Hammonasset Beach, IX
West Beach
10:30 AM - 1:30 PM, Sunday, 11 August 2024WEATHER: 77°F WITH A 'REAL-FEEL' OF 88°F; HUMIDITY 69%; PRESSURE 30.03 IN; WIND SPEED W-2 MPH; CLOUD COVER 76%; VISIBILITY 13MI.
On our trip here last month, we parked at the West Beach parking lot and walked even further west to the Camp Store to buy ice; see post Hammonasset Beach, VIII. During that time we noticed that the sand and lack of any crowding was a lot better on the far side.
Interestingly, almost all the fields in the state park are accessible, so we for this visit we tried parking as close to a paved path as possible so the cooler would roll nicely. It was the right choice for the day as we had a similar walk as everyone else but avoided all the chaos at the main beach access.
We knew it would be a little cooler than ideal, but there wasn’t many days of summer opportunity remaining. For as cool as the air was, the water felt as warm as I can ever remember it being. Maybe Hurricane Debby, which had passed ‘behind’ us a few days prior, brought some extra Gulf water up the coast. It was amazing.
When I go to the beach I always like to get a picture looking back from the water, and Nicole mentioned I always get some other girls in the shot [as if I placed them there]. This time was no exception.
The beach is a lot bigger and nicer than any pictures I take of it can show. This embedded YouTube video [happy to share but can’t condone] is a drone view that heads slightly east to west. The day on which it was taken seems only half-full to capacity, in my opinion. Anyway, it shows how the crowds pile-up at the entryways.
“The use of remote controlled model aircraft or “drones” is prohibited at Connecticut State Parks, State Forests or other lands under the control of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, unless specifically authorized by the Commissioner in a Special Use License.”
Driving times are approximate:
New Haven = 0h, 30m.
New London = 0h, 35m.
Hartford = 0h, 50m.
Tolland = 1h, 5m.
Torrington = 1h, 15m.
NYC = 2h, 10m.
Boston = 2h, 15m.
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