A majestic bald eagle perches on a tree branch.

Eagle Landing State Park

Haddam, CT

Eagle Landing State Park is appropriately named for its favorite visitors. One of Connecticut’s newest state parks, this location features 16 acres of Connecticut River frontage and a dock that hosts scenic and birdwatching tours. Benches, walkways, and docks provide the year-round visitor with a respite from life’s stresses. Whether watching the boats in summer, checking out the scenic views of Goodspeed Opera House and Swing Bridge, or hoping for a glimpse of our national symbol in the winter months, Eagle Landing is an easy visit year-round.

Cruise lines operate from Eagle Landing: River Quests’ Connecticut River Expeditions, in conjunction with the CT Valley Steam Train located in Essex, and the Lady Katharine, which offers a variety of summer cruises and winter eagle cruises departing from the park’s waterfront. The park is adjacent to Valley Railroad State Park and Clark Creek Wildlife Management Area, making it easy to explore all three parks together.

History

In the early 2000s, the work began to acquire the pieces that make up today’s 16-acre park. Any acquisition of frontage along the Connecticut River is highly valued for its premium location and natural heritage significance. Eagle Landing State Park is no exception.

Like much of the Connecticut River’s floodplain, the Eagle Landing area was historically used for agriculture from well before the last century up through the 1960s. Since then, its use as home port for a cruise line brought building construction and surface parking. In its heyday, the line offered scenic trips through the lower Connecticut River Valley and across the Sound to Long Island.

But the greater story is the visitation and repopulation of the Valley by bald eagles. Today’s combination of riverine land preservation, which provides suitable habitat, and the significant decrease in pesticide-based food contamination has enabled the eagle population to rebound from a near-total absence in the state in the 1950s to today’s winter sightings that number in the dozens.

Views from the Park

A boat docked on misty water beneath a pink sky.

A majestic bald eagle soaring across water holding a fish.

A man standing on a dock with his bike, enjoying the view of the water.

A couple enjoying a boat ride during autumn.

A train journeying through autumn-colored foliage.

A majestic eagle perched on a tree branch.

Location

14 Little Meadow Rd.
Haddam, CT 06438

Get Directions

Details

Open Daily
(8:00 a.m. – Sunset)

Park Maps

Contact

Main (860) 345-8521

A serene dock at sunset, framed by a blue sky and winter surroundings.

Activities

Overview

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Bus Permits are required for mid-size and full-size busses seating 30 or more passengers

Boating

The park offers cartop boating access to Connecticut River. It’s also popular for river cruises.

River Cruises: Connecticut RiverQuest

Fishing

Fishing pier available.

Before heading out, be sure to check the latest river conditions and fishing regulations.

Nature

Birdwatching

There is little that compares to the sight of a bald eagle in the wild. Cold weather to the north forces eagles to the lower Connecticut, and the months of January and February are the principal times to see them. In addition, the neighborhood is conducive to their presence. Just a few thousand feet downstream from Eagle Landing is the Nature Conservancy’s 255-acre Chapman Pond Preserve, where eagles are known to visit regularly. And it isn’t just bald eagles that can be sighted. Much rarer are golden eagles, but they’ve been observed recently along the lower Connecticut River. Bring your field glasses or spotting scope, but remember to not disturb any eagles you see and observe them from a distance.