14 Top-Rated Connecticut Beaches To Visit This Year

Connecticut is home to many beautiful beaches which are perfect places to explore and photograph during any season of the year. From Fairfield County to New London County, here are 14 of the top-rated Connecticut beaches which you should visit!
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Calf Pasture Beach
- Town: Norwalk, CT
- Directions: Here
Calf Pasture Beach is a beautiful beach in Norwalk, Connecticut. The beach offers boat rentals and a launch, concessions, picnic areas, a skate park, and much more! The beach is also historically significant considering as the beach was used for disembarkation and encampment during the Tryon raid of the American Revolutionary War in 1779.
Clinton Town Beach
- Town: Clinton, CT
- Directions: Here
Clinton Town Beach is a great, small beach located in Clinton, CT. Aside from beautiful water and sand, the beach has a picnic area, playground, and an area to launch kayaks. People flock to the beach in the summer, but it is a lovely place to walk and take photos from in the winter. Be sure to stop by during sunrise and sunset for spectacular colors along the horizon.
Compo Beach
- Town: Westport, CT
- Directions: Here
Compo Beach is a large, 29-acre park with an extensive sand beach along the shore of Long Island Sound and borders the Saugatuck River. The beach is well-maintained and offers plenty of features including pavilions, bathrooms, parks, and more. Parking is ample for Campo Beach, but the lots fill up early in the summer.
Hammonasset Beach State Park
- Town: Madison, CT
- Directions: Here
Hammonasset Beach State Park is Connecticut’s largest shoreline park that occupies two miles of beachfront on Long Island Sound. The beach was established in 1919 in the town of Madison, Connecticut. An estimated one million people visit the state park each year and they enjoy swimming, strolling along the boardwalk, or just relaxing in the sun and surf.
Harvey’s Beach
- Town: Old Saybrook, CT
- Directions: Here
Harvey’s Beach is a top-rated Connecticut Beach that can be found in the town of Old Saybrook. The beach stretches about 100 yards in length and boasts some of the nicest sand in the state. It is an extremely popular spot for swimming, sunbathing, fishing, boating, and more.
Hole-In-The-Wall Beach
- Town: Niantic, CT
- Directions: Here
Hole-In-The-Wall Beach is a uniquely situated beach considering it is accessed through a short tunnel under railroad tracks. This location is the inspiration behind the name of the beach – Hole-In-The-Wall. The beach has beautiful white sand, calm surf, and a stone jetty.
Jacob’s Beach
- Town: Guilford, CT
- Directions: Here
Jacob’s Beach is a lovely 25-acre beach on Long Island Sound, with a playground, boat rack, picnic area, grills, pavilion, and bathroom facilities. There is also a spectacular boardwalk that transports visitors to and from the beach. Jacob’s Beach is the perfect place to photograph any time of the year!
Jennings Beach
- Town: Fairfield, CT
- Directions: Here
Jennings Beach sits on 27 acres and is the largest beach in Fairfield, Connecticut. The largest sandy beach has great views of Long Island Sound along with many facilities. In the off-season, the beach is free and open to the public – perfect for a low-key walk and photography session!
Ocean Beach Park
- Town: New London, CT
- Directions: Here
Ocean Beach Park in New London is extremely popular and was voted as one of the best beaches by National Geographic. The beach has spectacular views and lovely white sand along with a large boardwalk. The boardwalk stretches about a half-mile long and consists of rides, waterslides, a mini-golf course, an arcade with retro games, an Olympic-sized pool, cafes, a nature walk, picnic areas, and much more.
Pear Tree Point Beach
- Town: Darien, CT
- Directions: Here
Pear Tree Point Beach is often referred to as one of the most beautiful beaches in Fairfield County. Pear Tree Point Beach consists of approximately 8 acres off Pear Tree Point Road at the mouth of the Goodwives River. The beach is great for boat watching, swimming, photography, and more. The Darien Boat Club is close to Pear Tree Point Beach, so be sure to keep your eyes out for boats passing by. Pear Tree Point is truly one of the ultimate Connecticut beaches.
Rocky Neck State Park
- Town: East Lyme, CT
- Directions: Here
Rocky Neck State Park consists of a soft sandy beach, picnic areas, and a diverse trail system along with many other things. Beachgoers can check out sweeping views of Long Island Sound along with views of trains along the nearby tracks.
Sherwood Island State Park
- Town: Westport, CT
- Directions: Here
Sherwood Island State Park was the first state park to be established in Connecticut and it is one of the best. The state park features a lovely beach with sweeping views of Long Island Sound and great sand/surf. Visitors can also view marsh life from the observation platform at Sherwood Island.
Silver Sands State Park
- Town: Milford, CT
- Directions: Here
Silver Sands State Park is a public recreation area located on Long Island Sound in the city of Milford, Connecticut. The state park consists of 297 acres and over a mile of beautiful shoreline. There is plenty of beach to explore along with restored salt marshes, open areas, and woods. It truly is one of the best Connecticut beaches.
Waterford Beach Park
- Town: Waterford, CT
- Directions: Here
Waterford Beach Park offers a nearly 0.25 mile-long stretch of sandy beach and an extensive tidal marsh in Waterford, CT. Beachgoers can enjoy the pristine natural beach with outstanding views of Long Island Sound. It is well worth checking out Waterford Beach during sunrises and sunsets for some lovely colors in the sky!
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