Beautiful Campground with Spacious Sites!…read more We had a really nice camping experience at Rocky Neck State Park Campground. Arrival and check-in were very smooth. We actually decided to arrive a day earlier than our original reservation, and they were able to accommodate us as a walk-in and combine the extra night with our existing reservation, which made everything very easy. Firewood is available right outside the check-in area for about $7, and you get a pretty good-sized bundle. Our campsite was in the S section, and we really liked our spot. The sites are spacious with plenty of room for your setup, and each has a picnic table and fire ring. There are lots of beautiful trees throughout the campground, but keep in mind that you are not allowed to hang anything from them. One thing to know is that the campsites are fairly close together, so there isn't much privacy between neighboring sites. That was probably my least favorite part of the campground. However, the sites themselves are large enough that we never felt cramped. Our site was conveniently located near one of the bathroom and shower buildings (Seagull or Osprey, I can't remember which one), and the facilities were clean. There was also water nearby, which was very convenient for tent camping. The bathroom situation in the tent area could definitely use some improvement. The nearby pit toilets were closed during our stay, leaving portable toilets as the closest option. There is also a building near the tent camping area that looks like it could potentially be renovated into additional bathrooms or showers. Having working restroom and shower facilities closer to the tent sites would make a big difference, especially since the existing facilities can be a bit of a walk. Parking is another thing tent campers should be prepared for. Depending on your site, it can be a hike from the parking area to your campsite. If you're bringing a lot of camping gear and don't want to make multiple trips back and forth, I strongly recommend bringing a wagon! The campground itself is beautiful and very clean, and staff come through the area regularly. There is plenty of parking, and another big plus is that there is no additional campground charge for visitors. The other downside for us was the noise. Even after the 10 PM quiet time, there was still quite a bit of activity and noise from some campers. In the tent area, you can also hear cars traveling on the road behind the campground as well as the train when it passes. This may be more noticeable because Rocky Neck is a busy beach campground, but it's something to keep in mind if you're looking for a very peaceful and quiet camping experience. Overall, we had a wonderful stay. Rocky Neck State Park Campground is beautiful, clean, convenient, and offers spacious campsites. A little more privacy between sites, better enforcement of quiet hours, and improvements to the restroom and shower facilities near the tent camping area would make the experience even better.

Came here on a rainy dreery Tuesday and pretty much had the place to ourselves. We walked some of…read morethe trails by the big building that overlooked the water. They weren't too challenging, but you should def have sneakers on the rock overlook area. We walked the boardwalk where we found that the sound was flowing right under the boardwalk we were on under a tunnel. It was so cool and the water looked so clean. Certainly a far walk from the parking lot if you're going for a beach day, so I'd recommend bringing a wagon. Bathrooms were clean.

On memory alone this place scores a 5! Yes it is somewhat dirty with tons of goose crap. But I…read morebasically spent years 2-16 coming here all the time. The little play area of the park was so cool when I was 2-5. Then it was the lake I loved swimming in and where I learned how to swim (6-8). My mom would always yell to me not to go past my waist but I did any way. The trick is to go in almost to the waist and dive forward and go under and then swim back to waist length depth. She never knew, or, she probably did and figured she would let me think I was being clever. A little older I remember throwing my ninja turtle(s) into the "deep end" and trying to find them. So yah, if anyone finds him send me a message. When I was a little older I jumped off the docks and eventually, rode my bike off of it too (dumb "tweens"). There were always the basketball courts though those are in sad shape and when I was younger, the scary older boys looked imposing. Around the same time my friend and I would ride our bikes* to Rogers lake and/or kayak. Finally, from about 14-16 or 17 or so, I did crew and those are my last memories. I think I purposely flipped my boat deep in the water the last time I ever went on the lake. *Watch your bikes. Don't do what I did and "hide" it by some bush near the lake. Some good for nothing low life scum stole my Grey Gary Fisher bike and I never got it back, obviously (cops don't care). I wish karma strikes this loser back in whatever way is deemed appropriate by those who dole it out (perhaps some low life can steal his/her childs bike). Other than bike stealing low life losers, I suspect it was someone with the first name E, this is a safe place.

A playground near the beach with grass areas and trees, I mean what more could a kid ask for! There…read moreare multiple play areas for varying age groups. The park is in good condition, all new rubber mats along the bottom and trees surround the park so it's a beautiful spot to picnic that overlooks the water. During fall months there was no fee, I'm sure the summer it is packed here due to the beach. But if you have kids this is a fantastic place to spend a a few hours.

Fantastic beach! It's not huge, but it's still a decent size. Brought my 4 yr old here on a Sunday…read moreand had a great time! We arrived about 10:30 and there was plenty of space. The nice guy in parking told us it was $30 to park for nonresidents (assume that's both parking and pass, though not sure), but free parking was available a short distance up the road and entry fee would be just $10. We went with that even though it meant I would be carrying everything to the beach. The parking was really not far... maybe one wide city block. It's literally across the playground (which you can't cut to since it's part of the park and fenced in). Then you go down the hill which is all sidewalk (good when you have kiddos), and down to the paid parking and beach. Once you arrive to the parking, you go to the restroom building on the left and there's a sign that says "passes" on the right side. Go there to pay the $10 pass. There were some rules I wasn't aware of, so some tips: umbrellas need to be behind the cones. I believe the life guard said it was to keep the incoming tide from washing it out? The tide did come up a little during the day we were there. Also, no boogie boards allowed anywhere at the beaches with life guards. What I didn't know, was it was allowed at the private beach strip between the two public beaches. There are houses overlooking the private beach area, but everyone seems to use it or at least walk it to get from one public beach to the other. I'm sure if someone really didn't want you hanging out there, they'd tell you, but we seemed to be allowed. We also were just 2 people and not a party hanging out, so that probably helps. The water was warmish in the shallow waves but cooler once in. Water is pretty clear and some areas had more seaweed than others, but not bad. There are a ton of boat type shells and not much of others. The sand and waters are full of nice pebbles, stones, and larger stones. There is also a floating raft a short distance out (of both public beach areas) that you can swim to, although we did not since my daughter still doesn't swim well. The beach gets busy after noon, but it wasn't too bad. There are a couple outdoor showers by the bathrooms that worked really well. We didn't use the bathrooms so not sure how they were. I don't know if there's a concession stand; I didn't see one. But there was an ice cream truck that came by at the main beach. A nice playground is up the hill a little bit from the beach that we were going to visit, but decided to keep moving and go home. I'd definitely come here again. For $10 and a little hassle of carrying your things a short distance, it's a really pretty and clean beach, with nice views of sailboats on the water. The waves are gentle too, so it's good for little ones. Still watch them though bc as the day went on, the waves got a little bigger and has a good pull for small kiddos.

I really enjoy walking around this area. They have the beach, the house, the garden. There's so…read moremany areas to walk around and take pictures. There's always an event going on.

Stunning gardens in full bloom we enjoyed in late June this year with the beach being very…read moreinviting. There is beautiful expansive lawn with trees and tables to enjoy a picnic. Glad we stopped and look forward to visiting again.

I really like this beach. It's cool for kids, has bathrooms, outdoor shower, and changing rooms…read more Plenty of parking, lifeguards, and even a food truck. The tide goes out really far, and leaves plenty of things to explore such as tide pools, and long sand bars that go out again very far. It does cost money to get in, but I think it's free after like 6pm. Only thing I wasn't a fan of is the swimming area. There are big patches of grasses growing right where you'd swim during high tide, and it makes the swimming area very small, and a few big rocks that should be moved and are dangerous. Very clean beach. Haven't seen really any trash or plastic. There are crabs to catch, and shells to find. They even let us drop off for free. It is considered one of the best beaches in Ct.

4 stars, nice (for ct!)…read more thats the way it is these days, when you summer in RI, you expect certain things, harvey beach is very different than what i typically experience. the flats! this is one of the neatest part of the beach, low tide you can walk out into the bay real far out, its surreal! high tide has a lot of grassy areas, again, kinda weird to me for a beach, but its still nice sand and clean water. there is also a lobster truck in the lot and bathrooms too. 15$ to park, which stung, but way better than say 16$! cost of doing business, this is a public beach, so if you can walk, save the moneys. sandy (danny?)

Great park, the splash pad is amazing and there are plenty tennis courts and playgrounds for kids,…read morethere are also plenty covered tables for eating

This is a decent park that my son and I found in Old Saybrook. It was probably beautiful when it…read morewas first built. It's definitely seen better days. Most of the playscape is made of plastic, that has been bleached out by the sun. The once vibrant reds, greens and yellows are now dulled. Some of the markings have worn off due to the years of play. There is ample parking for the park. You'll also find tennis courts, a baseball field and a splash pad in addition to the 2 playscapes. Unfortunately, the water is shut off to the splash pad at 3 pm. We had just missed it by minutes. There are two playscapes, one is good for ages 1-3, the other would be good for up to 7 or 8. It appears that the playscape was made with special needs children in mind. It offers one swing and a ramp to the larger playscape with a slide.

We came for the Halloween evening walk and it was so fun! We spent the whole evening here and it…read morewas incredible. Super family friendly and the free marshmallow toasting was the perfect way to end the evening! Thank you to the people running the show it was super smooth and so much to do! The petting zoo was a cute touch and great for my little who couldn't do the bounce houses yet :)

Is this place a bargain-- no. Is this place pretty awesome if your child loves dinosaurs-- yes!…read moreThis spot is about an hour away from me, but it's worth the drive to spend an afternoon here. I thought all the dinosaurs were super impressive and love how they setup the whole walking trail. There is a ton of shade, so even if you go when it's super hot you'll be fine! I appreciate all the ferns that they planted around, makes it feel "authentic" with all the dinos. For my dino obsessed five year old he loved seeing all the variety of dinosaurs and even some more obscure ones that he knew and you never see at spots like this. They did a great job of putting some dinosaurs into "scenes" and simply showcasing others with facts and more info. My son isn't into splash pads, but that splash pad looked like a ton of fun. The climbing area was also huge and looked like fun. My five year old stuck to walking around and going through the maze 15 times. The maze is simple, but fun and a nice addition to the park. What I like about this park is it's great for kids of all ages! Probably from at least 3-10 and even older if your child is super into dinosaurs or you are an adult who loves dinos!

"When she's walking by the river and the railway line She…read morecan still hear him whisper Let's go down to the waterline" (Dire Straits) Fort Saybrook Monument Park, mild January weather, and the adjacent waterfront combined to give us a wonderful time in Old Saybrook. The Park has a boardwalk and quite a few historical displays on the development, early industry and railroad heritage of the Saybrook Colony. You'll see some displays dedicated to Dutch explorer Adrian Block, one of the earliest European visitors to the area. Another display covers the Peqot War of 1636-38 when colonists from the Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, Saybrook colonies and allies from the Narragansett and Mohegan tribes joined forces to rout the Pequot tribe. As you head to the waterfront, there's a concrete path that takes you toward the marina and gorgeous Saybrook Point Resort. Check out the hand carved railroad tie poles along the marina! Walk in the other direction and you'll see a miniature golf course and a wood landing with some great photo opportunities to see some seagulls up close and personal, but be careful of the wood platform because some of the boards are missing and others are in disrepair and a state of failure. A boardwalk takes you over some marshland for nice photo opportunities and you can read about the fish and wildlife in the marsh. All in all, the Park and waterfront gave us a very enjoyable few hours to meander around, learn a few things, and enjoy the scenery.

Great park in Old Saybrook! Stopped by for a quick walk in the park with a friend and her baby. We…read moreloved the shady wooden pathway that looked over the marsh. We also loved the benches that overlook the water! My only complaint is I wish it were cleaner - lots of scattered trash all around, bummer!

I Love this beautiful state park! Always lovely sunsets here. They do have walking trails you can…read moretake around the grounds of the castle. They Also offer tours of the castle if you're interested. Alot of history here!

A fun, yet simple, little trip to do on a summer day. Forgot my OFF, so I couldn't go as far into…read morethe trails as I would've liked, but the castle was the primary reason for going and probably the reason most go. Although it may look medieval, the castle was built in 1914. It's rather simple and straightforward, but for $6 as an out-of-state visitor, you can't go wrong. Takes about 1/2 hour to do, and again is just something different and outside the norm to do a summer (or anytime really) day.

Enjoyable flat easy walk along the stunning coast line. It was a warm day with no shade so be…read moreprepared depending on weather. Plenty of benches to take a break. The train rail running parallel with the boardwalk was fun as they went by.

A pop up shower shortened my visit, but otherwise it was an enjoyable experience. Some nice views,…read morealthough parking can be a little difficult. Overall a nice way to spend some time during the summer.