Silver Sands State Park 1.35

Silver Sands State Park is a public recreation area located on Long Island Sound in the city of Milford, Connecticut. The state park consists of of beach, dunes, restored salt marsh, open areas and woods. It lies adjacent to the city-owned park, Walnut Beach, and includes the 14acre bird sanctuary of Charles Island. The park offers swimming, picnicking, trails, boardwalk, and opportunities for bird-watching.HistoryThe park land was acquired by the state after Hurricane Diane destroyed 75 homes there in 1955. The area includes the tidal channels of the Fletcher's Creek and Nettleton Creek watershed and had been a local dumping site and landfill until 1977. Soil analyses have indicated the presence of heavy metal pollutants, probably due to the area's use as a dump.In 1997, a project to restore the coastal wetlands along Silver Sands was approved. The park was renovated according to plans begun in 1990 by architect Alfredo De Vido and completed in 2000.FeaturesDuring low tide, visitors can walk across the tombolo to Charles Island. The wooded interior of Charles Island is protected for heron and egret rookeries. It is one of the largest wading bird rookeries in the state. The ruins of a Catholic retreat from the 1920s remain on the island. Popular belief says the island is the site of Captain Kidd's buried treasure.