic rock — rock that once flowed as hot lava covering the habitat of Connecticut’s dinosaurs.

If your kiddos love roasting marshmellows by the fire, take a camping trip to Rocky Neck State Park. Not only is this spot perfect for pitching a tent, but it has a soft sandy beach, picnic areas, train watching, trail systems and salt marsh viewing platforms. Before the sun goes down and you light the campfire, try crabbing or fishing in the water!

Home to a 50 foot waterfall, this state park is a natural reserve area offering hiking trails and stream fishing for a fun day of adventuring with the family.

As you take in the view from Heublein Tower, be sure to take in the tower itself, in its day one of the most unusual and spectacular summer houses in Connecticut. Views from the 165-foot tower stretch from Mt. Tom in Massachusetts to Sleeping Giant to the south.

At over 2 miles in length, this is Connecticut’s longest beach and its most-attended state park. There are campsites, a boardwalk, a network of trails and, oh yes, swimming in Long Island Sound!

For free and easy transportation to Hammonasset Beach State Park check out ParkConneCT for more information. Need help planning your trip? Visit CTrides.com/transit for more details.