Over Labor Day weekend, I visited two of my best friends in Connecticut, one of which owns a lake house on Lake Waramaug. I’ve visited coastal Connecticut before, but I’d never explored the inland part of the state. Connecticut is a very beautiful state and Lake Waramaug is nestled amongst lush rolling hills and proved to be a perfect place for stand up paddle boarding (SUP). Lake Waramaug is a smaller lake with a maximum length of 2.4 miles and 1.75 miles wide. They also have restrictions for motor boats, which helps provide a calm experience.

We launched from Washington Public Beach which is located on the south side of the lake. There’s a nice area to launch separate from the beach area. We started our paddle early on a Sunday morning when the lake wasn’t crowded with boats and the water was serenely calm. It was a perfect opportunity to paddle, chat, experiment with SUP yoga, and enjoy the beautiful morning! SUP Yoga is more challenging without an anchor, and sometimes almost impossible, but the calm conditions on this lake made practicing moves easy. Not to mention, the hills surrounding the lake seemed to rise directly from the water providing a gorgeous SUP background.

We were limited on time, but it would be possible to paddle around this lake in a day. If you simply started at one end and paddled the 2.4 miles to the other end and back, I’d allow about 3-4 hours depending on how many stops along the way. This lake is perfect for a leisurely paddle, taking in all the surrounding nature and beauty along the way. You could even paddle the perimeter for a complete tour of the lake - that’s my plan the next time I visit!

After paddling, we made the drive around the lake enjoying lake and hillside views, before stumbling upon a wine festival at Hopkins Vineyard. We stopped to enjoy a tasting, music, and a nice bottle of wine. I’d love to go back and explore this cute community even more. If you are ever in Connecticut, make a trip to Lake Waramaug - I highly recommend it!

SUP New England: How to Paddle Lake Waramaug