Busy 4th of July weekend expected at CT state parks
With popular state parks like Squantz Pond expected to be busy this Fourth of July weekend, officials are reminding residents to arrive to their destinations early and develop a backup plan in case their park of choice is full.
Across the state, parks will close when they reach capacity and new visitors will be turned away, the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection warned on Friday. Some smaller parks reach capacity as early as 9 a.m. Visitors who park illegally outside of a park could be ticketed or have their car towed, DEEP said.
State and municipal leaders highlighted Squantz Pond State Park in New Fairfield, which often must close early to new visitors, especially on Fourth of July weekend, because its 250-car parking lot fills up quickly. In years past, this has led to safety and other concerns due to illegal parking on side streets and long back-ups on narrow Route 39, as visitors try to walk into the park.
Parking is not permitted on nearby streets, nor should visitors unload near Squantz, according to DEEP. Visitors should follow posted traffic signage.
“New Fairfield welcomes all visitors to Squantz Pond State Park,” New Fairfield First Selectman Patricia Del Monaco said in a statement. “We want everyone to have an enjoyable and safe experience while visiting New Fairfield, and ask that everyone observe posted ‘No Parking’ signs once the Park has reached capacity.”
“We know that Squantz Pond is an attractive day trip for many people inside and outside of Connecticut,” Colonel Stavros Mellekas, commanding officer of the Connecticut State Police, said in a statement. “We encourage people to enjoy all state parks safely and consider other destinations within our state. We continue to work in collaboration with CT DEEP, the town of New Fairfield and other locations to develop strategies that allow everyone to visit and safely enjoy
our natural resources.” DEEP plans to post park
closures on the CT State Parks Twitter account
@CTStateParks, as well as the “What’s Open Outdoors”
page of the DEEP website.