Crystal Lake (Ellington) Trailer Parking

Crystal Lake Ellington has a small parking lot (10 slots or so) for trailer parking (each slot is a little over 2 car lengths and you can only pull in and back out).

What are the regulations on the use of the trailer spots? Does the vehicle parked have to have a trailer behind it?

If yes, who enforces this?

I ask because I was there Saturday and half the vehicles did not have trailers. I know in the winter, "the locals" use it as a parking lot as evidenced by a few times I stopped by, the lot was jammed full and there was 1 or 2 boats or ice fisherman. Considering that Ellington has a reputation of being quick to ticket cars/trailers parked on the local roads, it might be something worth looking into.

Also is there a statewide regulation for trailer parking or does it vary by launch? Mashapaug in Union frequently has it's trailer spots occupied by vehicles with no trailers.

Thank you for your help.

MikeV

I have been to Crystal Lake twice and parked on the local main road with a trailer. I did not get a ticket, the person who inspects the boats recommended we do that. Like you said though if cars didn’t park in the trailer spots we would have been able to park in the lot.

After many complaints about the parking at west hill the state came in ad put up signs saying “ parking for state boat launch use only” and “trailer parking only”. Contact the State Boating Division in Old Lyme I believe.

I've been fishing Crystal for 40 years and the parking lot has had the situation MikeV describes forever. Up until a couple of years ago, car & trailer parking along the concrete wall was common, along with cars only parking there. I also park on the main road where over time the side edge of the road has been cleared enough to park safely with car & trailer completely off the road and have never gotten a ticket. As the 'season' progresses, the parking issue becomes a non-issue. I hope that if anyone contacts the 'authorities' that they don't go to any extreme that complicates the parking lot or street parking which would make fishing with a trailerd boat impossible.

I hate the steep incline pulling into that trailer lot. The back of my trailer would drag on the pavement trying to pull up that hill