Mystic is a charming and magical little place, a must-visit Connecticut location, and has a lot of lovely beaches to offer. The great thing about Mystic beaches is that they're all conveniently accessible and nicely located near the attractions, eateries, and inns of the village and surrounding area. Most Mystic beaches are also equipped with useful facilities and amenities, without feeling too built-up or touristic. These beaches find just the right balance between convenience and tranquility, providing peaceful environments and useful services to help all guests have a great time. Read through our Mystic, CT beach guide below to learn more.
We recommend that you call the attractions and restaurants ahead of your visit to confirm current opening times.
1.Misquamicut State Beach
Misquamicut State Beach isn't actually in Mystic, but it's only a 15 minute drive away over towards Westerly, Rhode Island. The first thing that stands out about Misquamicut State Beach is its size. This is a very big beach with more than enough space to handle the large numbers of locals and tourists that love to spend sunny summer days down by the shore. The sand here is white and soft, very comfortable for beach-goers who just want to laze around for a few hours and enjoy an extended sunbathing session.
Many other beach activities can be enjoyed here too, with rental stores offering jet skis and other water sports equipment for affordable prices. There's also a cute little carousel for families with children, and lots of good eateries, bars, and accommodation options can be found just a short walk away from this beach. Saltwater fishing is also popular in the Misquamicut area, and there's a boat launch site at one end of the beach, with various fishing charters operating nearby as well.
2.Ocean Beach Park
Ocean Beach Park is more than just a Mystic, CT beach, it's a full family-friendly attraction with a whole host of activities and fun things to do. You can spend a whole day at Ocean Beach Park and still need to come back again because you won't have had enough time to do everything! The park itself covers around 50 acres of land in total and features a long list of attractions including an Olympic-sized freshwater swimming pool, a scenic nature trail, a half-mile boardwalk, and lots of good spaces to sit down, rest, and eat a picnic with friends or family.
Not only that, but Ocean Beach Park is also equipped with rides, games, an arcade, a mini golf course, and a play area for little ones. And we haven't even mentioned the beach itself, which is a long and spacious sandy strip offering superb views of the Atlantic Ocean and surrounding scenery. In short, Ocean Beach Park is one of the must-visit locations in the Mystic area and it's only 10-15 minutes outside of the town.
3.Williams Beach Park
If you want to visit a beach without having to jump in the car and drive out of Mystic, Williams Beach Park is the one for you. Located at the end of Harry Austin Drive, this Mystic beach area is fitted out with all the typical amenities and fun attractions of a park, including large grassy spaces for picnics and fames, a play area for children, sporting fields, and a bunch of picnic tables and benches dotted around too.
This Mystic beach is small but enjoyable and offers nice views of the town’s shoreline. The waves can vary here, but swimming is possible on calm days. Be careful, however, as there are no lifeguards on duty at Williams Beach Park, so if you’re traveling with young children then it’s vital to keep an eye on them at all times.
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4.Napatree Point
You might also see this beach under the name Half-Mile Beach, and it's over in the Watch Hill area near Westerly. Napatree Point is a unique little sandy spit, which is also a Conservation Area, stretching out into the Sound. The area was originally named due to the many trees that were found in the area, but storms over the years have caused much of the vegetation to be washed away, leaving nothing but sandy and low-lying grasses.
This gives Napatree Point some of the best beach views anywhere in the Mystic area, and it's only a very short drive away from the town. This beach has proven very popular with wildlife and nature enthusiasts and it's not uncommon to spot foxes and deer roaming around, as well as many different seabird species.
5.More US Beaches
One of the reasons why so many people visit the United States of America each year is because the nation is lucky enough to have a very wide spectrum of landscapes. From sunny shoreline spots like Miami or Malibu to unique geological marvels like the Grand Canyon and Yosemite National Park, America is home to forests, mountains, bays, beaches, deserts, canyons, valleys, and so much more. No matter what kind of natural scenery you want to enjoy, you'll be able to find it somewhere in the United States. This exceptional kind of variety is also seen in the nation's beaches.
The United States is home to every kind of beach. Down in the sunniest states, for example, tourists can be seen surfing the waves and heading out on sport fishing boats for all kinds of adventures. Further north, the fun in the sun continues, with the New England region being home to some of the area’s most historic and picturesque coastal locations. The beaches of Connecticut, for example, have a lot of stories to tell and some awe-inspiring views to admire. The little village of Mystic, CT is a great place to start your Connecticut beach trip, being located on the Mystic River, which flows out into the Long Island Sound. Mystic is one of the top tourist hotspots in New England, home to several unique attractions and landmarks like the Mystic Seaport and Mystic Museum of Art.
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4 Best Mystic, CT Beaches
- Misquamicut State Beach, Photo: Marianne Campolongo/stock.adobe.com
- Ocean Beach Park, Photo: Taiga/stock.adobe.com
- Williams Beach Park, Photo: Like/stock.adobe.com
- Napatree Point, Photo: Taiga/stock.adobe.com
- More US Beaches, Photo: Like/stock.adobe.com
- Cover Photo: Courtesy of Anna - Fotolia.com
Attraction Spotlight: Mystic Aquarium
Mystic Aquarium, located in Mystic, Connecticut, was founded in 1973 and privately owned by Kelvin Smith. The location was chosen by the famed philanthropist and industrialist due to its proximity to the ocean coast and rich maritime history. The aquarium joined forces with Ballard Institute for Exploration in 1999 and underwent over $50 million in renovations.
The aquarium is renowned for its beluga whale exhibit. It is the only place in New England to host them, as well as one of only three facilities in the United States that is home to Steller Sea Lions. In 2012, Mystic aquarium expanded again to open the Ocean Exploration Center. This exhibit featured maps, diagrams, models and stories of Dr. Robert Ballard’s deep sea explorations of The Black Sea, and the infamous wreckage of the RMS Titanic. There was even a live feed camera to the Nautilus ship where aquarium visitors could talk to scientists and explorers live to ask questions.
Ballard is one of the most famous ocean explorers in the world, most noted for his 1985 discovery of the RMS Titanic wreckage. On the 100th anniversary, April 12th, 2012, Ballard opened the Titanic exhibit at the Ocean Exploration Center. This exhibit was co-built by a Disney animator and funded through United Technologies Corporation’s $1 million donation.
In 2014, Stephen Coan, President of the Sea Research Foundation through Mystic Aquarium was honored to accept the National Medal for Museum and Library Services, proving that Mystic Aquarium was one of the best and most ecologically beneficial aquariums in The United States. The aquarium continued to grow through 2015 when the Titanic exhibit was remodeled to embrace a large, 7,000 square feet space for a new showcase called Exploration: Wild after Ballard unfortunately ended his relationship with the aquarium he had founded.
Mystic Aquarium prides itself on their mission to get people up close and personal with the marine life at the aquarium. There are many interactive exhibits and opportunities to touch several of the aquatic creatures at the aquarium. Exploring the mystifying beauty of the underwater world has never been more exciting than at Mystic Aquarium.
The Main Gallery at the aquarium is comprised of hundreds of tanks filled with thousands of different fish and sharks from all over the world. There are also some reptiles on display in this exhibit such as the loggerhead turtle and sea turtles. This main attraction of Mystic Aquarium houses several individual exhibits such as Shark Encounters! Where guests can touch the back of a real life shark and the Shark Lagoon where patrons can relax and watch the sharks in the aquariums close to natural habitat.
The discovery room is also located in the Main Gallery and is a great spot for kids to play and explore. They can even pick up and handle a crab. Some of the other features of the Main Gallery include the coral reef exhibit, Jellyfish tanks, moray eels, barracuda, and Amazonian habitats.
Sting Ray Bay is located just outside of the Main Gallery and is a very hands-on exhibit where visitors are encouraged to participate in handling the stingrays in the stingray pool. Children and Adults alike are delighted to lean over the edge and dip their hand into the salt water to feel the smooth backs of different species of sting rays.
Foxwoods Marine Theater is a part of the Main Gallery where visitors can interact with California Sea Lions. Trainers put on a show of sorts for visitors in the upstairs pools to demonstrate the learned behaviors of sea lions and educated guests on conservation of the ocean and facts pertaining to sea lions. Downstairs, there is a large, underwater viewing area where guests can come face to face with these magnificent creatures. The sea lions will swim right up to the viewers on the other side of thick, glass walls. There are many seating areas in this part of the aquarium that allow guests to take a break and relax while still being immersed in the ocean world.
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The Roger Tory Peterson Penguin Exhibit is home to 35 African penguins and contains above ground and under water viewing opportunities. The African Penguin is currently on the verge of becoming extinct in our lifetime. Mystic Aquarium is a leader among conservation efforts to stop this tragedy from becoming a reality. The top of the exhibit is open air. Penguins can be seen waddling around on rocks and sliding across their habitats in play. This exhibit does not require to go underground to view the underwater lives of the penguins however as the habitat is raised so that guests can view the penguins swimming and diving into the water from eye level.
Guests can also participate in penguin encounters in this exhibit. The program is in addition to aquarium admittance and is one-hour long. Those who choose to attend this special presentation are able to talk with and observe trainers interacting with penguins and gain in depth knowledge on the conservations efforts that the aquarium participates in for the African Penguins.
Arctic Coast Exhibit is home to The United States’ largest beluga whale outdoor exhibit. This habitat is designed with actual glacier ice that spans one acre, streams, evergreen trees and crystal blue water. This exhibit also provides for above and below ground viewing tanks. In the above ground presentation, visitors can watch feeding demonstrations and learn from trainers the behaviors and conservation efforts extended to beluga whales. Below ground, there are three 20-foot windows where guests can watch the whales swim and glide through the water. The beluga whales also share space in this exhibit with two harbor seals that were rescued by the aquarium.
Mystic Aquarium is leading the research of beluga whales. Marine biologists from Mystic Aquarium study these whales at the aquarium and also in their natural habitat, the arctic. Currently, research is focused on how environmental change, including human caused damage, affects the lives and well-being of these amazing marine mammals.
Exploration: Wild gives visitors the opportunity to explore the rainforest and many other habitats without having to leave the country. Journey through the amazon, the arctic, the open ocean, and the American wetlands through several interactive stations that provide hands on learning and exploration. There are also many reptiles houses in this area of the Aquarium where visitors five years old and up, can touch and interact with bearded lizards, snakes, and other reptiles.
Frogs! This colorful exhibit has nearly 40 different species of frogs from common toads to poisonous amazon amphibians. There are also several other amphibians in this exhibit, such as salamanders, from across the globe. One third of all frog species are in danger of becoming extinct and Frogs! Focuses on educating guests, both young and old, on the importance of amphibians in an eco-system, conservation and the life cycle of a frog.
Pacific Northwest Exhibit is where the seals and sea lions not housed in the Main Gallery can be viewed. This is an open air, outdoor habitat that is designed to resemble the natural ecosystem of these marine mammals. Visitors can watch the mammals at feeding times where trainers put on a small demonstration. The seals and sea lions spend most of their time swimming or sunning themselves on the beach!
Marsh Trek is the area of Mystic Aquarium where guests can walk along a boardwalk and play I spy with the native east coast species and other creatures native to North America. Blue heron can be spotted soaring over the marsh where bullfrogs, ducks, turtles and fish call home. There is also natural vegetation in the marsh such as water lilies.
Mystic Aquarium is much more than just a visitor attraction. They are also an animal rescue clinic that provides care and rehabilitation for stranded and injured marine animals. The rescue team, on average, responds to 30 calls per year along 1,000 miles of North Eastern coastline. Aquarium visitors are welcomed and encouraged to take a peek into the clinic to see all the hard work and care that goes into bringing seals and sea lions back to health and reintroducing them into the wild, or transferring some to other aquariums throughout the United States.
Mystic Aquarium offers several programs throughout the year that provides educational opportunities for visitors. There are summer camps and programs from children preschool through high school as well as special presentations for families that homeschool. One of the most fascinating programs at Mystic Aquarium is the Sea School. This school is the first and only accredited preschool program in The United States that is inside of an aquarium.
There are even opportunities for overnight stays at the aquarium and programs designed for girl scouts and boy scouts. The overnight programs allow for families or groups to explore the aquarium after hours, when everyone else has gone home and the aquarium provides staff for the event. The scout programs focus on recycling and conservation efforts and how to implement them at home.
55 Coogan Blvd., Mystic, CT 06355, Phone: 860-572-5955
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