Black Rock State Park

Closed — Closed for the season. Opens Friday, May 23, 2025 and closes Monday, October 13, 2025 at noon. Early season camping is rustic only with portable toilets and no showers or running water until approximately Memorial Day weekend.

About

Tucked into the scenic rolling hills of Connecticut's Western Highlands, Black Rock State Park encompasses 444 acres of steep, wooded ledges covered with pine, hemlock, and oak trees surrounding Black Rock Pond. The campground offers 78 sites split between wooded and open settings, plus 4 rustic cabins that sleep up to six people. The park is one of Connecticut's 13 designated trout parks, with Black Rock Pond regularly restocked with brown and rainbow trout throughout spring and fall. The park's trail network includes the blue-blazed Mattatuck Trail, which offers challenging climbs and panoramic views of the Naugatuck Valley, as well as easier footpaths around the pond. The commanding rock face that gives the park its name provides views stretching to Thomaston, Watertown, and Waterbury. Early settlers mined graphite lead or "black rock" from this area around 1657, and artifacts from the Mohegan, Paugussett, and Tunxis tribes are still occasionally discovered. Campground amenities include bathhouses with hot showers and dishwashing facilities, a dumping station, and accessible campsites. Each site has a picnic table, fire ring, and grate. The park also features a swimming beach, fishing pond, recreation field, and picnic areas. Note that pets and alcohol are prohibited throughout the park.

Directions

Located at 2065 Thomaston Road, Watertown, CT 06795 in the Western Highlands of Connecticut.

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