sherwood island state park

I grew up going to Sherwood as a young child, all the way through my teens. I went for a while after I got married but then we got too busy for it. I decided to bring my almost 3 year old here this past summer, thinking she should experience some of the local beaches. I was shocked to see how much the beach/park has changed over the years. The area seems to have been taken over by a lot of inconsiderate people. There is garbage everywhere and no one follows any of the posted rules. Forget a relaxing day at the beach! Our afternoon stay was marked by lots of loud music being played by those who choose to barbecue there - like they are at home. Making sand castles with my daughter became an expedition titled "find an area not covered with cigarette butts!" It is obvious they either don't clean the beach, or don't do it often enough. The bathroom/change area was atrocious and we had an unwelcome surprise. I took my daughter to use the restroom and found a naked woman standing next to the sinks! They have outdoor showers, but she choose to strip naked and splash water from the sinks all over herself. Needless to say we were appalled and disgusted. I spoke to my husband about it and he said one of his co-workers who grew up in CT mentioned to him that "no one goes to Sherwood anymore." Now I can see why. We plan on looking for another CT beach to visit next summer. On the plus side, the Nature Center is very nice.

This is a nice place to go for a relaxing outdoor stroll or walk your dog, but be aware that pets are only permitted for part of the year (they're not allowed during the summer season).

Go to Sherwood Island any time of the year and take a walk through the nature trails. If you're lucky, you may see an Osprey and even an Owl or any number of other beautiful birds. After that, take a walk along the beach and enjoy the wonderful salty air....it's just so relaxing!

Sherwood Island is a great place to spend a day at the beach, take a walk, or visit the Nature Center with your kids. We had so much fun on our first visit, we bought a season pass. Great to see our tax dollars going for this!

We live in Norwalk, so we visit SI regularly in all seasons. It is DEFINITLEY more of a spring or summer attraction. It is FREEZING in winter, the beach and snack bar are closed, and there is snow, ice, mush, and mud EVERYWHERE. It's better to come back in summer when it's warm and all the facilities are open and safe to walk on the nature trails. Watch out for goose poop!

We visited the park this morning. Had not been there in several years. It was a perfect summer day - 100% sunshine, warm temperature, low humidity and a pleasant breeze. A++ conditions. The tide was in. The waterfront is almost a mile long. On the east end is a fairly wide beach with what passes for sand in CT (this is not the Cape or the Outer Banks!). The water looks clean but experts say that Long Island Sound is not the best. Nice views west towards Westport and Norwalk and south across the Sound towards Long Island. Great for a walk or tanning.The problem is the condition of the park itself. It is very dirty, littered, overrun with Canada geese. The main pavilion is closed - surrounded by a chain link fence with "keep out" signs. There are dumpsters and some construction equipment but no signs of work. The bath house on the east side of the beach is pretty new and spacious; not bad. There is also a snack bar - but it was closed at 11:00 a.m. on a perfect August day, but maybe because it was a Monday? There were picnic benches that seemed to be 100 years old in advanced state of decay, quite literally falling apart. And not much else. There are lots of walking paths and bike traiils so you can have good exercise or just sun on the beach (beware of trash and poop!). The state likes to brag that this is one of their gems. I'd hate to see the bad stuff. They should lease this to someone who would run it competently. It's not free so where is the money going?

Nice clean park with lots of space and grills for a family cook out. Everything was cool, well maintained grass, nice atmosphere, but the beach was very dirty. They SHOULD invest at least half of admission's fee ($22 for out of state) to help in the cleaning of the beach.

We set out to have a nice day at the beach. This place was easy to get to. Great parking and decent restroom and changing facilities, as far as beaches go. There were two beaches to choose from. We went to the east beach. As soon as we exited the car we had to watch where we stepped. There was so much goose poop. You couldn't walk with your head looking forward or you would surely step in poop. We made our way to the beach in hopes that it would be better. It wasn't! There was even more poop on the beach. We had to use some of the sand toys to clear a spot for our stuff. It was clear that this beach doesn't get raked. We made the best of it but we were so grossed out. We all felt so disgusting after the day that we all immediately headed home to disinfect ourselves. If you just looked out at the water it was so beautiful. I would have given a lower score but I think this place has potential. I used to go here as a teenager and it was nothing like this. The goose population has overrun this place. Not sure what the answer is but we will not return here. Not worth the $15 for the entrance ($22 on weekends)

I never thought to go to Sherwood Island. Had some relatives over last week and we decided to explore what was there. I was surprised to see a very calm, restful environment with a Nature Center. I know the 9/11 Memorial is there and should visit it. I learned that I need to pay attention to what we have here.

Visited Sherwood Island recently and forgot how nice it was. Close enough from the city and so relaxing. Bathrooms were decent and not too crowded for a Sunday (4th of July weekend) Only downside is the geese poop and have to agree it's a very rocky/shell filled beach. **Bring your watershoes. Overall great beach/bbq day! $24 for out of state vehicles not bad when you have a packed car.

I visited this park recently with some friends. We didn't go to the beach, but the beach, facing Long Island Sound was large, with lots of clean-looking sand. The park itself was beautiful, with nice views of the Sound, and plenty of room to stroll around. There's also a large pavilion with many tables, if protection from the elements is needed. There's also a region marked is a "Model Aircraft Area", with a mini landing strip. Someone was flying a plane when we were there. Overall, a very nice park.

I think this is an underused facility off season, what an asset to lower Fairfield County. It's a wonderful place for a walk, riding bikes or even to pay your respects at the 9/11 memorial and under the pavilion.

We live in Norwalk and we visit SI several times during the year. Definitely a summer attraction. It was FREEZING cold the day we went, and agreed that we would come back when it was June or July. We like the 9-11 memorial. Watch out for goose poop!Recommended stay: 2-3 hours IN SUMMER!!!

It's a large, nice beach, with bath house. It can be crowded with New Yorkers in the summer. Off season, on Sunday morning they fly toy planes in the north eastern parkign lot.

It is easy to get to, has loads of parking, decent concessions (but would recommend bringing your own stuff anyway), is clean, and only $9 for CT residents.