08/14/2026
🌾Coastal hike & fun day trip along the southeastern tip of CT 🌊
Went to Mystic last Sunday morning and it was SO busy- the dogs and I high-tailed it out of there for a quieter walk and visit in the nearby town of Stonington! Just minutes away..
And what a pretty town! There’s more to see & do here but here are a few things we did:
🥾Hike at Barn Island Wildlife Management Area 🌿🌊
This 1,000+ acre coastal preserve has wide, mostly flat trails that wind through woods and beautiful salt marshes. The Barn Island Loop is an easy 2.9 miles or you can extend your adventure with a longer 5.2-mile loop through the preserve. Honestly, we only made it in about a mile and turned around because it was super humid and a bit buggy 😱 But it seems worth it to me to go back and do the full loop when it’s cooler.
🛍️☕️ Shop, eat, and get your coffee at The Velvet Mill The Velvet Mill (dog-friendly!)
This historic mill from the 1800s has been transformed into a creative space filled with local artists, small businesses, shops and places to eat! It’s dog-friendly, too! 🐶
I didn’t have nearly enough time to check out all the shops in here but particularly loved Granary Antiques.
🍅🌻 Last stop was a visit to Stone Acres Farm which had food trucks and lots of local produce and goodies inside the farm shop. Stone Acres
I’d say it was a good day, even though it’s a little bit of a drive for us to get out to this corner of Connecticut. We’ll be back!💗
✅💚Save for a fun day trip to Stonington, Connecticut!
And follow Kristen | Connecticut Hikes, New England Travel along for more dog-friendly adventures in CT & New England. 🐶
