Hopeville Pond State Park

By Sarah MitchellOutdoor Editor & Trail ExpertFebruary 5, 2026 · Updated May 11, 2026

Wooded Campground and Swimming Pond in Eastern Connecticut — 554 Acres, 80 Campsites Including Electric and Water Hookups, Rental Cabin, Sandy Swimming Beach on Hopeville Pond, Fishing, Hiking Trails Through Pachaug State Forest, Griswold New London County Connecticut

Hopeville Pond State Park is a 554-acre state park in Griswold, New London County, Connecticut. The park features a wooded campground with 80 sites including tent, RV, and electric/water hookup options, a rental cabin for those preferring indoor lodging, a sandy swimming beach on Hopeville Pond with lifeguard staffing in summer, fishing in Hopeville Pond for bass, panfish, and trout, hiking trails that connect into the surrounding 27,000-acre Pachaug State Forest (the largest state forest in Connecticut), a boat launch for non-motorized and small motorized boats, picnic areas with tables and grills, and a dump station for RV campers.

Hopeville Pond is eastern Connecticut’s camping headquarters — an 80-site wooded campground tucked within the 27,000-acre Pachaug State Forest, the largest state forest in Connecticut. The campground fills up fast on summer weekends — book through ReserveAmerica early.

The sandy swimming beach on Hopeville Pond is lifeguard-staffed during summer and open to both campers and day-use visitors. The pond itself offers good bass and panfish fishing, and trout are stocked seasonally.

Things to Do

• Camping — 80 sites: tent, RV, electric/water hookups, cabin
• Swimming — sandy beach, lifeguards in summer
• Fishing — bass, panfish, stocked trout
• Hiking — trails into 27,000-ac Pachaug State Forest
• Boating — launch for non-motorized + small motors
• Picnicking — tables and grills

Camping Details

Park Information

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: May 2026

Wildlife & Nature

Hopeville Pond State Park’s 554-acre forest and 100-acre pond create a diverse ecosystem in Connecticut’s eastern Quiet Corner. The pond supports warmwater fish including largemouth bass, chain pickerel, and panfish. Painted turtles bask on every available log, their colorful shells gleaming in the sun. The surrounding oak-hickory forest produces acorns and nuts that sustain wild turkey flocks, gray squirrels, and white-tailed deer through winter. Eastern box turtles — slow-moving forest dwellers that can live over 100 years — are occasionally found crossing park roads. The park’s campground provides an excellent base for exploring eastern Connecticut’s “Quiet Corner” — the least developed and most rural region of the state.

Nearby Attractions

Pachaug State Forest — Connecticut’s largest (27,000+ acres) — surrounds the park with extensive trail networks for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. Green Falls Reservoir in Pachaug offers secluded fishing and paddling. Foxwoods Resort Casino (Mashantucket Pequot) and Mohegan Sun — two of the largest casinos in the Western Hemisphere — are both within 20 minutes. Mystic Seaport Museum is 30 minutes south. Sterling and Voluntown retain their 18th-century agricultural character — stone walls, weathered barns, and working farms define the landscape.

About the Author

Sarah Mitchell

Outdoor Editor & Trail Expert

Sarah Mitchell is an outdoor writer and trail researcher with over 8 years of experience exploring state parks across America. As the lead editor at AmericasStateParks.org, she has personally visited more than 200 parks in 42 states, logging thousands of trail miles and hundreds of campground nights. Sarah specializes in detailed park guides, accessibility information, and family-friendly outdoor planning. Her work focuses on helping first-time visitors feel confident and well-prepared for their state park adventures.

200+ state parks visited across 42 states | 8+ years of outdoor writing

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