Ferry Landing State Park

Ferry Landing State Park

Connecticut State Park

1 acre in Old Lyme, CT

Parking: Small lot near 398 Ferry Rd, Old Lyme, CT

Trail Map         Trails: 0.43 miles        Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Ferry Landing State Park is a tiny state park that, while dominated by the DEEP Marine Headquarters, offers casual strolling, boardwalk views and fishing, a boat launch, and a small beach.

Hiking

This isn’t really a hiking location, but if you choose to stroll every path from the beach near the entrance to the viewing platform and back you’d get 0.8 miles.  It does seem like a somewhat popular area for walking, as I arrived a yoga in the park was just wrapping up and there were a few small groups walking paths.

I cross the open area past the nice gazebo and headed out onto the boardwalk jutting out to follow the curve of the Connecticut River.  A huge school of some kind of silver minnow type fish was flashing just off the pier and cormorants were diving for a meal.

The boardwalk crosses under the Amtrack rail and leads out to a viewing platform of the Lieutenant River and the Roger Tory Peterson Wildlife Management Area.  A man was casting crab traps into the river from below the viewing platform.

Boating

The boat launch is from the small beach just before the first parking area.  Definitely only for kayaks, but you can explore either direction of the Connecticut River.

Heading south has the Lieutenant River, the Great Island Wildlife Management Area (WMA), Tory Peterson WMA, and if you’re looking for a longer paddle Saybrook Point Lighthouse and the mouth of the Connecticut River are just about 3 miles away.

Heading north, there are a couple islands and the Lords Cove and Nott Island WMAs.

Fishing

The boardwalk has a ton of options for fishing and I think the main catches here are shad and bass. Fishing is generally best from mid May to early June, then mid October to early November.

History:

Preserved as a state park in 1988.

Links:

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Last updated September 19th, 2022