From the Wepawaug River you can see the Lisman Landing Marina. Photo/Tom Richardson.

Comprising 16 miles of Long Island Sound coastline between the Housatonic River and West Haven—including a narrow but well-protected harbor—Milford is a most welcoming place for boaters. Central to it all is the city’s transient-only marina: Milford Lisman Landing. Created from the bones of a sewage-treatment plant at the head of tide on the Wepawaug River, the marina places its guests within easy walking distance of the compact downtown, which encompasses a constellation of eateries, nightclubs, and shops.

The Landing can accommodate 35 boats up to 65 feet on any given night, making it popular among boating clubs and groups. After checking in with the friendly and super-attentive staff, visitors receive a bag brimming with information on tides, pick-up laundry service, local restaurants, events, and store discounts. You can even reserve a tennis or basketball court through the marina, and complimentary coffee and a newspaper are provided each morning. Pretty sweet!

The manicured landscaping at Milford Landing evokes a city garden, with benches, gravel paths, and colorful flowers. It’s quite possibly the most aesthetically pleasing set of docks—private or public—anywhere in the state.

A park and waterfall provide a scenic spot for a stroll in downtown Milford. Photo/Caryn B. Davis

The Landing really rocks on weekends, and reservations are recommended, especially during one of the many concerts and events that take place during summer. Topping the list is the annual Oyster Festival, held in August. It features live bands, craft brews, children’s activities, all kinds of food, sunset and lighthouse cruises, and plenty of local oysters.

Milford is also accommodating to boaters arriving by land. Across the harbor from the Landing is a huge public launch with three lanes, long courtesy floats, toilets, and ample parking. It’s also relatively close to Rte. I-95, so traffic on summer weekends is brisk. Fortunately, an attendant is present to make sure all runs smoothly, for the most part.

Once launched from either the ramp or the Landing, it’s a half-mile, no-wake cruise to the harbor entrance. Along the way you’ll pass lots of boats tied to mid-channel floats and many more in the harbor’s two private marinas—Milford Boat Works and Spencer’s—both of which sell fuel. As you near the harbor entrance, the channel doglegs past the venerable Milford Yacht Club (follow the buoys closely here), which sometimes has transient slips available.

After clearing the breakwaters guarding the harbor entrance, you have plenty of options. Long Island’s north shore is some 20 miles distant (22 miles to Port Jefferson), and there are innumerable fishing opportunities in the Sound, including fluke, porgies, blackfish, striped bass, bluefish, and sea bass. In the fall, false albacore and bonito often add to the excitement.

Just outside the harbor is Charles Island, part of Silver Sands State Park and connected to the mainland via a mile-long tombolo. This sandbar has confounded many a local who has hiked to the island at low tide, only to be stranded by the flood. From May through August, the interior of Charles is off-limits to protect its large heron and egret rookeries, although the shoreline remains accessible for picnics and swimming. Waterskiiing and tubing are popular in the sheltered waters north of the island, which also makes a fine anchorage.

Beachgoers enjoy the view of Charles Island from Silver Sands State Park. Photo/Caryn B. Davis

A few miles west of the harbor is the Housatonic River, which meets Long Island Sound at Milford Point, home to the Milford Audubon Coastal Center. Mud flats abound in the tidal wetlands behind the Center, with tufts of grass and osprey nests lending a Suessical air to the landscape of one of Audubon’s most spectacular locations. The center teems with migratory birds in spring and fall, but the true stars of the show are the osprey.

The mouth of the “Housy” is a beautiful and fascinating place to explore in a small boat, paddleboard, or kayak, but it’s easy to get lost in the labyrinth of tidal creeks that snake through the vast marshes of the Charles E. Wheeler Wildlife Management Area. In other words, bring a handheld GPS—and some bug spray.

Back in Milford Center, there’s tons of fun of the land-based kind to enjoy. Through the shifting sands of shop and restaurant openings and closings, downtown Milford remains an Instragram-perfect New England town, with seven small waterfalls, a duck pond adjacent to the stately brick City Hall, and the second largest town green in Connecticut, which swarms with people every weekend from spring through fall. And you’ll find no shortage of restaurants, which run the spectrum from wings-and-beer to fine dining.

With so many distractions, it might be easy to forget why you came to Milford in the first place, but eventually all roads lead back to the water, where you can join the closing-time crowd at Scoopy Doo’s for an ice cream before retiring to your boat—a perfect way to cap off the day in this boater-friendly city on the Sound!