• Skatepark rampClose up of a ramp at a skate park image by Jgz from Fotolia.com
  
  Finding the right skate park for your needs can be challenging, especially in Connecticut, where there are more than 100 parks to choose from. Some issues to consider are whether or not the park has an indoor option, if it's dedicated solely to skateboarders and if there are strict rules. It might be overwhelming to think about all this when looking at each park in the state. Which parks in which cities have the best reputations and most desirable features?
  
  

Stamford Skate Park

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  The Stamford Skate Park located in Stamford, CT is one of the largest and most popular newer outdoor skate parks (it opened the summer of 2007), due to its size (12,000 sq. ft.), its lack of heavy regulation (it has an "at-your-own-risk" policy), and its numerous features. These features include: a "big bowl" hollow pool with a 10-foot deep end, an 8-foot keyhole and an opver vert cradle with brick coping, a 10-foot extension with granite bullnose, most coping in general being a steel pipe or Federal Stone pool block, as well as an entire street area course.
  
  Stamford Skate Park is free, open only during daylight hours and solely available to skateboarders and in-line rollerbladers- bicycles are not allowed.
  
  

Woodbury Skate Park

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  Woodbury Skate Park, located in the Woodbury Ski Area in Woodbury, CT, is one of the oldest (it's been open since the 1970s) and largest skate parks in New England. Some of its features include a 50 foot long kidney shaped hollow pool that range five to nine feet in depth, one 12-foot drop-in half-pipe, one 30 foot long by 12 foot wide wedge roof jump with rail slides, both indoor and outdoor sections, an outdoor music system, and lighting for nighttime use (open till 7 p.m. on weekdays and 10 p.m. on weekends).
  
  Woodbury Skate Park requires that a helmet be worn at all times when using their facility (rentals are available). It is open to skateboarders, inline skaters, and bikers. Because they are located within the Woodbury Ski Area, admission is tied to that venue, though the admission price guidelines on their site only reflect skiing and snowboarding. Contacting them directly about admission price to just the skate park might be your best bet in clearing up any confusion there.
  
  

Haven Skate Park

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  Haven Skate Park in North Haven, CT is a bicycle rider and skateboarder-owned, built, and designed skate park measuring 13,020 sq. ft. that includes ramps, shops and a lounge. The features here include various mini-ramps, a bowl, an indoor full-pipe, a "hubba" ledge, wall rides, a street area course, late night hours on (12:30 a.m. on Friday & Saturday, 10 p.m. on weekdays).
  
  At Haven Skate Park, one-time entry can range from $13 to $10, though they offer membership options: $60 per month for a membership for unlimited riding on a monthly basis, $350 per year for a half year membership with unlimited riding, and $650 for a full year membership with unlimited riding.
  
  There are a lot of restrictions and rules at this park that include but are not limited to: signing a waiver before entry, showing a legal ID, no one allowed 18 or under without a parent, helmets being worn in the ramp areas at all times, no smoking, food or beverage, no cursing or spitting. Violation of any of these rules could result in ejection without refund.