Gardner Lake State Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gardner Lake State Park
Gardner Lake State Park Location in Connecticut
Location	Salem, Connecticut, United States
Area	10 acres (4.0 ha)
Elevation	387 ft (118 m)
Designation	Connecticut state park
Established	2001
Administrator	Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Website	Gardner Lake State Park

Gardner Lake State Park is a cool place to visit in Salem, Connecticut. It's a public park that covers about 10 acres right on the southern side of Gardner Lake. Here, you can enjoy fun activities like boating, fishing, and swimming! The park is looked after by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, which helps keep it a great spot for everyone.

History of Gardner Lake State Park

For many years in the 1900s, the area where Gardner Lake State Park is now used to be a private resort. This means it was owned by a company or person, not open to everyone.

In 2001, the state of Connecticut bought the land for $550,000. Before this, local people had voted against buying it in the 1990s.

Later, in 2008, the state spent a million dollars to make the park even better. They improved the boat launch area and the parking lot. These upgrades made it easier for more people to visit and enjoy the park.

Activities at Gardner Lake

Gardner Lake is quite large, covering about 529 acres. It's a special lake for fishing, known for its bass and walleye fish.

At the park, you can find a nice swimming beach where you can cool off on hot days. There's also a boat launch, which is a perfect spot to put your boat in the water for a day of fun on the lake.

Keeping the Park Clean

Sometimes, people visiting the park didn't follow the rules or left trash behind. This caused problems in 2012, 2013, and 2016.

Because of this, park officials asked visitors to be more careful and help keep the park clean. It's important for everyone to work together to protect this beautiful natural space.