What To Know Before Heading To CT Parks This Memorial Day Weekend

CONNECTICUT — Some of the state’s most popular parks are expected to reach capacity early in the day during Memorial Day weekend. State officials are encouraging residents to consider some of the state’s less well-known parks.

“I used to say ‘stay home, stay safe’ and now I say go to a little-used park,” Gov. Lamont said at a news conference held at Gay City State Park in Hebron.

Residents have taken social distancing in parks seriously by sticking to small groups and using masks when social distancing becomes difficult to maintain, Lamont said. That coupled with lowering capacity has let the state keep its parks open.

Lamont said he felt it important to keep state parks and forests open because the outdoor open space can help improve physical and mental health during the pandemic.

Connecticut Patch has been profiling “hidden gems” in the state, including some beautiful less-used parks and forests. Nye Holman State Forest in Tolland features great recreation spots, including an area for fly-fishing. Not far down the road is Tolland’s own Heron Cove Park.

Mansfield Hollow State Park offers 251 acres of park space and access to 500-acre Mansfield Hollow Lake.

“This is a great time to get creative and consider some of the less popular locations,” said state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Katie Dykes.

Related: CT Officials Release Beach, Park Plan For Memorial Day Weekend

People can check on the status of park capacity by following CT State Parks on Twitter and CT DEEP Boating for the status of boat launch areas.

Some sites to check out to find your next hidden gem:

• CT Forest and Park Association
• List of all state parks
• Connecticut Land Conservation Council

Besides state parks and forests there are also many open land trust areas, Dykes said. In fact, there are so many options that everyone in Connecticut lives within about a 15-minute drive of some sort of public land area, she said.

People are encouraged to check out sites close to home and plan to arrive early in the morning before capacity is reached. Weekdays are often less crowded.

There will be some important rules to follow while in state parks. Picnicking isn’t allowed, swimming is banned at inland parks, groups can only have up to five people and masks should be used if social distancing becomes difficult.

Inland swimming was banned not due to concern about spreading the virus while swimming, but because inland parks typically have very small beach areas that make social distancing difficult, Dykes said. The state’s shoreline parks offer much more beach space.

Parks that reach capacity will be closed to additional visitors.

“We did this together and I know we can do this as we head into the summer months,” Dykes said about the rules and social distancing.