State Parks Near New Haven, Connecticut
126 state park units lie within 50 miles of New Haven, including 5 parks across the line in New York. The closest is Farmington Canal Greenway State Park, about 1 mi north of town. 30 parks are within 25 miles, close enough for an evening visit.
- Closest park
- Farmington Canal Greenway State Park1 mi north
- Within 25 miles
- 30of 126 within 50 mi
- With camping
- 123 with cabins
- Dog-friendly
- 010 with free entry
State parks near New Haven, nearest first
Straight-line distance from central New Haven; driving distance is usually longer. Showing the nearest 60 of 126.
Farmington Canal Greenway State Park
Visitors come for historic sites and hiking.
Hours, fees and rules for Farmington Canal Greenway State Park →West Rock Ridge State Park
Popular activities here are historic sites, boating, biking, fishing, and hiking.
Hours, fees and rules for West Rock Ridge State Park →Farm River State Park
Popular activities here are boating, fishing, hiking, and picnicking.
Hours, fees and rules for Farm River State Park →Sleeping Giant State Park
Things to do include horseback riding, historic sites, fishing, hiking, and picnicking. Its trail network totals roughly 40 miles, according to the park. Camping is available: campsites, including tent sites.
Hours, fees and rules for Sleeping Giant State Park →Quinnipiac River State Park
Quinnipiac River State Park is a park in South Central Connecticut Planning Region County, about 8 miles south of Meriden.
Hours, fees and rules for Quinnipiac River State Park →Wharton Brook State Park
Things to do include swimming, fishing, hiking, and picnicking.
Hours, fees and rules for Wharton Brook State Park →Osbornedale State Park
Visitors come for historic sites, fishing, hiking, and picnicking.
Hours, fees and rules for Osbornedale State Park →Indian Well State Park
The park supports snorkeling and diving, historic sites, boating, swimming, and biking.
Hours, fees and rules for Indian Well State Park →Silver Sands State Park
Popular activities here are snorkeling and diving, horseback riding, historic sites, boating, and swimming.
Hours, fees and rules for Silver Sands State Park →Naugatuck State Forest
The park supports hunting in season, boating, biking, fishing, and hiking. For overnight stays there are campsites (tent sites).
Hours, fees and rules for Naugatuck State Forest →Tri-Mountain State Park
Popular activities here are hiking.
Hours, fees and rules for Tri-Mountain State Park →Larkin State Park Trail
The park supports horseback riding, biking, and hiking.
Hours, fees and rules for Larkin State Park Trail →Whittemore Glen State Park
Things to do include horseback riding and hiking.
Hours, fees and rules for Whittemore Glen State Park →Southford Falls State Park
Things to do include fishing, hiking, and picnicking.
Hours, fees and rules for Southford Falls State Park →Kettletown State Park
Popular activities here are boating, fishing, and hiking. For overnight stays there are 55 campsites (RV sites and tent sites). There are also cabins for rent.
Hours, fees and rules for Kettletown State Park →Chatfield Hollow State Park
Visitors come for historic sites, swimming, biking, fishing, and hiking. The official site lists about 18 miles of trails.
Hours, fees and rules for Chatfield Hollow State Park →Millers Pond State Park
Visitors come for hunting in season, biking, fishing, and hiking.
Hours, fees and rules for Millers Pond State Park →Hammonasset Beach State Park
The park supports historic sites, boating, swimming, biking, and fishing. For overnight stays there are 558 campsites (RV sites with water hookups and tent sites). There are also cabins for rent.
Hours, fees and rules for Hammonasset Beach State Park →Wadsworth Falls State Park
Visitors come for horseback riding, historic sites, swimming, biking, and fishing. The official site lists about 4.5 miles of trails.
Hours, fees and rules for Wadsworth Falls State Park →Rocky Glen State Park
Popular activities here are hiking.
Hours, fees and rules for Rocky Glen State Park →George Waldo State Park
Things to do include horseback riding, mountain biking, hunting in season, boating, and fishing.
Hours, fees and rules for George Waldo State Park →C.P. Huntington State Park
Popular activities here are historic sites, hunting in season, boating, fishing, and hiking.
Hours, fees and rules for C.P. Huntington State Park →Lamentation Mountain State Park
The park supports hiking.
Hours, fees and rules for Lamentation Mountain State Park →Higganum Reservoir State Park
The park supports hunting in season, boating, fishing, and hiking. On the water side, there is a boat ramp.
Hours, fees and rules for Higganum Reservoir State Park →Cockaponset State Forest
Things to do include horseback riding, hunting in season, boating, swimming, and biking. Its trail network totals roughly 100 miles, according to the park. Overnight options include campsites, with tent sites.
Hours, fees and rules for Cockaponset State Forest →Putnam Memorial State Park
Visitors come for historic sites, fishing, hiking, and picnicking. Camping is available: campsites, including tent sites.
Hours, fees and rules for Putnam Memorial State Park →Haddam Meadows State Park
Visitors come for boating, fishing, and picnicking.
Hours, fees and rules for Haddam Meadows State Park →Mattatuck State Forest
Things to do include hunting in season and hiking.
Hours, fees and rules for Mattatuck State Forest →Hurd State Park
Things to do include horseback riding, historic sites, biking, fishing, and hiking. Overnight options include campsites, with tent sites.
Hours, fees and rules for Hurd State Park →Sherwood Island State Park
Popular activities here are historic sites, swimming, fishing, hiking, and picnicking.
Hours, fees and rules for Sherwood Island State Park →Wildwood State Park
Covering about 1,795 acres, Wildwood State Park lies in Suffolk County, about 14 miles east of Port Jefferson.
Hours, fees and rules for Wildwood State Park →Dart Island State Park
Popular activities here are boating, wildlife watching, and fishing.
Hours, fees and rules for Dart Island State Park →Black Rock State Park
Popular activities here are swimming, fishing, hiking, and picnicking. Overnight options include 30 campsites, with RV sites and tent sites. Roofed lodging includes cabins.
Hours, fees and rules for Black Rock State Park →Eagle Landing State Park
The park supports boating and fishing.
Hours, fees and rules for Eagle Landing State Park →River Highlands State Park
Popular activities here are fishing and hiking. Camping is available: campsites, including tent sites.
Hours, fees and rules for River Highlands State Park →Brainard Homestead State Park
Visitors come for hiking.
Hours, fees and rules for Brainard Homestead State Park →Machimoodus State Park
Things to do include horseback riding, fishing, hiking, and picnicking.
Hours, fees and rules for Machimoodus State Park →Sunrise State Park
Things to do include horseback riding, boating, biking, fishing, and hiking.
Hours, fees and rules for Sunrise State Park →Gillette Castle State Park
Popular activities here are historic sites, fishing, hiking, and picnicking. Overnight options include campsites, with tent sites.
Hours, fees and rules for Gillette Castle State Park →Brookhaven State Park
Covering about 1,650 acres, Brookhaven State Park lies in Suffolk County, about 10 miles east of Port Jefferson.
Hours, fees and rules for Brookhaven State Park →Connecticut Valley Railroad State Park
The park supports historic sites.
Hours, fees and rules for Connecticut Valley Railroad State Park →Selden Neck State Park
Popular activities here are historic sites, hunting in season, boating, fishing, and hiking. For overnight stays there are campsites (tent sites).
Hours, fees and rules for Selden Neck State Park →Dinosaur State Park
Popular activities here are historic sites, hiking, and picnicking.
Hours, fees and rules for Dinosaur State Park →Hallock State Park Preserve
In Suffolk County, about 12 miles north of Quogue, Hallock State Park Preserve covers about 225 acres.
Hours, fees and rules for Hallock State Park Preserve →Wooster Mountain State Park
Things to do include hunting in season and hiking.
Hours, fees and rules for Wooster Mountain State Park →Haddam Island State Park
Popular activities here are boating, fishing, and picnicking.
Hours, fees and rules for Haddam Island State Park →Humaston Brook State Park
Things to do include fishing and hiking.
Hours, fees and rules for Humaston Brook State Park →Lovers Leap State Park
Visitors come for historic sites, hiking, and picnicking.
Hours, fees and rules for Lovers Leap State Park →Day Pond State Park
Visitors come for historic sites, swimming, fishing, hiking, and picnicking.
Hours, fees and rules for Day Pond State Park →Squantz Pond State Park
Visitors come for boating, swimming, fishing, hiking, and picnicking.
Hours, fees and rules for Squantz Pond State Park →Mount Tom State Park
Visitors come for snorkeling and diving, historic sites, boating, swimming, and fishing.
Hours, fees and rules for Mount Tom State Park →Devil's Hopyard State Park
Things to do include historic sites, biking, fishing, hiking, and picnicking. Camping is available: campsites, including tent sites.
Hours, fees and rules for Devil's Hopyard State Park →Topsmead State Forest
The park supports historic sites, hunting in season, hiking, and picnicking.
Hours, fees and rules for Topsmead State Forest →Nissequogue River State Park
Covering about 512 acres, Nissequogue River State Park lies in Suffolk County, about 2 miles west of Nissequogue.
Hours, fees and rules for Nissequogue River State Park →Pootatuck State Forest
Things to do include snowmobiling, mountain biking, winter sports, hunting in season, and biking.
Hours, fees and rules for Pootatuck State Forest →Horse Guard State Park
Covering about 105 acres, Horse Guard State Park lies in Capitol Planning Region County, about 9 miles northeast of Bristol.
Hours, fees and rules for Horse Guard State Park →Mount Bushnell State Park
Mount Bushnell State Park is a 214-acre park in Northwest Hills Planning Region County, about 16 miles southwest of Torrington.
Hours, fees and rules for Mount Bushnell State Park →Salmon River State Forest
Visitors come for hunting in season, fishing, hiking, and picnicking.
Hours, fees and rules for Salmon River State Forest →Nehantic State Forest
Popular activities here are historic sites, hunting in season, boating, fishing, and hiking. Its trail network totals roughly 12 miles, according to the park.
Hours, fees and rules for Nehantic State Forest →Caleb Smith State Park Preserve
Visitors come for winter sports, fishing, and hiking.
Hours, fees and rules for Caleb Smith State Park Preserve →
Best picks by activity
Camping near New Haven
- Sleeping Giant State Park 9 mi north · Campground listed
- Naugatuck State Forest 11 mi northwest · Campground listed
- Kettletown State Park 17 mi northwest · 55 campsites
- Hammonasset Beach State Park 19 mi east · 558 campsites
- Cockaponset State Forest 23 mi northeast · Campground listed
+ 7 more in the list above
Cabins and lodging near New Haven
- Kettletown State Park 17 mi northwest · Cabins or other roofed stays
- Hammonasset Beach State Park 19 mi east · Cabins or other roofed stays
- Black Rock State Park 26 mi north · Cabins or other roofed stays
Swimming near New Haven
- Wharton Brook State Park 9 mi northeast · Beach, pool or swim area
- Indian Well State Park 11 mi west · Beach, pool or swim area
- Silver Sands State Park 11 mi southwest · Beach, pool or swim area
- Chatfield Hollow State Park 18 mi east · Beach, pool or swim area
- Hammonasset Beach State Park 19 mi east · Beach, pool or swim area
+ 7 more in the list above
Hiking near New Haven
- Farmington Canal Greenway State Park 1 mi north · Hiking trails listed
- West Rock Ridge State Park 3 mi northwest · Hiking trails listed
- Farm River State Park 5 mi southeast · Hiking trails listed
- Sleeping Giant State Park 9 mi north · Hiking trails listed
- Wharton Brook State Park 9 mi northeast · Hiking trails listed
+ 43 more in the list above
Fishing near New Haven
- West Rock Ridge State Park 3 mi northwest · Fishing listed
- Farm River State Park 5 mi southeast · Fishing listed
- Sleeping Giant State Park 9 mi north · Fishing listed
- Wharton Brook State Park 9 mi northeast · Fishing listed
- Osbornedale State Park 9 mi west · Fishing listed
+ 34 more in the list above
Free state parks near New Haven
- Whittemore Glen State Park 16 mi northwest · No entrance fee listed
- Rocky Glen State Park 20 mi northwest · No entrance fee listed
- George Waldo State Park 22 mi northwest · No entrance fee listed
- Higganum Reservoir State Park 23 mi northeast · No entrance fee listed
- Dart Island State Park 25 mi northeast · No entrance fee listed
+ 5 more in the list above
Questions about state parks near New Haven
What is the closest state park to New Haven?
Farmington Canal Greenway State Park is the closest, about 1 miles north of New Haven in a straight line. Next are West Rock Ridge State Park and Farm River State Park.
How many state parks are near New Haven?
126 state park units are within 50 miles, and 30 within 25 miles. That includes parks, recreation areas, historic sites and natural areas run by the state.
Which state parks near New Haven have camping?
12 parks list camping, the nearest being Sleeping Giant State Park, Naugatuck State Forest and Kettletown State Park. Check each park page for site types, hookups and how to reserve.
Are dogs allowed at state parks near New Haven?
None of the parks listed here say dogs are allowed. Check each park page before bringing a pet.
Are there free state parks near New Haven?
10 parks list no entrance fee: Whittemore Glen State Park, Rocky Glen State Park and George Waldo State Park. Camping and some activities can still cost extra.
State parks near other cities
- Near Shelton, CT11 mi west
- Near Naugatuck, CT14 mi northwest
- Near Bridgeport, CT16 mi southwest
- Near Meriden, CT17 mi northeast
- Near Waterbury, CT18 mi north
- Near Middletown, CT22 mi northeast
- Near Bristol, CT26 mi north
- Near Danbury, CT29 mi west
Or see all Connecticut state parks, New York state parks or every city we cover.
Built from official park data and updated as parks change; this list was last rebuilt Oct 30, 2026. Features shown are those the official source lists. Filter these parks on the map.