For most of us, it is probably next to impossible to visit every state park and forest in Connecticut in a single year – but, from my point of view, it is certainly a goal worth trying for. When choosing parks to visit, an excellent source of information is the DEP website at www.dep.state.ct.us; just click on “Recreation and Natural Resources” and follow the link to “Bureau of Outdoor Recreation” to “Parks and Forests”. This site provides information about each of the parks, including fees, hours, directions, the park’s history and a list of other state parks in the same area. If you do not have access to a computer, you can call the DEP for park information 860-424-3200.

For me, it is just as difficult to select a single favorite park as it would be to visit all of them in just one picnic weather season. But I think many people would find a trip to Sherwood Island State Park in Westport particularly interesting. Attractions include oak groves and a beach buffered by a salt marsh. Of course, there is swimming, fishing and ample space for picnicking. But, many people are more intrigued by its history as Connecticut’s oldest state park. It is known that the land was used seasonally by Native Americans, and that early settlers who arrived in 1648 following the end of the Pequot War used the land collectively. Eventually, the Sherwood family owned the island and many, if not most people have heard about Sherwood Island oysters. And, legend has it that Captain Kidd used the island as a rendezvous point. Sherwood Island Park recently earned another place in history for a much more solemn reason – as a staging area for heavy equipped and emergency services to assist New York City in the aftermath of the September 11th tragedy. Now, the park is home to the state’s September 11th memorial.

Anyone interested in visiting Connecticut’s oldest state park might be interested in also visiting its newest, Fort Trumbull State Park in New London. This historic riverfront park opened its Visitor Center and Museum last summer after undergoing a $24.3 million restoration and development project begun in 1999 after the state acquired it from the United States Navy. Since colonial times, Fort Trumbull served as the site of various military forts, schools and research facilities for the U.S. Army, Coast Guard and Navy. The first fort was built to protect New London Harbor from British attack, and later served as part of the country’s coastal defense system.

Over the past decade, the state has made a lot of improvements to the state park and forest system. Last summer, in addition to opening Fort Trumbull State Park, the state reopened the newly renovated Gillette Castle State Park in East Haddam. The state began an $11 million renovation and restoration of the park and its 24-room castle in 1999 – including the construction of a new visitors’ center - and had closed the park to the public in April 2001.

The state purchased Gillette Castle and the adjoining property in 1943 from the estate of William Hooker Gillette, an actor, director and playwright who built his medieval-looking mansion as the focal point of a 184-acre estate. The mansion sits on top of the most southerly hill in a chain known as the Seven Sisters. The castle is just as magnificent as the surrounding grounds, which include walking paths, stone arch bridges and a trail that somewhat follows the path of Gillette’s three mile long narrow gauge railroad.

Of course, it is fun to pack a picnic and drive to a state park you might not have visited before. But, as Litchfield County residents know, you don’t have to travel to find a magnificent state park. One of my favorites is Kent Falls State Park. Kent Falls is actually a series of waterfalls on a mountain stream known as Falls Brook. Acquisition of this park began in 1919 with a gift of land from the White Memorial Foundation. A great deal of work has been done at the park since then, including development by the Civil Works Administration in the 1930s, trails reconstructed by the Youth Conservation Corps of Connecticut in the 1970s, and an authentic reproduction of a covered bridge built in 1974 by a park employee named Edmund Palmer. It is a beautiful place.

Visit the DEP website and discover for yourself which of Connecticut’s beautiful parks and forests might most appeal to you and your family. Pack a picnic, and enjoy!

Senator Andrew Roraback represents the 30th Senatorial District, which includes the communities of Brookfield, Canaan, Cornwall, Goshen, Kent, Litchfield, Morris, New Milford, North Canaan, Salisbury, Sharon, Warren, Washington, Winsted and part of Torrington.