Beautiful Spot, But Pricing and Policies Hurt Locals…read more Dubois Beach is undeniably a beautiful place to spend a summer day--calm water, great views, and a peaceful atmosphere that feels like classic Stonington. The setting itself easily earns five stars. Unfortunately, the overall experience gets weighed down by the pricing and policies that make it harder for locals to enjoy a beach that's been part of the community for generations. The biggest issue is the cost. Between admission fees and parking charges, a simple beach visit adds up quickly. For visitors, that might be expected, but for residents who already pay some of the highest taxes in the area, it feels like an unnecessary burden. Locals shouldn't have to pay to park at their own town beach when they're already contributing through property taxes year‑round. It creates a sense that the beach is more geared toward tourists than the people who live here and support the community. Staff interactions can be hit or miss as well. Some are friendly and welcoming, while others come across as rigid or uninterested, especially when it comes to enforcing rules or handling questions about pricing. It's not enough to ruin the day, but it does take away from what should be a relaxed, hometown experience. Dubois Beach is a gem, no doubt--but the current system makes it harder for locals to fully enjoy it. With more reasonable pricing and a more community‑minded approach, it could easily be a five‑star destination for everyone.

Dubois Beach in Stonington offered a gentle, postcard-perfect escape the day we visited- sunny…read moreskies, mild temperatures, and just enough breeze to keep things comfortable. We parked a bit up the street, which gave us a pleasant walk past charming homes and the low hum of weekend life in the borough. The beach itself, tucked at the southern tip of Water Street, was calm and inviting, with its shaded gazebo and views stretching across Fisher's Island Sound. Don't miss the granite memorial to the 1814 defense of Stonington stood quietly, commemorating the town's defiant stand against the British warship Ramillies. It's a modest but powerful reminder that this peaceful spot once echoed with cannon fire and resolve. [Review 1072 of 2025 - 125 in Connecticut - 24626 overall]

Our second experience with Paddle Surf, we booked a semi-private lesson for our 9 year old grandson…read moreand his friend, first timers. We arrived early but our instructor (Carter) took us immediately. The waves were challenging for beginners but Carter had the boys in the water quickly and both said they had a fantastic time. Memory-making experience for all!

This is our second experience with Paddle Surf RI and it did not disappoint! Brian worked great…read morewith our 8 and 6 year olds in the water. Great experience all around, highly recommend.

Mystic adventure CT, They are reliable, with integrity. I…read morerecommend them to anyone who is looking for a paddleboard or kayak. Jeff, the owner, always takes the time to answer any questions I may have and provides me with all the options available--from different types of paddleboards. Shop takes time to teach and show you proper body position and to be a fast paddler. I'm a new paddle owner and already going miles out there!

My wife and I decided to venture to mystic and rent kayaks. This was a great company. Nice staff…read moreand overall a really fun experience.

This is Beautiful old merry go round and beach. You have to pay for both attractions here but it is…read morean amazing area .

If you ever take a pit stop in Watch Hill or you're trying to stalk Taylor Swift at her waterfront…read morehome here, make sure to take a quick stop and check out the oldest operating merry go round in the US. Unfortunately, it's only for small kids as there's a weight limit due to the way it's designed, so if you got kids, hopefully they can appreciate the history behind it and enjoy the ride.

Our favorite salt water launch site. Plenty of parking spaces and the dock is nice, clean, and…read moresecure. Plenty of cleats to tie on. Deep ocean is just a few minutes away with no - no wake zones. The drive to the launch has an interesting castle to look at. The owner has dozens of statues, gargoyles, and perfectly trimmed topiaries. Lots of people kayak from here. Some bring their dogs for a stroll. I've done some fishing and crabbing here. But honestly there are sooooo many mosquitoes and horse flies here and they're relentless! We mostly just use this place to launch our boat- away from the vicious bugs!!

A great place to…read morestart Barn Island in Stonington is one of the best places to launch a boat in Eastern Ct. It has a huge parking lot but since it is so popular it frequently fills up so people park on the side on the road. No one seems to mind but it does make for a long walk back to your vehicle. The ramp is steep but the water usually deep so it's easy for even a relatively large boat to get under way. Once you are in the water you have several great options. If you are in a kayak you can go north up the Wequetequock river, or south out to Stonington, Long Island Sound, Sandy Pt. or Napatree Point. This whole area was absolutely hammered by the 1938 hurricane and a beach in the area used to be called Kitchen Beach because appliances ripped from cottages were found buried in the sand for decades after the hurricane. Fortunately no hurricanes have hit in a while and the area around Barn Island is called Little Narragansett Bay and is usually quite calm. If you want more excitement in your yaking you can paddle out to Napatree Pt and old Fort Mansfield where rocks, old fishing piers and heavy wind and waves can conspire to give you a near death experience if you desire. Pretty good surfing out by Napatree also. For something less exciting you can go over to Watch Hill and get ice cream and some good seafood or just land on a isolated beach on Sandy Point Island. This was actually a part of Napatree but the hurricane literally tore the spit of land away and is now a rolling island. If you go east you can explore the very cool town of Stonington. Barn Island is a great place to launch no matter what your intentions are or abilities are. Just make sure you get there early during the summer weekends or you just might be in for a long walk to get back to your vehicle.

I'm not sure that the phone number on Yelp is correct because there is a different number on the…read morewebsite. Either way both numbers didn't get answered. I'm glad they had online booking unlike the other places but you should be able to reserve and pay for more than one item at a time.

From the owner: Paddle Surf RI newly in Mystic, CT has a cool beach vibe like no other! We offer quality service…read moreand experiences in stand up paddle board, surfing lessons, rentals and tours. We share a space with the Kula Project - great yoga studio and High Tide Juice Co. Stop by next time your in downtown Mystic and step your toes into the sand at our beach paddle barn. Get in touch with us by booking online or give us and old fashion call!

Great place to get your fishing tackle. Knowledgeable staff and very helpful. We use them all the…read moretime and wouldn't go anywhere else.

good selection here. you can also consign rods which is pretty cool and unique. the staff are very…read moreknowledgeable too

It's amazing! 10/10 recommended! This love this place! And it is so fun to learn here, and I love…read morehow everytime I do a class I learn new things! It's so cool! And I love doing all the variations of activities here at NESS! It just makes this place more interesting! And I love how I got to make new relationships with some people and also do it with my friends too! Amazing place and such a great way to spend your summer time!

Excellent summer camp experience! My son loved his instructors as well as the program.read more

I went into the Rhode Island Surf Co. asking for recommendation on a quality travel surf…read moredestination and Walle informed me he was hosting a 5 day 5 night trip to Guatemala El Paredon-a remote uncrowded location. At first it sounded too good to be true but I took his word and went. The trip can only be described as a dream. Walle had local connects in El Paredon from a private chef to local surfers. We were able to score clean glassy waves every single day. The food was included and consisted of fine dining at restaurants that used locally sourced ingredients as well as homemade meals from a private chef-thank you Andy Manzi. The best part of the trip was the vast improvement of my surfing skills thanks to both Andy and Walle's professionalism and coaching style. Walle was able to capture aerial drone footage of me surfing and we'd review the footage in the hotel room on the big screen. Walle and Andy then provided micro-adjustments suggestions to my surfing and they have since carried my skillset miles! If you are looking to better your surfing at a high level and enjoy a relaxed paradise vibe and fresh food then this trip is for you.

Walle is keeping the stoke alive during these times. The store is awesome, his product knowledge is…read moregreat and just all around good vibes. I got a wetsuit shipped to me and it was a bit too tight but they didn't have the size I needed. Walle let me know as soon as a bigger size was in stock and held it until I was able to get back there.

I bought my Giant bike at Ray Willis's many years ago. One of the best "investments" of my life!…read moreIt's become a huge part of my life, and I've had the pleasure of Ray Willis/Remy's taking care of it ever since. It gets periodic and professional tune ups, and they're always a pleasure to deal with. Always a pleasant exchange. This is the exceptional part. I have a friend who is homeless, and I found a "beater bike" to give to him. I brought it to Remy's, and we all decided it was too far gone to resurrect. The guys looked at each other, smiled, and one of them went in the back and wheeled out a pretty decent bike that was made serviceable rather easily. They gave this to me for my homeless friend! He loved it, jumped right on it with a huge smile on his face, and I know we helped Improve the quality of life for someone down on their luck. This is the kind of people that you deal with at Remy's! That means a lot to me. I'm glad to be their customer.

5 stars! Ray Willis may be the best & most reasonably priced toy store in the area…read more The outside decor & interior may not be fancy but they have an awesome selection of toys. This past Christmas season I spent a lotta cash here & next year they will be my first stop when I get my son's list. They carry Melissa & Doug, Playmobil and Legos all at low prices. Most of their offerings are geared towards younger boys, nothing really for babies but they have a large selection of stuffed animals & some girl stuff. They also have a lotta cool little knick knack toys too like silly putty & cap guns. I found quite a bit of stuff for my son's stocking here.