Parking & Directions

Parking at Sherwood Island State Park is free for any car with Connecticut plates. Out-of-state cars pay $15 on weekdays and $22 on weekends and holidays from April 1 to October 31 ($7 after 4 p.m. from Memorial Day to Labor Day, when the ticket booth is open), and a $112 season pass covers out-of-state cars all season. The entrance is at the end of the Sherwood Island Connector in Westport, directly off I-95 exit 18.

Why Connecticut Cars Park Free

Under Connecticut's Passport to Parks programme, a car registered in Connecticut pays no parking fee at any state park. The fee depends on the car's plate, not where the driver lives, so a Connecticut resident driving a rental with New York plates pays.

How Out-of-State Visitors Pay

You can pay at the ticket booth inside the entrance when it is staffed, online through ReserveAmerica, or by phone at 1-877-668-CAMP (2267). DEEP's statewide rules:

• The fee is owed even when the ticket booth is closed.
• Pay by 10 p.m. on the day of your visit. An unpaid fee can bring a $75 infraction to the car's registered owner.
• Online day passes carry a $2 reservation fee, should be bought on the day you visit, and do not guarantee a space.
• The $112 season pass covers out-of-state access to every Connecticut state park that charges parking.

Directions

• From I-95, north or south: take exit 18 to the Sherwood Island Connector and follow it straight into the park.
• From Route 1 (Post Road): turn onto the Sherwood Island Connector in Westport and continue past the I-95 ramps into the park.
• From the Merritt Parkway (Route 15) northbound: take exit 41, go south on Route 33 to Route 1, then Route 1 north to the Sherwood Island Connector.
• From the Merritt Parkway southbound: take exit 42 to Route 57 south, turn left onto Route 33, follow it to Route 1, then Route 1 north to the Connector.

The Metro-North and Amtrak line crosses the Connector near the entrance; DEEP's map shows the tracks but no station at the park. The nearest stations are in Westport and Fairfield; plan on a taxi or ride-share from either.

The Lots

DEEP's park map shows the ticket booth just inside the entrance, then separate lots by area:

• East Beach lot: for East Beach, the Nature Center, the salt marsh trail and the model airplane field.
• West Beach lot: for West Beach, the wooded picnic grove and the disc golf course.
• Pavilion lot: on Sherwood Point, for the 9/11 Living Memorial and the main pavilion.
• Overflow parking: opened on busy summer days.
• Accessible spaces are marked near the beaches and the memorial.

On hot summer weekends the park can fill. Arrive early, or come after 4 p.m., when the out-of-state fee drops to $7 while the ticket booth is open (Memorial Day to Labor Day).

Groups and Buses

A DEEP bus permit is required for mid-size and full-size buses seating 30 or more passengers. DEEP's map shows a separate bus parking area. Apply for the permit before the trip.

September 11

DEEP's park page says fees were waived for the public every September 11 through 2025, and that families of Connecticut 9/11 victims hold lifetime parking passes. See the memorial page.

Before You Go

The park opens at 8 a.m. and closes at sunset (hours). Dogs are not allowed April 15 to September 30 (dogs). Going on to a town beach? Westport's beaches have their own emblem and daily fees (Westport beaches).