8 Affordable Summer Vacation Spots In Connecticut

Bordered by the state of New York to the west, Connecticut may not have the hills and valleys of a California or a Colorado but still boasts a decent collection of summer vacation hotspots that will leave first-time visitors completely blown away. Though flat in most areas, the state plays host to some quaint towns, especially along its picturesque coastline as well as good-looking streams, especially towards the Berkshires. As to hiking, the options are mind-boggling. Still, you may be wondering how to explore Connecticut if you are not a celebrity jet-setter with cash to splash. While the Constitution State can be expensive, here are eight affordable summer vacation spots in Connecticut you can enjoy on the cheap.

Mystic

Mystic is an underrated Connecticut gem that offers numerous adventure options regardless of the size of one’s pockets. At completely no cost, for instance, you can explore Historic Downtown Mystic whose streets feature a mind-bending array of summertime art exhibits, ice-cream parlors, bistros, and just about anything else you can imagine. At completely no cost again, you can stand in awe of the Mystic River Bascule Bridge, an amazing feat of engineering set in a backdrop of a dream-like New England town. Also, even if you don’t have money, you will love window-shopping at the Olde Mistick Village, a recreated 18th-century New England village popular with tourists. Then again, if the $36.99 admission ticket to the Mystic Aquarium exceeds your summer vacation budget, River Road is an easy picturesque walk with views that will ravish your heart. And if your heart still craves something more, the free-to-enter Mystic River Park should be the next best option.

Farmington River Tubing

Dismiss what everyone else will say. The chance to tube down the Farmington River, a wild and picturesque waterway located in the creepily-named Satan's Kingdom State Recreation Area in New Hartford, Connecticut, is a heart-thumping summer adventure worth more than its cost in gold. And it is not that the cost is anything prohibitive. You will only need to part with $25 to enjoy the thrill of coursing down the turbulent rapids in a spot that will see your body overdose on adrenaline. You can enjoy this affordable Connecticut summer fun every day from 10 A.M. to 5.00 P.M., provided the weather does not act up. And do not let this put a dumper on your plans. The name “Satan's Kingdom State Recreation Area” does not refer to the presence of some spine-chilling malevolent.

Hammonasset Beach State Park

How about some summer adventure at Connecticut's largest shoreline park? Though boasting only two miles of shoreline, Hammonasset Beach State Park features clean sand and clear water in settings that might have been plucked out from a romance novel where characters live happily thereafter. This park is free for Connecticut residents. So, you will not have to worry about admission fees. Located on Long Island Sound in Madison, Connecticut, Hammonasset offers several free summer activities that will be of interest to a budget vacationer. For instance, you can walk, jog, or bike on the park’s many picturesque trails, enjoy some top-notch fishing, listen to the beating of your heart — or just catch a glimpse of an absolutely stunning sunset. If you are starting to feel restless, some hours at the Meigs Point Nature Center will bring you purring back to life.

Beardsley Zoo

You will only need $15 to have a lifetime experience at Beardsley Zoo, the only zoo in Connecticut. This popular zoo is home to more than 300 animals, especially those native to North and South America. Some of the animals you will find here are endangered species you may not easily find anywhere else. These include the Siberian tiger, which happens to be the largest cat on the planet. You will also get up and close with the Andean Condor, the only New World vulture in which the males are visibly different from the females — and of course, one of the largest flying birds on Earth. Then again, a walk along Beardsley Zoo’s Hoofstock Trail will see you rubbing shoulders with bison and deer — among other wild but graceful creatures.

New England Air Museum

Even if you do not like the gloom of museum halls, New England Air Museum will keep you turning back. And it is anything but gloomy. The largest aerospace museum in New England cannot be. Boasting a collection of more than 150 aircraft in three exhibit hangars, this one-of-a-kind museum provides rich details and useful context to the aircraft on display. If you love airplanes, you will want to check out the B-29, for instance, a bomber which is so large and majestic that you will want to look at it forever. The museum runs what they call CT Summer at the Museum 2023. Because of this program, from July 1st through September 4th, all Connecticut youth (ages 0 - 18) and one adult per household receive free admission to the New England Air Museum. But even if you cannot take advantage of this program, the museum’s $21 admission fee looks like a giveaway.

The Cross Sound Ferry

An affordable summer vacation must not just be about leg-burning hikes that can come with sprains or muscle soreness. How about relaxing as you enjoy a dream-like cruise across the postcard-perfect Long Island Sound, one of the most beautiful water bodies in North America? That is what the Cross Sound Ferry promises and delivers. It will take you from New London, Connecticut — to Orient Point, New York — and back. During this pleasurable trip, you will have the luxury to count the lighthouses you will be passing close by on the way — while inhaling views that will make you forget about your bills and bosses. While a round-trip will set you back $35.50, the experience will make it seem like a trifle.

Kent Falls

Located in Kent, Connecticut, Kent Falls is another summer attraction that you can enjoy for free — if you are a resident of Connecticut, or for a paltry $10 — if you are an out-of-stater. The summer activities you will not get enough of at this Connecticut gem include hiking, picnicking, and fishing. The latter is because this park is a designated Trout Park. While you will enjoy the park’s quiet and serenity and the close-up encounter with nature in its most pristine, one of the park’s most defining features are the cascading waterfalls and their dramatic, 250-foot plunge into a reflecting pool. Then again, since this park is in the Litchfield Hills region, you will have access to many other outdoor adventures abundant in the region and which you can enjoy for free.

Lake Compouence

Summer is not complete without a trip to a lake, a stroll around the shores of a lake, or a sunset on its banks. Yet for all it is worth, Lake Compouence is not a lake but an amusement park. If you have not been to Lake Compouence, you are yet to set foot in the first amusement park — not in Connecticut — but in North America. As the first amusement park in the United States, you should brace yourself for a service that more than 175 years of professional experience is able to finetune and deliver. You will find this one-of-a-kind gem in the town of Bristol or Southington, Connecticut. The popular facility runs a promotion dubbed “End of Summer Splash Sale.” Thanks to this promotion, you can grab an all-day park access at only $29.99.

The Takeaway

While Connecticut is not Hawaii or Santorini Island in Greece, its summer vacation credentials are still decent, even top-notch. The Constitution State is home to sizzling top-tier summer vacation spots that will make you see the state in a completely new light. The sweet part is that many of these are free — or unbelievably cheap. If still in doubt, check out Mystic, Hammonaset Beach State Park, Beardsley Zoo, and Kent Falls — among several others we have highlighted.