Partly — dogs are allowed in some of it
Dogs are not allowed on the beach or the boardwalk at Silver Sands — and unlike neighbouring Hammonasset, there is no off-season window: CT DEEP's park page lists "Beach & Boardwalk — Not permitted" with no dates attached. Since the boardwalk is the park's main two-mile trail and the route to the Charles Island sandbar, the headline walk here is off-limits to dogs all year. Leashed dogs (7-foot maximum) are allowed in the picnic areas by the car park. If you want a shoreline walk with a dog in this stretch of Connecticut, Hammonasset allows leashed dogs on the beach from 30 September to 1 April. Verified against ctparks.com on 17 Aug 2026.
Where dogs ARE allowed
Leashed dogs are allowed in the picnic areas near the car park ("Yes, on leash"). The ban is wider than 'the beach', though: it covers the BOARDWALK too, and the boardwalk is the park's main two-mile walking route and the way onto the tombolo to Charles Island — so in practice the walk people come here for is closed to dogs. Unlike Hammonasset, DEEP lists no seasonal window for Silver Sands: the pets block gives dates for nothing, so treat the beach and boardwalk as closed to dogs year-round. (Separately, the Charles Island crossing shuts for nesting birds roughly May–September for everyone.)
Managed by Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP), State Parks Division. Official pet policy. Checked against that page in August 2026.
We publish this because finding out at the trailhead is worse than finding out here. Rules change — check before a long drive.