We’ve posted our hours through March below. Remember that you can go hiking or biking for free just north of the park on the Connecticut River from dawn to dusk each day.

October - March Hours

Open Water Activities including scuba, kayaking and canoing:
By appointment only except for scheduled special events - check out the calendar of events.

Swimming Area:
Closed

Hike and Bike Trails:
Dawn to dusk each day

We’ll see you there!

With the purchase of an Adventure Sports Pass - only $20 - anyone more than 8 years of age can sign up for a free Discover Scuba lesson!

Lessons occur every Saturday and Sunday in September and start at 1 p.m. and are sponsored by local scuba dive centers from the Connecticut area.

In addition to our regular liability release, a medical release must be completed prior to the class. Please read the release very carefully and fill out the entire form.

The water is warm in September - so don’t miss out!

Contact us at Brownstone Park for additional information and to register.

Kathleen Edgecomb from theday.com - a New London, Conn. newspaper and Web site - visited the park and posted the story.

Cliff jumping? Check. One-hundred-foot water slide? Check. Zip line across the water? Check. Scuba diving, snorkeling, kayaking? Check, check, check. Rock-climbing? Coming soon.

This park, carved out of the quarries along the Connecticut River, is not for the weekend walker or the casual swimmer. This is hard-core recreation.

This summer, we are welcoming town recreation groups from all over Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. We welcome bus loads of kids every day! Just contact us to make your group reservations.

We are also hosting plenty of birthday parties this summer for kids of all ages. Brownstone Park is a unique party destination for kids and adults of all ages.

We’ll see you this summer!

Swimmers will find the water to be perfect on a sunny day. Scuba divers are wearing full 7mm suits with hoods and gloves or drysuits.

Park hours will remain, seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Labor Day Weekend.

For more information, including directions to the park, visit our Hours and Directions page.

If you have any questions or want to check to see if there will be a night dive this week, call Scuba Shack at (860) 563-0119.

You should always call the dive center to confirm if there will be a dive that evening.

This is a great opportunity to see what dry diving is all about. Prior to your demo, you’re fitted with the right suit and accessories and you’ll dive with an instructor or divemaster as a personal guide.

Buy tickets in advance at participating dive centers for $8, or they are $13 at the gate. The fee to Brownstone Park is not included, so if you’re not a season pass holder that will be an additional $20. (Yes, the zip lines and wakeboard park will be available - weather dependent.)

This is a unique opportunity to try DUI drysuits, divewear insulation, buoyancy control systems, and weight and trim systems.

You don’t need to be drysuit certified to test dive DUI drysuits. Most everything you’ll need to know about the event is listed in this brochure.

Saturday Dinner & Program at 6 p.m.
This is a good opportunity to talk with dive industry leaders over a great catered dinner. We’ll also feature a fun presentation “The Birth of a Drysuit”. It’ll be a fun evening of great food, friends and prizes…prizes…prizes! Get your tickets early.

Note: The Saturday dinner and program is an additional cost of $8 in advance, or $13 at the door. (Hey, it’s a catered dinner!)

Barbecue Lunch - 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday
This is included in the event ticket price and is served to all participants who are trying a dry suit each day. Plan your dive schedule appropriately, to make sure you�ve had a chance to eat.

We recommend that divers arriving to the event later than 11:30 a.m. check in with DUI and have lunch before drysuit fitting and diving. We have hamburgers (including veggie burgers), hot dogs, potato chips, and drinks.

Family members of participants can enjoy the barbecue lunch for only $5 (plus park admission). Small children are free with a paid adult.

Public Safety Diver Events on Friday
On Friday, a special public safety diver event will be held. Dive teams from around New England have the opportunity to learn what you need to know to be safer in operational diving situations. The day is not limited to just trying out dry suits.

Workshops for public safety dive teams and military divers start at 10 a.m. on Friday. You can pre-register by calling DUI at (800) 325-8439.

You may also contact your local participating dive center if you have any questions. We’ll see you there!

Their equipment includes state of the art buoyancy compensators, backplates, harness systems, underwater lighting systems, a rebreather and a variety of diving accessories. Just to get started, the following are the main attractions for the weekend.

• Halcyon Demo Days - try out new gear and see what diving DIR is all about.
• Global Underwater Explorer (GUE) Workshops - Plenty of learning opportunities all weekend.
• Saturday Night Presentation by Jarrod Jablonski, president and founder of GUE at 5 p.m. on Aug. 16.
• Scooter Test Rides and more!

There are eight workshops scheduled each day (Saturday and Sunday) plus the ability to complete the GUE Fundamentals checkout dives at the park.

You should register for workshops in advance at the Northeast Underwater Explorers Web site here. Workshops include the following:

What GUE is all About - Register Online Now
A presentation for those new to GUE or interested in finding out more. Covering the education, research and exploration activities as well as some of the history of GUE/DIR philosophies, equipment configuration and training.

Equipment & Skills - Register Online Now
A presentation introducing the GUE Fundamentals course and the skills covered (including simple land drills) followed by an in-water practice session. This workshop will introduce divers to GUE philosophy with a focus on equipment configuration, balance, buoyancy, trim and propulsion techniques.

Wreck Survey - Register Online Now
Divers and historians can learn a lot about a wreck from surveys. Learn about different underwater survey methods and then practice on one of the “Wrecks of Brownstone Park.” With numerous wrecks in our local waters, these skills could come in handy. Non divers also welcome as same skill set is used for foreshore surveys.

Scooter Workshop - Register Online Now
Introduction to scooters, and an opportunity to try them out. Land session covering the basics - general overview, setup, skills, dive management. In-water session covers adjusting tow cord & riding position, simple turns. We anticipate this being a very popular session and it is intended for those that do not currently own a scooter.

Surface Marker Buoy - Register Online Now
Discussion of the SMB procedure, and some advice on how to use them. Followed by an in-water session with opportunity to practice and try a range of different spools/reels and markers.

Line Laying - Register Online Now
An introduction to the use of guidelines; including a land practical session covering team roles & positioning, primary & secondary tie-offs etc. Followed by in-water practice.

Propulsion Techniques - Register Online Now
An introduction to a variety of underwater kicks, including frog kick, modified flutter, helicopter turns and more! Starts with land-based introduction, followed by practice at the surface, then underwater.

Communications - Register Online Now
An introduction to underwater communication, including hand and light signals.

Bring your family since the park has great swimming activities plus zip lines, cliff jumping, water toys and two wakeboard runs.

If you have friend that want to try scuba diving, Scuba Shack will be providing Discover Scuba programs on both days - all day! For Discover Scuba registration, contact Scuba Shack at (860) 563-0119. Scuba Shack - a local dive center in Rocky Hill, Conn. - is currently the number four Halcyon dealer in the world and features all of their products.

The Brownstone Park Campground — directly adjacent to the Connecticut River — is scheduled to open on the weekend of June 21, the first day of summer.

There will be spaces for tents and recreational vehicles and the park will start taking reservations on May 15 (no earlier). For RVs the rate will be $20 per night and tents are $10 per night.

You can now make campground reservation requests online.

We’ll post some photos and additional details about the campground during the next weeks.