Short Beach is located adjacent to the mouth of the Housatonic River, and is an excellent example of multiple use planning that provides recreation for citizens of all ages.
The northernmost section provides handicapped access to the beach as well as least tern and piping plover nesting areas. Fisherman also use the marine basin to fish for snapper bluefish during the summer months and, also, to catch bait fish. The inter-tidal zone between the beach and the main boat channel harbor a number of small and sub-adult species of fish which are used as a food source for the terns and wading birds that visit the area.
As you move south along the beach, you will find picnic areas, a calisthenics course, a playground, and, of course, Stratford's largest sandbox! Additional recreational areas provided at the complex include a golf course, softball fields, and courts for basketball, paddleball, tennis, and volleyball. The southernmost section is used to provide sailboard lessons. A concession stand/shower is located on the beach
There are three summer residents of Short Beach worthy of special mention. The first two, the piping plover and the least tern, are ground nesting birds that require beach front property and seclusion to successfully reproduce. The ancestors of the third resident, the horseshoe crab, date back 300 million years. This harmless creature feeds in the inter-tidal zone and uses the beach to dig its shallow nest during extreme high tides.
