Hammonasset Boardwalk & Bike Path

Hammonasset's boardwalk and bike path run along the shore for about three miles, from West Beach to Meigs Point. DEEP lists the walking route as the Hammonasset Beach State Park Walk, 3.4 miles out and back on pavement and boardwalk, and the bike route as the three-mile BURT trail. Both are multi-use paths; DEEP rates the main walk easy and says its paved surface makes it accessible.

The Boardwalk

The boardwalk runs along the dunes near Middle Beach, just west of the traffic circle, close to the main parking lots and picnic pavilions, as DEEP's park map shows. It joins the paved path, so you can walk from the boardwalk all the way east to Meigs Point without leaving the shore.

Hammonasset opened to the public on July 18, 1920. Friends of Hammonasset's history says the Parks Commission built a Grand Pavilion and boardwalk, along with a clam shed, as temporary structures meant to last five to ten years. The Grand Pavilion stood until 1967. More on our About the Park page.

The Main Shoreline Walk

DEEP calls the Hammonasset Beach State Park Walk the most popular trail in the park. It's 3.4 miles, out and back, mixing paved path and boardwalk. It hugs the coastline from the nature center at Meigs Point to the western section of the beach. DEEP rates it easy and says the surface makes it accessible to all.

Expect company. DEEP describes the path as heavily used, and bikes share it with people on foot. Stay to the right and pass on the left.

Biking: the BURT Trail

DEEP's biking guide points riders to the BURT trail, about three miles from West Beach all the way to Meigs Point. It runs the length of the park's shore. Campers can ride straight from the campground: Friends of Hammonasset suggests bringing bikes for the paved park roads and the trail to Meigs Point.

DEEP's map notes that every trail and foot path in the park is non-motorized and multi-use, so bikes share them with people on foot.

Riding In on the Shoreline Greenway Trail

You can also ride to the park. DEEP says a connector links Hammonasset to the Shoreline Greenway Trail, a coastal trail that is still being built and will eventually run all the way to Lighthouse Point Park in New Haven. Check the trail's current open sections before planning a long ride.

Other Walks in the Park

• Meigs Point Trail: 1.4 miles out and back around the rocky, sandy shore of Meigs Point, with the Sound on one side and marsh on the other. Best at low tide, when the beach widens and tide pools appear.
• Willard's Island Nature Trail: a 1.1-mile paved loop inland through the salt marsh, away from the beach. DEEP calls it a birdwatching hotspot for ospreys, herons and yellow warblers.
• Moraine Trail and Cedar Island Trail: DEEP names both for views of Long Island Sound and the salt marsh but doesn't publish their lengths.

The Meigs Point Nature Center makes a good starting point: the main shoreline walk begins there, and the Meigs Point Trail circles the point it sits on.

Accessibility

DEEP lists the boardwalk among the park's accessible features, along with parking and restrooms, and describes the main shoreline walk as accessible to all. Beach wheelchairs are free to borrow, first come, first served, for getting across the sand. They aren't made to go in the water.

Tips for the Path

• Go early on hot days. DEEP warns that the paved trails get hot enough to hurt bare feet and dog paws in summer.
• Bring water. The path runs in full sun with the open beach beside it.
• Dogs on a leash can use the picnic areas all year, but the beach is open to them only from September 30 to April 1 (see rules).
• Park in the West or Middle Beach lots to start at the boardwalk, or at Meigs Point to start at the nature center end. See parking and the park map.