CT: Work And Play At State Parks

HARTFORD — State officials Friday formally kicked off the summer season by urging folks to both enjoy Connecticut's state parks and, if possible, work for them.

Gov. Ned Lamont and state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Commissioner Katie Dykes kicked off the beginning of the state parks summer season in Connecticut ahead of Memorial Day weekend.

As the Connecticut State Park system continues to bring on temporary staff for the busy summer months, some seasonal job opportunities are available.

“Our state parks are among the premier tourism destinations in the region and are a huge part of the tremendous quality of life here in Connecticut,” Lamont said. “Our parks are also a huge boon to our state and local economy – we welcomed 13 million visitors to our state parks last year. During the pandemic, we kept our state parks open knowing that they provide a necessary service to support physical and mental health.

"We understand how important our parks are to folks, that’s why we’ve relaunched the ParkConneCT program, and that’s why we’ve invested historic levels of funding to improve and upgrade our state park infrastructure. So come on out to the state parks this summer, have fun and please be safe.”

Connecticut has 110 state parks and 32 state forests, which include 14 campgrounds, 23 designated swimming areas, thousands of miles of trails, and hundreds of thousands of acres to enjoy.

The state parks offer opportunities for hiking, camping, swimming, boating, fishing and picnicking, among other outdoor activities.

A directory of every state park in Connecticut can be found online by visiting www.ct.gov/deep/stateparks.

Connecticut also manages 117 boat launches across the state on ponds, lakes, rivers and Long Island Sound.
Information on these facilities can be found online by visiting portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Boating/Boating-and-Paddling.

Meanwhile, the Passport to the Parks program allows all visitors driving in Connecticut-registered vehicles to enter without paying any parking fee.

This program is supported through a $15 fee ($5 per year) included with all non-commercial vehicle registrations through the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles.

This funding has provided a stable and predictable source of funding to support the operations of state parks.

“We are so fortunate to have so many beautiful parks in our state to recreate in,” Dykes said. “Thanks to the Passport to Parks program, visiting Connecticut’s state parks is incredibly convenient and enjoyable for those with Connecticut registered vehicles, and the ParkConneCT program will provide access to several parks to those for whom transportation is a barrier.”

For Gov. Ned Lamont's full release on the state parks kick-off, visit this link.