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Tod’s Point is easy once you’ve solved parking and the pass.

Greenwich Point Park — Tod’s Point to most locals — can be a beach day, a stroller loop, a winter dog walk, or the first stop when guests want to see why beach access is such a big deal here. The two things that actually trip people up are getting in and finding a space. Handle those before anyone packs the car.

Last checked Pass rules, ticket options, dog dates, swim status, and hours change by season — verify on the Town pages before a time-sensitive trip.
Salt marsh and shoreline at Greenwich Point Park in Old Greenwich.
Greenwich Point Park in Old Greenwich, where beach-card rules can shape an otherwise simple weekend. Image: Carol M. Highsmith, Library of Congress, Public domain. Source
Short answer: Residents get in with an annually-verified pass; non-residents cannot buy one at the gate, so sort entry in advance through the Town’s Passes & Tickets page. The bigger problem is parking: about 1,100 spaces for a town of more than 60,000, so on sunny summer weekends the lot fills early and turns cars away — go early, go late, or bike in. Dogs are an off-season thing (roughly December–March, on leash). Check swim status the morning you go.

Open this before you leave home

With Tod’s Point the question is rarely “is it worth going.” It’s whether today’s version of the park matches your plan — the pass rule, the lot, the water, the dog season, the weather.

Check: Passes & Tickets

Going May through October

Passes or single-entry tickets are required in season. Start here before you promise anyone a beach day — access is the thing most likely to derail an otherwise easy plan, especially for guests, who can’t buy at the gate.

Check: Beach Swimming Status

Swimming is the whole point

Check the water-status page the morning of. When swimming is off, a walk, a picnic, or an Old Greenwich stop still salvages the trip.

Check: Greenwich Point Park

A dog is coming

Dogs are off-season only — roughly December through March, on leash. Don’t treat the beach as dog-friendly in summer; check the Town page and posted signs.

Check: Greenwich Point Park

Guests want to see the water

Build the day around one clean loop: waterfront walk, Old Greenwich pause, then Greenwich Avenue or the Bruce Museum if the weather turns. Don’t stack two beaches and a ferry into one afternoon.

The parking crunch is the real planning problem

If one thing derails a Greenwich Point day, it’s parking — not the pass. The park has roughly 1,100 spaces serving a town of more than 60,000, so on a hot summer weekend the lot can fill by mid-morning, and a valid pass does nothing once it does. Full is full, residents included. Greenwich Free Press has covered this capacity tension during the recurring fight over non-resident access. None of it is a posted guarantee — it’s the pattern regulars plan around.

  • Arrive early or arrive late. Mid-morning through early afternoon on a sunny weekend is the worst window. Beat the crowd, or roll in for a late-afternoon walk once the day-trippers clear out.
  • Have a backup you’d actually enjoy. If the lot is full, don’t circle. Pivot to Byram Park, a neighborhood park, or an Old Greenwich coffee-and-stroll loop instead of turning a closed gate into a standoff.
  • Bike or walk past the whole problem. Riding or walking in skips the parking question entirely. If you live close enough, that’s the peak-weekend move.
  • Guests need it sorted in advance. Non-residents can’t buy at the gate, so settle access and arrival before they’re in the car — check the Passes & Tickets page rather than discovering the rule at the entrance.

What the Town source says

The Town describes Greenwich Point Park as a 147.3-acre Town-owned beach and recreation facility in Old Greenwich. The official page lists the address as 11 Tods Driftway, hours of 6 a.m. to sunset, and facilities including concessions, restrooms, picnic areas, walking trails, a boat yard, and a boat/kayak launch.

That same page says park passes or tickets are required for entry from May 1 through October 31, and links to dog rules welcoming leashed dogs from December 1 through March 31. Use those as planning anchors and confirm the current dates before a trip that depends on them.

Choose the Tod’s Point you actually need

walkers, strollers, low-key visitors

The morning loop

  • Go early for the calm version — the path is busiest mid-morning.
  • Think walk first, beach second; the loop is the draw even when the water isn’t.
  • Tack on Old Greenwich coffee, or Greenwich Avenue later if guests are in town.

summer families and residents

The beach day

  • Confirm pass or ticket rules before you leave home.
  • Check swim status and the forecast if water time is the plan.
  • Park early or bike in — the lot fills on hot weekends and turns people away.

winter regulars

The off-season dog walk

  • Leashed dogs are welcome roughly December 1 through March 31.
  • This is when the Point belongs to locals — quieter, free to walk, the social winter ritual.
  • Don’t assume dogs outside that window; check the posted rule.

people deciding if Greenwich fits

The newcomer orientation

  • This is where the beach-card question stops being abstract.
  • Notice the Old Greenwich connection, not just the sand.
  • Pair it with the beach-card and neighborhoods guides.

The island detour, if the Point is jammed

When the lot is full and you still want the water, the islands are tempting — but they’re a different kind of trip. Island Beach and Great Captain Island are reached by the Town ferry from Roger Sherman Baldwin Park downtown, not by driving to the sand, and the boat schedule (and the weather) is the constraint. It’s a fine plan B if you’ve checked the Ferry Service page first, but it’s not a same-second pivot from a full Tod’s Point lot.

The history, briefly

The park was the former estate of J. Kennedy Tod — hence the local name — and several historic buildings remain: Innis Arden Cottage, the Seaside Garden and Cowbarn Building, and the Chimes Building. For a visit, it’s useful context that this isn’t just a beach parking lot; the older buildings are part of why a walk here feels like more than a walk.

Frequently asked questions

Is Tod’s Point the same as Greenwich Point Park?

Yes. The Town’s official page calls it Greenwich Point Park; locals have called it Tod’s Point for generations, after J. Kennedy Tod, who once owned the land. Same place, two names.

Can I just buy a beach pass at the gate?

No. There are no non-resident pass sales at the gate. Residents use an annually-verified pass, and anyone without one has to arrange entry and parking in advance through the Town’s Passes & Tickets page. Sort it out before you’re sitting at the entrance.

How bad is the parking, really?

On a sunny summer weekend, bad. Greenwich Point has roughly 1,100 spaces for a town of more than 60,000, so the lot can fill by mid-morning and turn cars away — a valid pass won’t get you a space once it’s full. Locals beat it by getting there before the morning rush, waiting until the day-trippers clear out in late afternoon, or just biking in.

When are dogs allowed at Tod’s Point?

Only in the off-season. The Town-linked rules welcome leashed dogs roughly from December 1 through March 31; dogs are not a summer-beach option. Confirm the current window and leash rules on the Greenwich Point Park page before you go.

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Guide details Updated 2026-06-03 · 7 sources · corrections
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