We visited Chatfield hollow this summer but the park was so crowded that we didn't get to do exactly what we wanted. With the cooler early fall weather we head down to explore the Indian Caves and more before heading for Hammonasset beach to burn off lunch
Chatfield Hollow is one of the most popular parks in Connecticut. Having grown up only ten minutes away, I've explored every corner of this place. The main attraction for many people is the beach situated on the lake in the center of the park. It can get extremely busy here, as we discovered during the summer when we first tried to visit. So this fall we revisited to show you the best spots.
Other than the beach, the two most visited spots at the front of the park are the Indian Caves and the Board walk. The caves are a series of small openings on the side of a small rock out cropping at the entrance of the park. The green trail winds all throughout them an it's quite easy to miss some. Watch our video to see the full trail. The boardwalk on the other hand is a relaxing stroll and the second longest boardwalk I'm aware of in the state.
Located the lake is a man made waterfall. This fun feature is viewable from the side of the road/walkingpath. On the opposite shore of the beach is the nature center. While it wasn't open either time we visited, it looks like a fun ad interesting place for kids. All three of these spots are within a short walking distance of each other on an un-blazed walking trail that connects both shores of the lake / parking areas.
Towards the back of the park several of the hiking trails intersect. Red, violet and several short un-blazed trails lead to the upper pond and it's old mill wheel. This is another lovely area for a picnic that is often packed with people in the summer. The stone work in the area creates a dam with another small water cascade and fish can be seen in the pond. It's possible to simply drive all the way back here of course.
Additionally closer to the center of the park where these trails first converge is this parks much beloved covered bridge. While it's a pedestrian bridge that you can't drive over, many people love to make this a stop on their visit. This is located on the violet trail and there are several parking lots appropriate for a hike in this area. That said, this isn't a major hiking destination for us, so after an hour we headed for lunch.
What better to get when you're on the CT shoreline than seafood? Lenny and Joe's fishtail is located just outside Hammonasset beach so we were able to kill two birds with one stone. We ordered the clam strips, fried fish, fries, lobster bisque and hot dog. While it seems they changed the fries I loved from childhood the rest was still as amazing as ever. After lunch we took a quick 1.5 mile walk at Hammonasset to burn lunch off. That can be seen in our video exclusively.
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