Pets on leashes are permitted on hiking trails and in picnic areas north of train tracks. Pets are not allowed in campground. Pets are not allowed south of train tracks, or on beach or boardwalk. Please clean up after your pets!
The beautiful, gently sloping, soft sandy beach, picnic areas, train watching, diverse trail systems and salt marsh viewing platforms make this park ideal for families. Try crabbing or fishing. Look for ospreys, cranes, and herons or other waterfowl. Rocky Neck provides something for all members of the family.
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Exit 72 off I-95: Follow the turnpike connector south to Route 156. Turn left and take Route 156 east for 1/4 mile to the park. The park street address is 244 West Main Street (Route 156).
Fees
There is a daily parking fee in season for non-residents.
Located on Long Island Sound in the town of East Lyme, 710-acre Rocky Neck is a popular recreation spot. The public now enjoys use of the park because of a few farsighted conservationists who secured the land in 1931, using their personal funds until the State Legislature authorized its purchase.
Rocky Neck's varied terrain offers something for everyone. Clear waters and the stone-free beach with expanses of white sand make it ideal for swimming. Many beautiful picnic locations are scattered throughout the park. The historic stone Ellie Mitchell Pavilion dominates the park's western shoreline. In the 1930's, relief agencies constructed the curved masonry building of native materials and crafted supporting pillars with wood cut from each of the state parks and forests. Diverse trails within the park provide easy and interesting walks to the scenic salt marsh and to such points of interest as Baker's Cave, Tony's Nose and Shipyard. Family camping within walking distance of saltwater bathing is also popular at Rocky Neck with 160 wooded and open campsites offering weekenders and vacationers attractive overnight accommodations.
Bounded on the west by a tidal river and to the east by a broad salt marsh, Rocky Neck was known to both Indians and colonists as a place of abundant fish and wildlife. Today, high spring tides allow schools of alewives (herring) to swim into Bride Brook toward inland spawning grounds. The osprey, or fish hawk, is a frequent early summer visitor. In the fall, cranes, herons and mute swans wade among cattails and rose mallow. Seasonal changes provide opportunities to fish for mackerel, striped bass, blackfish and flounder.
Other Nearby State Recreation Areas Include:
Bluff Point State Park and Coastal Reserve, Groton Location: Route 117 Exit from I-95. Right onto Route 1, left on Depot Road, continue under railroad overpass to parking area. Activities: Biking, Hiking, Saltwater Fishing
{Rocky Neck State Park} Rocky Neck State Park
Devil's Hopyard State Park, East Haddam Location: 3 miles north of the intersection of Route 82 and Route 156 Activities: Camping, Hiking, Picnicking, Stream Fishing
Haley Farm State Park, Groton Location: Follow Route 215 south to Brook Street in Groton Activities: Biking, Birding, Hiking
Hammonasset Beach State Park, Madison Location: 1 mile south of Exit 62 from I-95 Activities: Camping, Nature Center Programs, Picnicking, Saltwater Swimming, and Fishing
Harkness Memorial State Park, Waterford Location: 4 miles south of New London on Route 213 Activities: Formal Gardens, Mansion Tours, Picnicking, Saltwater Fishing
