Gillian may be out enjoying the great restaurants in the Nutmeg State, and this blog has been discontinued. Thanks for visiting and happy travels!

Connecticut has 63 state parks and forests offering a variety of activities including camping, biking, boating, horseback riding, and hiking. Some state forests offer winter activities like ski touring and snowmobiling.

I'd like to visit as many of these parks as possible, so I checked out a couple during the summer.

Housatonic Meadows State Park in Sharon has picnic areas and 95 campsites on the Housatonic River. Before staying overnight, keep in mind that this is a big campground and you will be close to your neighbors. We slept at a site by the road, so traffic made it a little noisy and bright. For a quieter night, try to get a reservation for one of the low-numbered campsites by the river.

The park's appeal is its access to two miles of river, a popular destination for paddlers and fly-fishermen.

Fly-fishing on the Housatonic River

Lake Waramaug State Park is in Kent and offers swimming, camping, boating, and a concessions stand. We went during a heat wave so the beach was packed and the snack shack was out of French fries by the afternoon. But the lake is easy to get into by kayak or canoe and Clarke Outdoors rents them out from the beach. We put in our own kayaks and paddled along the shore spying one heron and several beautiful homes.

The Boat Launch at Lake Waramaug State Park

A lot of useful information about Connecticut's state parks is available online, including a schedule of fees and maps.