Old Saybrook: Coast, Nature and History

Old Saybrook offers a range of ways to spend your stay: Harvey's Beach, trails for hiking and mountain biking, historic sites and a varied cultural program. When choosing a destination, you might first consider whether you would rather spend your time being active outdoors, exploring local history or attending a cultural event. Each place and offering has its own distinctive appeal.

Beach and outdoor trails

Harvey's Beach is about 100 yards long. Visitors can fish there. If fishing is one of your interests, the beach is a specific point of reference for your stay in Old Saybrook. The stated length and the explicitly mentioned activity offer two different points of reference for planning: the size of the beach and a possible activity by the water.

The conservation areas also offer a range of ways to stay active. Great Cedars East Conservation Area covers 110 acres and has natural trails for hiking. Great Cedars West Conservation Area has trails for mountain biking. This distinction is useful when choosing an activity: East is associated with hiking trails, while West is associated with mountain biking trails. You can therefore choose based on the activity mentioned for each area, rather than treating the trails in both areas as a single offering.

Another way to get around on foot or by bike is the Historical Self-Guided Tour. It runs from the train station to Saybrook Point and can be taken on foot or by bike. Choosing between these two ways of getting around is therefore part of the tour itself. You can explore Old Saybrook on a self-guided route without being limited to one way of getting around.

Choosing boat access by transport type

If you are traveling by boat, two municipal access points differ in how the boat is transported. The Town of Old Saybrook Boat Launch on North Cove Road has a concrete ramp for boats on trailers. The Old Saybrook Town Dock is at the end of Sheffield Street and provides access only for boats transported on a car roof. Your choice therefore depends on how your boat is brought to the water: on a trailer or on a car roof. This distinction helps you avoid confusing the two access points.

Local history and culture

The General William Hart House was built in 1767. The Hart House Public Heritage Gardens are directly behind the historic house. Cypress Cemetery was originally established in 1635 as the cemetery of the Saybrook Colony. At Fort Saybrook Monument Park, information panels tell the story of the Saybrook Colony, founded in 1635; the park covers 17 acres. These historic sites each focus on a different aspect: the house is associated with a year of construction, the cemetery with its original use and the park with the history of the colony.

The Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center and Museum offers a varied cultural program on more than 300 days a year. The venue includes a 285-seat theater. Alongside the historic sites, it gives culture enthusiasts another focus for planning their trip. If you are traveling to Old Saybrook for a particular performance, check in advance which program falls within your travel dates.

Planning around seasonal offerings

The Old Saybrook Farmer's Market runs from June to October. Saybrook Point Mini Golf is a recreational option from May to October. The periods overlap from June to October, while the mini-golf season starts as early as May. This difference is useful when choosing your dates if you would like to include one of these seasonal offerings in your plans. You can compare your travel dates with the months listed for each without treating the two offerings as the same.

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