salt island is an island off the coast of westbrook, middlesex county, in the u.s. state of connecticut. the island is very easy to get to from the westbrook public beaches, as it is only 500 feet away from land. from the late 1600s until the mid-1900s, the island was used to mine salt and gather fruits. because the island was so close to land, people would often haul carts and horses to the island on a shallow day to gather materials for themselves.