Gillette Castle State Park
Trails, a train tunnel, river bank exploring, and a castle!
Gillette Castle State Park is a great day trip destination. The castle re-opens for tours on May 29, 2021!
Parking and access to the grounds are free.
Admission to the Castle is $6 for anyone 13 years of age and older.
Children 6-12 are $2. Children 5 and younger are admitted free of charge.
The trails alone make for a great visit. Adding on a self-guided castle tour is a fun option, and if the cafe is open it is a great stop for a soft serve cone after exploring the grounds.
A trail map is HERE. We recently did about 3 miles, which included the purple, red, and blue trails. From the parking lot, we took the trail that is marked in purple on the map to go see the train tunnel first. This trail always has fewer people on it and I think many visitors miss this highlight. William Gillette, builder of the castle, also built a miniature railroad that used to travel the property. Many of the trails follow the old train tracks, and the tunnel was built for the train.
After we did the train tunnel, we backtracked and crossed the street, following the rest of the trail that is purple on the map (the train track trail). From the end of the purple trail, you can take the red trail to see several bridges that were also part of the original train route. The red trail also dips down to a little view of the river.
After red, we explored the exterior of the castle grounds and then took the blue trail down the hill to enjoy the sandy river bank. We were there at low tide, so there was a wide, sandy beach to run and play on before heading back to the car. Don't miss the riverbank, it is also an overlooked spot that is a lovely place to rest and watch the boats on the river.
More Information:
An additional optional adventure is taking the Chester-Hadlyme Ferry to get to Gillette Castle! Open seasonally, this is a small ferry boat that you drive your car onto to cross the river. It is open from April - November and is $6 per car on weekends. The ride takes less than 15 minutes and you can see Gillette Castle up on the ridge above you as you cross. No reservations needed, just drive up to the ferry landing and wait! This is a unique experience and is recommended as a fun add-on to your trip!
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