Loaner State Park Passes Available At Public Libraries

WINDSOR — The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has again made state park day passes available at public libraries across the state as part of the agency’s “No Child Left Inside” initiative.

Under the DEP’s State Park Day Pass Library Program, the main library branch in each of Connecticut’s cities and towns receives a Connecticut State Park & Forest day pass. The pass can be checked out by any patron who has a library card, free of charge, for one to two days, and then present it at any state park or forest for free admission.

The pass may be used at all the major state parks with parking fees, including Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison, Sherwood Island State Park in Westport, or Rocky Neck State Park in East Lyme. It also provides free entrance to any museum located at a state park, such as Dinosaur State Park in Rocky Hill, Fort Trumbull State Park in New London, and Gillette Castle State Park in East Haddam.

Those checking out the pass to visit a state park or forest will also be able to borrow a copy of Joseph Leary’s A Shared Landscape: A Guide & History of Connecticut’s State Parks & Forests, which the DEP has also provided to each library.

The book makes it easy for families to plan their trips to a state park or forest by providing details and colorful photographs on the activities and services offered at each location. The names alone of the parks and forests listed in Leary’s book — Devil’s Hopyard State Park or Lover’s Leap State Park, for example — may inspire families to use their pass to visit a state park they have never been to before.

Families interested in borrowing the park pass from their local library are advised to arrive at the library early due to the program’s popularity.

No Child Left Inside

Introduced in 2006 by Governor M. Jodi Rell and coordinated by the DEP, “No Child Left Inside,” a major state initiative, is designed to reconnect families with the outdoors, build the next generation of environmental stewards, and showcase Connecticut’s parks and forests. Study after study shows that spending time outdoors is critical to the healthy growth and development of today’s youngsters. No Child Left Inside provides the incentive for children to turn off their computers and get outside through interactive programs like The Great Park Pursuit, The Connecticut State Parks Family Adventure.

No Child Left Inside programs encourage young people to develop an appreciation for Connecticut’s forests, waterways, beaches and wildlife as they spend time exploring Connecticut’s beautiful network of 138 state parks and forests that offer safe, convenient and fun places to spend time with their families.

In addition to the day passes, DEP’s No Child Left Inside initiative is partnering with public libraries to encourage summer reading and to interest young people in the outdoors.

Visit www.NoChildLeftInside.org to learn more.

State Parks & Forests

DEP operates 106 state parks and oversees 32 state forests. The state park system dates back to the early years of the 20th Century. The lands include 21 swimming areas and beaches, nine historic sites of significance, more than 800 miles of hiking trails, 230 lakes and ponds, 2,000 miles of rivers and streams, 1,300 campsites at 14 state parks for both tent and RV camping, and more than 100 public boat launch areas.

Connecticut State Park and Forest season passes are offered to in-state residents for $50. The pass covers the cost of admission and parking at major state parks where fees are charged. Information on purchasing season passes is available at www.ct.gov/dep, and passes can purchased online.