New England is known the world over for it's stunning fall foliage color palette, and Connecticut is no exception to this unique beauty. From the rolling farmlands and Long Island Sound views to the quaint villages and fiery rolling hills, you can find the perfect area to view Connecticut's foliage in it's full beauty. Fall is a fantastic time to get in your car, truck, SUV or motorcycle and tour the scenic roads and by-ways of CT. Fall foliage drives are more than an autumn pastime, they are a passion for many Connecticut locals.
Here are five wonderful Connecticut foliage drives you will enjoy:
1. Four Wineries
Starting in Sandy Hook, CT, stop in at the McLaughlin Vineyards for a weekend tasting, before heading on Route 25 to Brookfield and the award-winning wines at DiGrazia Vineyards. Head north towards New Preston, CT and visit the Hopkins Vineyard, where you are able to enjoy a self-guided tour. Travel along Route 202 towards Litchfield, and you will soon find the Haight-Brown Vineyard, home of Connecticut's first Riesling and Chardonnay. Here you can enjoy a free guided tour, as well as tastings.
2. The Last Green Valley Scenic Byway
Located in the Mystic region of eastern Connecituct, Route 169 is an ever-popular fall foliage drive, and one of Connecticut's National Scenic Byways. Not only will you be able to enjoy the kind of foliage views New England is famous for, you will also be able to experience the classic New England scenery of old stone walls, historic homesteads, and town meeting houses. This route will lead you through the Pachaug and Natchaug State Forests.
3. Connecticut Salt Marshes
Explore autumn on the Connecticut shoreline by heading east on Route 146 towards Long Island Sound. Explore the quaint CT communities of Branford and Guilford before heading north on Route 77 towards historic Durham. Be sure to explore the Shore Line Trolley Museum, Thimble Islands and Guilford Green.
4. Merritt Parkway
One of only a handful of roads listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Merritt Parkway will truly capture your heart. Begin your journey on this scenic byway (Route 15) at the Merritt Parkway Museum, near Milford, CT. Traveling west, you will head towards the town of Greenwich and the New York border. This beautiful foliage byway is loaded with bridges built in the Art Deco and Art Moderne styles, as well as impeccably landscaped surroundings.
5. Iron Mountain Preserve Loop
Starting on Route 202 in New Milford, travel west towards Route 7 before heading north to the communities of Kent and Calhoun Corners. Travel south on Route 45 to Warren and New Preston, before catching Route 202 and Route 47 towards Washington. From Washington, CT, turn onto Route 67 and head into Roxbury Station before once again returning to New Milford. This drive will show you two covered bridges, Iron Mountain and the Institute for American Indian Studies.
