Rocky Neck State Park
710-Acre Park and Beach in Niantic, CT
Rocky Neck State Park offers several trails of varying terrain, including packed dirt/leaves, rocks, roots, and mud. The paths take you through both woods and tall grasses. Climbing up over the rocky areas of the blue trail, you can take in stunning vistas of Four Mile River.
You can exit the trails by the pavilion and run down the path to the boardwalk for lovely sea views and breezes.
All in all, Rocky Neck offers a nice escape into nature for runners. The trails are well-marked, and there are multiple exits out of the park, so getting lost isn't much of a worry.
Click to download a trail map of Rocky Neck (PDF) »
Parking: Parking at Rocky Neck is free during the winter season. In the summer, parking on the weekends is $10.00 for CT residents and $15.00 for out-of-state visitors. On the weekdays, parking is $7.00 for CT residents and $10.00 for out-of-state visitors.
Directions from I-95:
Take Exit 72 off of 1-95. At the end of the ramp, take a left onto Route 156 (West Main Street) and an immediate right into Rocky Neck State Park. Take the access road through the park to the main parking lots. You can find the entrance to the trails by running along the paved road that leads to the pavilion parking lot. Trails are on the right.
For more information, see the CT DEEP website.
Quick Stats:
Elevation: Mix
Attributes: Packed dirt / leaves / rocks / roots, Single track, Even & technical surfaces
Current Weather: