Whether taking the family RV camping in New England in the late-summer, or you and your sweetheart are planning a slow meander in the Autumn–one charming and restful attraction to put on your must-see list is Connecticut’s Gillette Castle State Park. The park overlooks the Connecticut River in the south central part of The Constitution State, about 45 miles east of New Haven.
Within a reasonable commute of New York City, and perched atop “the most southerly hill in a chain known as the Seven Sisters,” stage actor William Hooker Gillette (1853-1937) built the 184-acre estate. “The focal point of his effort is a 24-room mansion reminiscent of a medieval castle,” according to a profile in Wikipedia.
The park grounds are open free year round for hiking and spectacular vistas. The Castle, itself, is open for daily tours from Memorial Day to Labor Day, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
There is RV and tent camping within three miles of Gillette Castle at the Devil’s Hopyard State Park, in East Haddam. Campsites are available April 13-Sept. 3. Camping fees are $14/night for CT residents, and $24/night for non-CT residents. (+ $9 processing fee per reservation.)
The principle feature of the park, Chapman Falls, drops more than 60-feet over a series of steps in a Scotland Schist stone formation. The park offers some of the finest birding in the state and for those who fancy fishing, the clear, cool stream water is said to be an excellent source of brook trout.
Read more about the Gillette Castle State Park by clicking here for my post on RV Short Stops.
