Visiting an island usually requires a boat ride or, at minimum, a drive across a bridge, but there is one island in Connecticut that you can walk to as long as you time it just right. For a few hours each day when the tide recedes, you can walk to Charles Island. Crossing this unique land bridge is a one-of-a-kind adventure that you may not have known about. While the island and this walk are both exciting and beautiful, please be sensible and know that this can also be a very dangerous excursion that has caused accidents and even deaths in the past. Always be cautious and even consider viewing the island from the shore unless you are very experienced with the area.
Charles Island sits 1/2 mile off the shore of Milford in the Long Island Sound. It is a treasured part of the popular Silver Sands State Park.
Sid Sowder/Flickr
Sitting on the sandy beach at the park, Charles Island appears as a distant oasis across the water. But if you’re patient, you can visit the island up close.
Detmafilms/Wikimedia
Twice a day for a window of approximately two hours, the tide recedes and reveals a sandbar, creating a unique land bridge to the island. This limited opportunity is a great chance to explore this coastal gem.
jpellgen (@1179_jp)/Flickr
You might be surprised to learn that in 1852 the island was a summer resort bustling with activity until after the Civil War, when it closed. Afterward, George Miles Company made the island into their base for a fish fertilizer operation.
Jose J Pagan/Google Local
In the 1930s, Dominican Order opened a religious retreat on this offshore spot. Less than a decade later, the retreat closed, but remnants of the buildings still can be seen on the island.
mgt107/TripAdvisor
The most romantic history swirling around the island is that Captain Kidd may have buried his loot on the island when he visited the area in 1699.
adventuregurl44/TripAdvisor
Hike to the island to discover old ruins or perhaps ancient treasures, but keep an eye on the tide that can quickly wash your exit away.
kenneth casper/Flickr
Access to Charles Island using the sandbar is closed from April to September for protection of the bird population. From fall through spring, you can walk to Charles Island whenever the sandbar gives you a path.
Google Maps Visit Charles Island at Silver Sands State Park at 1 Silver Sands Pkwy., Milford, CT 06460. You can learn more about this amazing beach here.
For an incredible overhead view of Charles Island, check out this super drone footage shot by YouTube user Billy Kyle.
Sid Sowder/Flickr
Detmafilms/Wikimedia
jpellgen (@1179_jp)/Flickr
Jose J Pagan/Google Local
mgt107/TripAdvisor
adventuregurl44/TripAdvisor
kenneth casper/Flickr
Google Maps
Visit Charles Island at Silver Sands State Park at 1 Silver Sands Pkwy., Milford, CT 06460. You can learn more about this amazing beach here.
Have you ever had a chance to walk to Charles Island? Connecticut has quite a few islands worth exploring, check out this lighthouse island and this charming offshore oasis.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.
Address: Charles Island, Milford, CT 06460, USA
The OIYS Visitor Center
Connecticut Island You Can Walk To August 04, 2021 Tori Jane Where can I find some interesting hidden gems in Connecticut? Connecticut is one of those states you never hear about unless you live there. It’s a quiet place, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its fair share of high strangeness. In fact, you can find all kinds of odd and interesting hidden gems; you’ve just got to know where to look! If you’re into all things spooky and possibly cursed, you’ll find the infamous Occult Museum run by world-famous demonologists Fred and Lorraine Warren. Get up close to the real-life Annabelle…if you dare. In New Canaan, you can find a gorgeous, modern-looking home made of glass. In Pomfret, you’ll find Bara-Hack, an abandoned village empty for more than a century. We could go on for days! Where can I go hiking in Connecticut? Connecticut is a great state for hiking! It’s filled with stunning views, lush forest, and so much more to admire. Some of the most popular hiking trails in the Constitution State include the Bear Mountain Trail, inside Mount Riga State Park. It’s 6 miles long and can be challenging at times, but we promise it’s worth the effort. Chauncey Peak Trail at Giuffrida Park is another excellent one that we really love. Any of the trails at any of our amazing state parks are well worth a shot, and if you’d like more inspiration, take a look at this list of great places to go hiking in Connecticut. What types of unique attractions in Connecticut are there? Plenty! Every state has its weird and wonderful attractions that you won’t find anywhere else. Being a state as old as it is, Connecticut is full of all sorts of interesting and unique attractions just dying to be explored. Connecticut has an interesting connection to the paranormal, and it shows in the several museums dedicated to spooks and spirits and weirdness throughout the state, like the world-famous Ed and Lorraine Warren Occult Museum, and the lesser-appreciated but still worth a gander Zaffis Museum of the Paranormal, in Stratford. In New Haven, you can go see some strange human brains – seriously. And, if you get hungry, there’s always Louis’ Lunch in the same town, where the hamburger was invented. Score!
The OIYS Visitor Center
Connecticut Island You Can Walk To
August 04, 2021
Tori Jane
Where can I find some interesting hidden gems in Connecticut? Connecticut is one of those states you never hear about unless you live there. It’s a quiet place, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its fair share of high strangeness. In fact, you can find all kinds of odd and interesting hidden gems; you’ve just got to know where to look! If you’re into all things spooky and possibly cursed, you’ll find the infamous Occult Museum run by world-famous demonologists Fred and Lorraine Warren. Get up close to the real-life Annabelle…if you dare. In New Canaan, you can find a gorgeous, modern-looking home made of glass. In Pomfret, you’ll find Bara-Hack, an abandoned village empty for more than a century. We could go on for days! Where can I go hiking in Connecticut? Connecticut is a great state for hiking! It’s filled with stunning views, lush forest, and so much more to admire. Some of the most popular hiking trails in the Constitution State include the Bear Mountain Trail, inside Mount Riga State Park. It’s 6 miles long and can be challenging at times, but we promise it’s worth the effort. Chauncey Peak Trail at Giuffrida Park is another excellent one that we really love. Any of the trails at any of our amazing state parks are well worth a shot, and if you’d like more inspiration, take a look at this list of great places to go hiking in Connecticut. What types of unique attractions in Connecticut are there? Plenty! Every state has its weird and wonderful attractions that you won’t find anywhere else. Being a state as old as it is, Connecticut is full of all sorts of interesting and unique attractions just dying to be explored. Connecticut has an interesting connection to the paranormal, and it shows in the several museums dedicated to spooks and spirits and weirdness throughout the state, like the world-famous Ed and Lorraine Warren Occult Museum, and the lesser-appreciated but still worth a gander Zaffis Museum of the Paranormal, in Stratford. In New Haven, you can go see some strange human brains – seriously. And, if you get hungry, there’s always Louis’ Lunch in the same town, where the hamburger was invented. Score!
The OIYS Visitor Center
The OIYS Visitor Center
Connecticut is one of those states you never hear about unless you live there. It’s a quiet place, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its fair share of high strangeness. In fact, you can find all kinds of odd and interesting hidden gems; you’ve just got to know where to look! If you’re into all things spooky and possibly cursed, you’ll find the infamous Occult Museum run by world-famous demonologists Fred and Lorraine Warren. Get up close to the real-life Annabelle…if you dare. In New Canaan, you can find a gorgeous, modern-looking home made of glass. In Pomfret, you’ll find Bara-Hack, an abandoned village empty for more than a century. We could go on for days!
Where can I go hiking in Connecticut?
Connecticut is a great state for hiking! It’s filled with stunning views, lush forest, and so much more to admire. Some of the most popular hiking trails in the Constitution State include the Bear Mountain Trail, inside Mount Riga State Park. It’s 6 miles long and can be challenging at times, but we promise it’s worth the effort. Chauncey Peak Trail at Giuffrida Park is another excellent one that we really love. Any of the trails at any of our amazing state parks are well worth a shot, and if you’d like more inspiration, take a look at this list of great places to go hiking in Connecticut.
What types of unique attractions in Connecticut are there?
Plenty! Every state has its weird and wonderful attractions that you won’t find anywhere else. Being a state as old as it is, Connecticut is full of all sorts of interesting and unique attractions just dying to be explored. Connecticut has an interesting connection to the paranormal, and it shows in the several museums dedicated to spooks and spirits and weirdness throughout the state, like the world-famous Ed and Lorraine Warren Occult Museum, and the lesser-appreciated but still worth a gander Zaffis Museum of the Paranormal, in Stratford. In New Haven, you can go see some strange human brains – seriously. And, if you get hungry, there’s always Louis’ Lunch in the same town, where the hamburger was invented. Score!
