Cove Island Park

Great place to relax and hangout and have a few beers. Better when it gets warmer though. I miss jogging there, its just way too cold to go around running all over the place

My favourite park in Stamford. Cove Island Park is quite large, so finding some space just for you isn’t too difficult most of the time. I enjoy going to read a book and enjoy the sea views. There are also sandy beach parts if that’s what you’re into, and plenty of seats and table for picnics.
There is a charge for bringing your car, but I tend to travel by bus, and can then walk in for free.

This is my first time at expansive beach park. Very impressed with several athletic options one can do here. .roller blade paths, bike paths, walk only paths, volleyball courts, and kayak rentals. I have yet to come here in the summer but I am looking forward to the experience. I admire the fact that Stamford has preserved bits and pieces of old mill on property.

Really close to NYC. The grounds are well kept. It isn’t crowded and the park is very quiet. You can enjoy a great day with your family and if you come early you can get picnic tables with a beautiful view of the beach. The beach is okay, too many rocks though. There is a café on the premises which is very convenient. The bathrooms by the beach make it convenient to change in and out of your bathing suits. The town has a Shop Rite nearby which makes it convenient to buy all you need to cook on the grills that the park has available. I plan on returning next weekend. Overall a nice place for family outings.

If you can’t enjoy yourself here, then you are one tough cookie. Cove Island offers so much to do — walking, roller blading, biking, picnicking, a beach, fishing, boat docks, tennis courts, basketball court, ice skating, bird sanctuary, playground, and a large open area for all kinds of activities (soccer, kite flying, frisbee, etc.) An absolutely wonderful park for kids of all ages.

Growing up in Stamford my childhood wouldn’t have been complete without cove park! It’s perfect family spot– the kids park, the volleyball nets, the huge open grass, multiple bbq grills Around with picnic tables, excellent place for a run/​walk/​or bike ride on the path, the beaches are spacious and there’s a food stand! And of course soundwaters, from personal experience of attending the program in the building i learned so much about the Long Island sound that I still remember ! Plus they have a cute small aquarium inside.

Love having this basically as our backyard. If you live in Stamford, the summer pass is only $ 20 — def. worth it. It does get very crowded on a beautiful summer day but it has never been a problem for me to find a spot on the beach. There are 2 different beach spots — the main one across from the track, and smaller beach on the side — it’s more secluded but this one has an updated bathroom/​pavilion. I love that this place is 5 minutes from my apartment and basically has it all — a tennis court, track, hiking trail, beach, bbq stations, and more.
I absolutely love running on the track — especially during the late afternoon when there are not as many people, it’s so peaceful. The huge grass area in the middle is useful for when I stretch or do my own workouts. I have seen kid’s football practice, flag football and someone «parasailing» in that grass area. There is also a roller blade track (each track is marked for either walking/​running, bike, roller blade) so I am excited to invest in a roller blade! The road is flat and smooth, so I am not worried too much about rocks on the road — I am more fearful for people that get in my way since I don’t even know how to stop!
This beach park definitely has it all in my opinion — especially for being my backyard. We don’t need to drive over an hour to RI to enjoy the day and pay $ 20 – 25 for parking. It’s so convenient! Next summer, we are throwing a bbq party at the beach since people seem to bring their whole grill set, find a spot and just grill, eat, party all day.
If you are from Stamford, I would say check it out!

Here @ the cove park with my family. Nice park, relaxing beach, perfect for walking, jogging, etc. However the rest rooms are ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING!!!
After paying 20.00 to park, the least you can provide is someone to clean the facilities.

A good value for Stamford Residents. The gate fee is $ 20 for anyone out of town, but generally I would go elsewhere if I were to pay.
This beach/​park offers a variety of space for biking, roller blading, running etc. There is almost endless space even if the parking lot is spilling over onto the grass.
People set up some serious BBQ areas with tents, tables and chairs and almost everyone brings a grill. If you don’t you’ll wish you did as all the smells make you hungry.
It’s really worth the beach pass for the year and being only a few minute drive Cove Island provides a wealth of activity or inactivty for everyone from laying in the sand, beach volleyball or take a swim or stroll along the shore.
The beach part is decently maintained and combed and seems like some new sand was brought in.
A nice change of scenery and good place to spend the afternoon. I might go earlier to a spot near the trees as those are the most packed places.

Such a peaceful, picturesque place to go for a walk, the beach, boating, bar-​b-​que, and family gatherings. No cars are allowed on the island, so it’s very child-​friendly.

My only perspective is the interior of the park… never really went to the beach here. But there is a half-​mile asphalt ring, which is actually made for things on wheels. Bikes, rollerblades, etc. Would go here on a regular basis to get my workout on.
It’s alright. The ring is not as well paved as other places, but it’s passable. Sometimes little kids are riding all over it, which really isn’t safe. I’ve almost hit a few of them, and found myself bailing out on the grass just to avoid a lawsuit.
If you get here late enough, they won’t charge for parking. I can imagine it gets crowded and expensive for beach days though.

I found out today that cove island does public sailing on the long island sound. On Saturday & Sunday the educational sails are from 3−5pm for $ 20pp; then from 6:30 — 8:30pm its $ 30pp. You are allowed to bring food with you. All sails leave from the Stamford Harbor Park Marina.

What a awesome spot! Coming from Westchester we were looking to hit the beach without the tolls and weekend traffic to Jones. $ 20 admission is pricey but worth every penny. Grounds are massive and beautiful. Plenty of space for beach, grilling, swimming and all around fun! Try it out when the weather is nice: o)

I love this place. It has everything: playground, beach, mini aquarium with touch tank, a level paved path for walkers, bikers, roller bladers, strollers, etc. It’s a great place for kids to try to ride a bike for the first time or a scooter because it’s level. The scenery is also beautiful. I am not a Stamford resident but off-​season is free evidently b/​c no one’s asked me to pay yet. I still give it five stars but my car did get broken into and my purse was stolen in the middle of the day when I was parked at the entrance so keep your valuables with you. Many people who saw what happened said it happens all the time so there must be a bunch of crack-​heads running around the parking lot.

nice park for dogs

A decent beach, Cove Island Park offers Stamford residents the opportunity to get away to the beach for the day without having to drive far to do it.
Worthy of note: you need a beach pass for this place, and to acquire one you need to be a resident of Stamford. You can come here if you aren’t a resident, but then you need to pay the attendant at the entrance to the parking lot. I don’t know how much it costs to come here for the day, though.
The beach is a solid stretch of sand that curves around and faces the Long Island Sound. Since it faces the sound, waves are pretty much nonexistent here, and everything is very calm and relaxing. Each time I’ve been here, there have been speedboats out in the farther waters, trying to shake things up, and kayakers have been known to paddle closer to shore. The view is generally really clear, and Long Island can be seen off in the distance as a grey sliver.
The water itself is fairly refreshing, particularly after laying out on the hot sand, although it is a little rocky by the water’s edge. Clumps of seaweed are often found floating in the water, and a horseshoe crab even made an appearance in the shallow water when I was there last. Unfortunately, a group of people found it, brought on shore, and turned it over on its back to see if it could flip itself over, which it couldn’t. I thought that was just cruel. A la Pink Floyd, I wanted to say «Hey! People! Leave that crab alone!» Fortunately, they righted the poor animal and put it back in the water. I know it’s kind of a weird-​looking animal, but it’s still an animal. That’s just not right.
There tends to be a good mix of people at this beach, and as with any beach you get your standard families-​with-​kids situations. Barbecuing can take place on the grassier areas, and there are nice walkways leading up to the beach where people can stroll, bike or walk their dogs. Unlike Jones Beach, there is no place for umbrella rentals here, so be sure to bring your own unless you want an ugly sunburn. There is a small, kind-​of-​dull snack bar that is cash-​only, but it’s a good place to buy water if you forget to bring your own. The changing bathrooms here are disgusting, so only use them if you absolutely have to do so. I used the bathrooms at a beach in Tobago and those were cleaner than the bathrooms at Cove Beach. Seriously.
All in all, this a good stretch of beach for those who want to relax for a day. It’s not nearly as large as the other beaches in this area, and if you go in expecting a Jones Beach/​Robert Moses type experience then you will definitely be disappointed. It’s a nice town beach, with relaxing views, and should definitely be appreciated as such.

We parked our picnic blanket on a grassy spot near the beach and hung out for hours. We were a little unclear on the alcohol policy but we saw several groups bringing in glass bottles (though I’m pretty sure glass is forbidden). We stuck with boxed wine and cans of beer. Lots of kids but not too crowded. The beach is pretty tame – smallish and no waves – but looked like a nice place to go for a relaxing swim.
Cons: $ 20 for a one-​day parking pass.

Beautiful beach connected to a park. Great place to walk your dog, play in the sand, or go for a run. I believe you need to have a Stamford Resident parking sticker.

Cove Island serves Stamford residents well. It’s the visitors who have to stay away, unless of course they ride bikes across the Post Road or are lucky enough to find a parking space on the street somewhere among the back street (Forget it.).
The additions to the park as of late have served it well. Now, anyone on wheels has his or her own riding/​blading path while walkers are relegate to another. That works, since there are lots of walkers on the weekend, many of whom are senior citizens. It’s about a mile around the loop with nice views of the sound and of Darien. The beach, however, is, well, lower Long Island Sound, which we have all but poisoned. Perhaps Soundwaters and other environmental groups can continue their efforts to save it from the rest of us.