New
England's Fall Spectacle ---from
Travel America, Sept 2001 by Randy Mink
A
magnet for legions of "leaf peepers" is the Litchfield
Hills region of northwestern Connecticut, a collection of
26 towns nestled in the Berkshire foothills. Litchfield
County, with its lakes, rivers, and rolling landscapes,
is the perfect place for "shunpiking," a New England
term for, in Webster's words, "the practice of
avoiding superhighways, especially for the pleasure of driving
on back roads." West of Litchfield, close to the
New York State line, is one of Connecticut's prime foliage-viewing
byways, Route 7. Two highlights include the covered bridges
at West Cornwall and Bulls Bridge. Spanning the Housatonic
River, they are the state's only two covered bridges open
to automobile traffic and have been in continuous use for
more than a century. The quaint village of West Cornwall,
adjacent to Housatonic State Forest, has several outstanding
craft shops, including the famous Cornwall Bridge Pottery
Store. The nearby town of Cornwall Bridge is a good jumping-off
point for Mohawk State Forest, where the Lookout Tower affords
fine vistas of the Catskill, Taconic, and Berkshire ranges.
Bulls
Bridge is in South Kent, from where a two-mile jaunt down
Route 341 leads to Macedonia Brook
State Park and its Cobble Mountain Trail, a favorite
with fall hikers seeking vantage points high above the color-flecked
valleys. Kent, noted for its restaurants, art galleries,
and antique emporiums, is a short hop from Kent
Falls State Park, whose staired pathway provides photo opportunities
of the 200-foot-high falls. Several outfitters
can provide canoes and kayaks, an option for foliage fans
eager to paddle through the Housatonic's rapids. The 10-mile
float trip from Falls Village to Cornwall Bridge involves
a combination of fast and flat water, while the stretch
of river north of Falls Village toward the Massachusetts
border is quiet and smooth, ideal for observing the golden
landscapes.
Scenic
drives through Litchfield Hills
Begin
at the New Milford Green, and take CT Route
202 West to Route 7 North. Take Route 7 through the towns
of New Milford, Gaylordsville and Kent. Outside of Kent,
pick up Route 45 South to Warren. Drive around Lake Waramaug
into New Preston. In New Preston, take Route 202 East to
Route 47 South. Take a right onto Route 199, and then right
on Route 67. Follow Route 67 to the junction of Route 202
in New Milford where the drive began. The route will take
travelers past the Housatonic River, Bull's Bridge (one
of only two covered bridges in Connecticut), the town of
Kent and its many art galleries, historic homes and churches
in Kent and Warren, Lake Waramaug, Mt. Tom State Park, the
historic Mine Hill Preserve (ruins of an early iron mine),
and the Institute for American Indian Studies. This
drive is 64 miles and takes about 1/2 day.
Litchfield
Region Drive 2
Start in Litchfield
at the intersection of Routes 118 and 202. Take Route 202
West to Route 209 South. Follow 209 around Bantam Lake to
Route 109 through the town of Morris. When you reach Thomaston,
take Route 6 East. At the intersection of Route 254, take
a left onto 254 to Main Street. Follow Main Street into
Thomaston center to Route 6 East through Plymouth and Terryville,
then into Bristol. At the junction of Maple Street, take
a right onto Maple, and stop at the American Clock and Watch
Museum and Federal Hill Green. Go back to Route 6 and continue
east to Route 229. Take 229 south to Lake Compounce. Head
back to Route 72 West, which goes past the New England Carousel
Museum. Head back on Route 6 West and at Maple Street, take
Route 69 North to Route 4 W. Take Route 4 West into Harwinton.
At the junction of Route 118, take 118 West and follow it
back to the junction of Route 202 where the trip began.
This tour is approximately 53 miles.
Litchfield
Region Drive 3
Begin in Torrington
at the junction of Route 8 and Route 4. Take Route 8 north
into Winsted, where it will intersect Route 44. Take Route
44 east into New Hartford. In Hartford pick up Route 219
north through Lake McDonough to Route 318. Continue on Route
318 west and 181 south for 1 mile, then make a right just
before the metal bridge and take the road through the People's
State Forest to Route 20 in Riverton. Take Route 20 west
through Riverton and at the junction of Route 8, take 8
south into the center of Winsted. Pick up Route 44 west
and take it to Route 183 north into the center of Colebrook.
From Colebrook take Route 182A to 182, and make a right
on 182. At the intersection of Route 44, take 44 west into
Norfolk. In Norfolk, pick up Route 272 South into Torrington.
Take 272 to Route 4 east, bear right onto Main Street. Where
Main Street meets Route 202, take 202 east to the junction
of Route 8 and 4, where the trip began. This tour
is approximately 68 miles.
