Recently, the news media outlets have told the public about the reopening of the Misquamicut State Beach in Westerly, RI after Superstorm Sandy wrecked havoc.
However, they fail to say how for Connecticut residents, Westerly and Milford, CT are the tale of two cities when it comes to seasonal parking fees or how much money Connecticut residents can save by beaching in-state.
For Misquamicut State Beach Park in Westerly, out-of-staters are charged $20 weekdays to park in the state-owned parking lot while the rate skyrockets to $28 on weekends and holidays, according to Misquamicutbeach.com.
Rhode Island residents are charged 50% less; $10 on weekdays and $14 on weekends.
In Milford, the Silver Sands State Park has no fee for visitors anytime of the year, according to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP).
Smaller state-owned beaches in our area with no parking fees, reports the DEEP, are located at the Bluff Point State Park in Groton and Gardner Lake State Park in Salem.
There are several other Connecticut-state owned beaches that are much cheaper than Misquamicut.
Harkness Memorial State Park in Waterford, which does not allow swimming, charges $6 for residents and $10 for non-residents on weekdays. On the weekends and holidays, there is a $9 charge for residents and a $15 charge for non-residents.
A Connecticut resident would save $14 weekdays and $19 on weekends and holidays going here versus Misquamicut.
Rocky Neck State Park in East Lyme, Hammonasset State Beach Park in Madison, and Sherwood Island in Westport charge $9 for residents and $15 for non-residents on weekdays. On the weekends and holidays, the rate jumps to $13 for residents and $22 for non-residents.
For these beaches, a Connecticut resident would save $11 on weekdays and $15 on weekends and holidays versus parking at Misquamicut.
For Harkness, Rocky Neck, and Hammonasset, there is a reduced rate of $6 for residents and $7 for non-residents each day after 4pm.
Such a reduced fee schedule does not exist at Misquamicut for late beach visitors, according to The Day, but there are senior discounts at Misquamicut allowing Connecticut seniors to pay $10 on weekdays and $14 on weekends and holidays.
For inland locations with swimming areas in Eastern Connecticut, Colchester’s Day Pond State Park, Griswold’s Hopeville Pond State Park, Voluntown’s Pachaug State Forest Green Falls Area, Pomfret’s Mashamoquet Brook, and Thompson’s Quaddick State Park all offer free admission during the week and a $9 resident charge and $15 non-resident charge on weekends and holidays. Connecticut residents save $20 on weekdays and $19 on weekends by visiting these swimming areas versus Misquamicut. Wadsworth Falls State Park in Middletown charges $6 for residents and $10 for non-residents on weekdays. On weekends and holidays, there is a $9 charge for residents and a $15 charge for non-residents.
Here, Connecticut residents would save $14 on weekdays and $19 on weekends and holidays as opposed to going to Misquamicut. If Misquamicut wants to entice Connecticut residents to come over the border, it’s obvious the parking fees have to go down.
