Kayaking at Gillette Castle

You can put a canoe or kayak into the Connecticut River at Gillette Castle State Park from the car-top launch at the Chester–Hadlyme ferry landing, below the castle on the Hadlyme side. The Friends of Gillette Castle State Park describe a flat dirt parking lot at the landing with the launch past its far end. The park is free and open 8 a.m. to sunset. Keep clear of the ferry, which crosses on demand from April 1 to November 30.

The Launch

DEEP's trail map marks a car-top launch beside the Chester/Hadlyme ferry landing. "Car-top" means hand-carried boats only: canoes, kayaks and paddleboards you lift off your roof, not trailered boats. The Friends say the satellite parking lot here is unpaved but flat and firm, with benches and a view up the river, and that you cross the end of the lot, past the launch, to reach a lawn with a view of the castle on the hill.

The Friends say the landing lot can be reached by car, like the Goldfish Pond lot (parking and directions).

Sharing the River With the Ferry

The Chester–Hadlyme ferry runs back and forth from this landing all season, on demand, weekdays from 7 a.m. and weekends from 10:30 a.m. Stay well clear of its crossing line and of the landing ramps on both banks, and do not launch or land in front of a boat that is loading (ferry hours and fares).

Paddle to the Aunt Polly

The burned hull of Gillette's houseboat lies on the shore inside the park and is a Connecticut Archaeological Preserve. DEEP says it is best seen at low tide, when, CT Humanities says, more than 100 feet of the hull shows. Look from the water, but do not land on or disturb the wreck; the preserve status protects it (Aunt Polly).

A River Without a City at Its Mouth

The Friends point out that shifting sandbars at the mouth kept the Connecticut from growing a large city and port where it meets the sea, unlike other major rivers in the northeast. That is why the banks around the castle are still mostly undeveloped.

Overnight Trips

Gillette Castle has one primitive, boat-in campsite for paddlers, open May 1 to Columbus Day, $5 per person per night, one night only, no fires or pets (river camping). It is part of the Connecticut River Paddlers' Trail, a 410-mile paddling trail through New England with primitive campsites along the river. Downstream, Selden Neck State Park in Lyme is an island reachable only by boat, the largest in the Connecticut River (things to do).

Safety

• Expect current, wind and boat traffic on the river. Wear a life jacket.
• Check the tide if you want to see the Aunt Polly; low water shows the most.
• Park hours are 8 a.m. to sunset; be off the water and back at your car by closing (hours).

Good For / Maybe Skip If

• Good for: paddlers with their own boats who want a castle view from the water.
• Maybe skip if: you need a rental. DEEP lists no boat rentals at the park.