Connecticut: Recommendations for your family’s summer vacation

Collinsville Canoe & Kayak paddlers. (Connecticut Office of Tourism)

Full of urban dash and natural appeal, Connecticut is an antidote for a winter and spring spent indoors. Summer is where the Nutmeg State shines, from the coastline to riverways, casinos to pristine state parks. 

When it comes to nature, Connecticut is probably best known for its beautiful but modest rolling green hills, meandering streams and lovely shoreline. But there are individual natural highlights as well, each worth a visit on its own.

The state is home to two of the world’s largest casinos and options to excite the entire family, from active outdoor pursuits to rainy-day diversions.

What’s the best way to really experience Connecticut? Ziplining through treetops? Finding your moment of zen at a luxurious spa? Or would you rather take a trip back into history, or savor New England’s best seafood at a real roadside clam shack? With so many attractions and activities in one small state, Connecticut offers a complete experience in a compact package. 

Spectacular state parks

There are no rivals to Mount Washington in the Nutmeg State, but there is plenty of elevation change and scenic outlooks. Mount Tom State Park offers one of Connecticut’s great views and has a 34-foot stone tower at its summit. The summit of Mount Tom is 1,325 feet above sea level, 125 feet higher than its Massachusetts counterpart. The tower trail is less than one mile long and rises some 500 feet.

Heublein Tower is the crown jewel of Talcott Mountain State Park in Simsbury. The tower was built in 1914 as the summer home of Gilbert F. Heublein, a food and beverage magnate, and it stands atop 875-foot Talcott Mountain like a Bavarian castle. Climb to the top (through six stories of former living quarters) and you’ll have deep views in all directions.

The formation of hills at Sleeping Giant State Park does indeed look like a sleeping giant. Climb along the Tower Trail through a series of switchbacks until you get to the Norman-style tower/castle that offers great views from its 800-foot-high perch. 

Paddle pursuits

For paddling enthusiasts, the Essex Canoe/Kayak Trail covers three river coves of the Connecticut River. After your two or three hours on the river, haul your vessel out of the water and spend a little time at the Connecticut River Museum in Essex. Here you’ll find art, artifacts and exhibits that tell the history of the river. Or hit the Old Lyme Canoe/Kayak Trail, which takes you out on the tidal estuary behind Great Island and Griswold Point. You’ll have a choice between the Southern Trail (90 minutes) and the Northern Trail (3 hours) and a great opportunity to get right up next to river and salt marsh life. 

Connecticut Science Center

A visit to the Connecticut Science Center in Hartford is a high-impact learning experience in a green, clean, bright and stimulating environment. Adults and children will find entertainment and educational value in hands-on, engaging and exciting exhibits and programs that emphasize current science and science you can use every day. With more than 165 hands-on exhibits, a state-of-the-art 3D digital theater, four educational labs, plus daily programs and events, the Connecticut Science Center offers endless exploration for children, teens, and adults. From physics to forensics, geology to astronomy, visitors have the sciences at their fingertips.

Beach havens

The beach life rules in Connecticut, with Hammonasset Beach State Park the king. Hammonasset, near Madison Center, serves up the largest shoreline of any beach area in the state, with two miles that line Long Island Sound. In addition to camping, fishing, picnicking, bicycling and walking trails, Hammonasset boasts a nature center that offers a variety of tours and programs.

Silver Sands State Park, Ocean Beach Park, Shady Beach Park, Sherwood Island State Park are other top choices, while Cockaponset State Forest and Pattaconk Lake Recreation Area is an inland beach favorite.

Mark Twain House & Museum

Explore the beautiful home of America’s favorite author. Take guided tours through Mark Twain’s historical home, visit his personal library, the children’s rooms, the servants’ wing and his famous Billiard Room where he wrote “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” and “Huckleberry Finn.” 

Enjoy informative exhibitions and documentaries held in the Museum Center, visit the museum store to discover one-of-a kind treasures, or grab a relaxed lunch in the Nook Farm Nook cafe. 

Magical Mystic

Soak up the charm of Mystic, a historic town along with water views of Mystic River and a vibrant Main Street, with its famous drawbridge, boutiques, restaurants and ice cream shops. Mystic also offers iconic destinations such as Mystic Seaport, the nation’s leading maritime museum, and Mystic Aquarium for a fun and educational experience with marine life. Renowned for its tall ships, maritime history and scrumptious seafood, Mystic also is close to the excitement and entertainment of Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Resort Casino, where you’ll find plenty of gaming, dining options and nightlife.

Channel your inner adventurer

Like its northern neighbors, Connecticut outfitters and resorts are embracing the adventure park craze. The Adventure Park at Storrs runs ziplines and aerial rope courses through five wooded acres. The regimen includes bridges, rope ladders and ziplines. You can devise your own course and proceed at your own pace.

The Brownstone Exploration & Discovery Park in Portland and Powder Ridge Mountain Park & Resort in Middlefield offer activities designed to get you off your couch. Brownstone Park offers rides on its 14 ziplines, some of which end up splashing you into the quarry waters. Powder Ridge features mountain-biking trails once snow melts.

The Adventure Park at the Discovery Museum in Bridgeport boasts 11 different color-coded trails, ranging from beginner to advanced, that invite you to devise your own way to get from tree limb to tree limb.

Great golf

Connecticut is a mecca for golfers. Three of the best are the Great River Golf Club, a gorgeous layout on the east bank of the Housatonic River; Fox Hopyard Golf Club in East Haddam; and Lake of Isles at Foxwoods Resort & Casino. 

Great River has been ranked among the top 100 public courses in America by Golf Digest. Fox Hopyard has been named the No. 1 public-access course in Connecticut by Golfweek. And Lake of Isles is a Rees Jones design over 36 holes that was recently rated No. 1 in Connecticut by Golf Magazine.