Bus Permits and Fees

For school groups bringing in buses to parks that historically have lifeguards during the swim season, we recommend that you check with the park before your visit to learn if lifeguards will be on duty at that park on the day of your visit.

Buses with seating capacity for 30 or more passengers:

• Are allowed only at selected State Park & Recreation areas.
• Must obtain a permit prior to entry. (A separate permit is required for each bus.)
• Are required to pay a bus fee (at times and locations when an entry fee is charged to the general public).

Mini-buses (seating capacity of more than 12 but less than 30 passengers):

• Are allowed entry at all State Park & Recreation Areas.
• Do not need to obtain a bus permit.
• Are required to pay a bus fee (at times and locations when an entry fee is charged to the general public).

Bus Permits

Requests for a bus permit must be made through a reservation call center at toll free 1-877-668-2267 (1-877-668-CAMP).  Calls will no longer be accepted at the State Parks Division office.

Call Center operating hours:

May 1 – September 1

Monday - Wednesday: 8 am - 2:30 pm

Thursday - Friday: 8 am - 6:30 pm
Saturday and Sunday: 9 am - 12 pm.

Off Peak Season
Monday - Friday: 9 am - 12 pm

Reservations can be made up to 11 months prior to the planned arrival date and up to fourteen (14) days before the visit. Information required to make a reservation must include:

1. Name of the park or recreation area requested.
2. Name and address of organization.
3. Date of arrival.
4. Name, address and phone number of person responsible for, and accompanying bus or buses.
5. Number of buses.

Once a permit has been issued, it will be emailed or faxed to the organization that has submitted the request.  The permit must be brought to the recreation area with the bus it was assigned to.

Bus permits are issued on a first come/first served basis.  A limited number of permits are available for each Park or Recreation Area. 

A separate permit is required for each bus.

Buses MUST remain at the recreation area at all times in case of inclement weather or the need for an emergency evacuation.

Please be advised that if you are requesting a program, you must still contact the State Park directly to reserve group programs.  The reservation system does not handle program bookings.

Bus Fees

Payment for an out of state bus reservation may be made by credit card, money order or traveler's check.  A $9.00 transaction fee applies to each reservation.  Up to 10 reservations can be made per call.

A  mini-bus will be required to pay an entry fee upon arrival at those parks or recreation areas where an entry fee is being charged to the general public. Payment must be made by cash or company check.  Credit cards are not accepted at the entrance, except at Hammonasset Beach State Park.

Bus fee: 

• $150 per bus for out-of-state license plates
• $60 per mini-bus with out-of state license plates

There will be a $9.00 fee to cancel or change a reservation.

General Rules About Buses at State Parks

• Weekend and holiday buses are only allowed at the following locations:  Bluff Point, Eagle Landing, and Hammonasset Beach State Parks.
• Gillette Castle will allow buses on weekends, but not on holidays.
• Bus permits are required during the holidays and "peak" recreation season which generally runs during the period of Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day. Some parks have earlier and/or later running permit dates (Bluff Point, Gillette Castle, Haddam Meadows, Pattaconk Recreation Area (Cockaponset SF), Rocky Neck and Sherwood Island.)
• Buses are allowed without a permit in park and recreation areas outside of the permit/"peak" season". For those parks where buses are allowed access without a permit, we ask that the entity bringing in a bus contact the park at least two days in advance of their visit so that the park is aware that a bus or buses are coming to the park.
• For school groups bringing in buses to parks that historically have lifeguards during the swim season, we recommend that you check with the park before your visit to learn if lifeguards will be on duty at that park on the day of your visit.

State Parks and Recreation Areas Which Require Bus Permits

Black Rock	Mansfield Hollow
Bluff Point (w)	Mashamoquet Brook
Burr Pond	Mount Tom
Chatfield Hollow	Pattaconk Rec. Area
Eagle Landing (w)	People's Forest
Gay City	Putnam Memorial
Gillette Castle (w)	Quaddick
Haddam Meadows	Rocky Neck
Hammonasset Beach (w)	Sherwood Island
Harkness Memorial	Silver Sands
Hopeville Pond	Sleeping Giant
Housatonic Meadows	Southford Falls
Indian Well	Squantz Pond
Kent Falls	Stratton Brook
Kettletown	Wadsworth Falls
Lake Waramaug	Wharton Brook

 

The parks denoted in bold letters with (w) allow buses on weekends and holidays.  The rest of these parks allow buses only during the work week (Monday through Friday). Gillette Castle does not allow buses on holidays. 

For additional information on bus permits and fees, please contact the State Parks Division at 860-424-3200 Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm or at deep.stateparks@ct.gov.

Content Last Updated December 2019