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A true domain of New England at its best, the thousand square miles of unspoiled natural beauty, woodlands and farmlands, rushing rivers and spring fed mountain lakes, nestle in the northwestern corner of the Nutmeg State! Only 100 miles from New York and 115 miles from Boston, the area that was one of the original thirteen colonies remains rich with carefully preserved history and lore. Edged by giant maples, picturesque roads wind their way past the greenest of pastures that stretch as far as the eye can see, flowering apple orchards, picture-perfect red barns and white clapboard houses. Peaceful towns and villages founded in the seventeen hundreds seem untouched by time; steepled churches rise above manicured village greens; meticulously restored houses bespeak traditions of old; upscale shops and restaurants, country inns and b&b;’s blend with gracious surroundings.

Today, travelers seeking a destination that combines country pleasures such as settling in at centuries-old inns and strolling down tree shaded lanes, with such sophisticated delights as gourmet dining, some of the best antiquing in New England, classical concerts by internationally famed musicians and just unwinding in the areas unspoiled natural beauty find northwest Connecticut’s Litchfield Hills an ideal getaway.

Go on a Shopping Spree in Litchfield Hills. Savvy shoppers know that some of the best finds (and bargains) are discovered far from giant shopping malls. In Litchfield Hills, small, beautifully appointed specialty shops offer a treasure trove of handpicked gifts to bring home. If you're looking for timeless fashion designs, cutting edge apparel, one-of-a-kind handknits, or distinctive imports, you will find them in the friendly shops located throughout the Litchfield Hills.

Extraordinary, imaginative, classic, and handcrafted decorative accessories from rugs to throw pillows, pottery, to furniture forms a small sampling of the versatile selection of items waiting to be discovered. Shop owners of these inviting stores have carefully chosen a tasteful blend of decorative accessories to enhance your lifestyle and the beauty of your home. Whether browsing or buying, you'll find treasures galore, along with expert advice and a welcoming smile. To plan your Litchfield Hills shopping spree, don't forget to add these top stores to your Litchfield Hills personal itinerary!

Follow our site to small colonial villages where you can browse in world-renowned antiques shops often located in private residences. You'll find the finest English and Country French furniture, the best of American Federal pieces, as well as folk art, decorative objects, accessories, priceless china, and rugs. There are dealers who specialize in old Mexican pieces, and others who carry treasures from the Orient, antique dolls, architectural items, garden ornaments, and precious estate jewelry. Fine art galleries, woodcarvers, furniture makers, potters, and painters invite you to their studios and create one-of-a-kind masterpieces before your very eyes. You can also hunt for bargains at the area's many popular flea markets.

Visitors have access to a variety of recreational activities in an area of no less than 17 State Parks and Forests, 66 lakes -- including a trio of CT's largest -- Bantam, Waramaug and Twin Lakes, as well as the mighty Housatonic and Farmington Rivers famous for excellent flyfishing and canoeing. The pristine beauty of nature is carefully maintained in 6 nature preserves that are sure to delight lovers of the great outdoors. You can hike, bike, or x-country ski, on clearly marked trails, that prevent you from ever losing your way. Swimming, camping, hiking, fishing, canoeing, boating and horseback riding are idyllic in mild weather, while there's sleigh rides, skating, x-country and excellent downhill skiing during the winter months at the state's two largest ski resorts.

Children of all ages enjoy Lake Compounce, America's First Family Theme Park that combines an attractive lakeside setting and Victorian charm with the most up-to-date thrilling rides found anywhere, while Lime Rock Park, the "road racing center of the east", offers championship sports, vintage and historic car races. Wine buffs enjoy touring award winning French hybrid vineyards; amateur chefs take cooking classes with culinary superstars; doll lovers create their own heirlooms at the studio of the country's most awarded baby doll artist. You're never at a loss for something interesting to do in the Litchfield Hills.

History buffs and lovers of fine architecture find that exploring the many intriguing museums of the Litchfield Hills brings America's past to life far more vividly than leafing through the pages of a history book. White spired churches, clapboard-sided inns and taverns, columned Greek Revival homes and Victorian mansions capture the spirit of the times in which they sheltered parsons and patriots, lawyers and lawbreakers, inventors and industrialists. Among the many historic points of interest you may choose to tour beautifully preserved historic homes, the first law school in America, the only garden in the U.S. designed by famed designer, Gertrude Jekyll, a museum dedicated to the life and culture of Connecticut's Native Americans, the only clock and lock museum in the country and a museum dedicated to telling the story of northwest Connecticut's iron industry and its' importance to the Revolutionary War. Our site acquaints you with these special places and many more.

The Hills are truly alive with the sound of music. The Norfolk Chamber Music Festival hosts internationally acclaimed artists and ensembles from June - October, while the nations oldest continuous chamber music series takes place from June - August at Music Mountain in Falls Village. Several nationally acclaimed Performing Arts Organizations, including Litchfield Performing Arts, Armstrong Chamber Music Series, Nutmeg Ballet, and the Warner Theater host a variety of year-round events that are not to be missed.

Touring by Car, Foot, Boat, & Bike tells you how to discover the many delights of this 1,000 sq. mile area and how to explore it in just about any way you choose.

Touring by Car, offers eight suggested self-guiding driving loops specially designed to offer motorists scenic, historic and cultural delights along the various routes. Antiques buffs will find two loops of particular interest since the suggested routes lead visitors through the regions most popular antiquing areas. A Photography Tour with suggested photo opportunities is a favorite anytime of year. Approximate mileage and driving time is included making planning easy before setting out.

The Litchfield Hills is laced with miles of trails to explore. We have chosen to highlight six of the area's most intriguing hiking trails. Each hike offers a carefully chosen theme. Walking distances range from short excursions to longer and more strenuous hikes.

The boating section tells you about white water rapids and the very placid stretches of the famed Housatonic and Farmington rivers, about lively creeks that flow through verdant forests, and the best mirror like mountain lakes to paddle… in the hills.

Cyclists from near and far come to pedal on the beautiful country roads of the Litchfield Hills. We have chosen 4 of our favorite circuits for you to chose from. Each loop offers a variety of beautiful scenery from village greens and farms to riverside rambles and sky reflecting lakes.

An excursion along this moody stretch of river alternates between the tumultuous thunder of Class I, II and III white water rapids and water smooth enough to allow you to sit back and enjoy the lush woodland scenery, and wildlife that abounds in this unspoiled valley. The river sets the pace, as it flows past the picnic areas of American Legion and Peoples State Forest and winds through the idyllic villages of Riverton and New Hartford.

Along the way, you will traverse several exciting sets of rapids as well as chart a course around the string of islands that punctuate the river. As a rule, passage to the right of the islands is shallow and wide, while passage to the left, is faster and rockier. The most challenging spot lies just past the sharp left bend of the river known as "High Banks", a Class II or III stretch of boulder strewn rapids located 4.5 miles from Riverton. As you approach this bend, be on the lookout for a narrow stand of tall straight pines, on your left, that serve as a reminder of the turbulent chute straight ahead.

Experience the spine tingling thrill of Class I, II, III whitewater rapids on this scenic and challenging stretch of river, best navigated by inner tube enthusiasts. One of the greatest challenges on this trip, is the run through the boiling caldron known as Satan's Kingdom Gorge, characterized by a steep drop into a narrow serpentine chasm with partially submerged boulders positioned midstream. After this, the river calms a bit, and is punctuated by pitches and pools, wide sections with riffles, narrow sluices with standing waves, smooth ledges and glacial boulders.

The trip, from Falls Village to Cornwall Bridge is considered to be the most interesting and varied experience the Housatonic River offers canoeists and kayakers. On this section of river, rip-roaring rapids are balanced with just enough flatwater to catch your breath, spot some wildlife, and enjoy the unbroken bower of forested hills that line the river bank. Your excursion starts off with a big burst of excitement as your canoe plunges through a series of foaming Class II rapids immediately after put-in. For the next four miles, the river runs broad and flat through the pristine beauty of the Housatonic State Forest, which offers dozens of tree shaded picnic sites in secluded clearings. The river picks up the pace as you pass old stone bridge abutments and begin to navigate in moving quickwater. The Class III rapids that churn beneath the covered bridge in West Cornwall are the most challenging spot on this tour. To scout the rapids, take out on the left just before the bridge. The easiest way to run this chute is to line your boat up with the unaligned window on the covered bridge, the trick, is to keep your boat on course! This stretch of river, continues to run clear and quick to your take out point. The easiest route around the next set of rapids, known as the "ledges" is to keep to the left, looking for a narrow break in the rocks below the surface of the river. As you pass the state campground stay to the center of the river, skirting Turnip Island on either side. Your take out point is .5 miles from the Island, look for the canoe ramp on your right.

Few pastimes are as relaxing as paddling the placid waters of the upper Housatonic River. The water on this entire excursion is flat. Here the river is broad and smooth, with just enough current to keep you moving at a gentle pace. This idyllic stretch of river meanders past meadows ablaze with wildflowers, golden fields of corn and alfalfa, classic colonials with manicured lawns, rustic barns crowned by weather vanes, and cows, grazing in sundappled pastures. Drifting along, you may catch a glimpse of a bald eagle, kingfisher or peregrine falcon overhead, see a turtle basking in the sultry summer sun, or watch the graceful movements of a great blue heron wading in the river. Each bend and niche of this quietwater holds yet another surprise to discover.

Along the way, explore the Hollenback River, a labyrinthine side river about one mile from your put-in point above the dam in Falls Village. This narrow stream is well worth the sidetrip and is teaming with wildlife and colorful foliage. You will also pass the home of the late Hal Borland, a naturalist and author, who wrote many books about this lovely river valley.

This circuit combines unspoiled pastoral landscapes with four timeless village greens, from bucolic and country classic, to historic and stately; each offers a unique glimpse into the town's past and reflects it's future. Gracefully undulating hills, rolling country lanes, Historic Districts rich with colonial architecture, and the shoreline of Bantam Lake, Connecticut's largest natural lake, are among the many pleasures awaiting cyclists on this two wheeled adventure. Take time to tour the Morris Historical Society's one-room schoolhouse and Bethlehem's Historical Society Museum and the classic Bellamy Ferriday House and Garden. After relaxing on Litchfield's stately green, visit the Tapping Reeve House and First Law School in America and the Museum maintained by the Historical Society.

Pedaling this popular circuit, you will follow the serpentine course of the Farmington River and Sandy Brook for 17.5 miles. The tour begins and ends in Colebrook, one of the state's most authentically preserved post-revolutionary villages. In the the center of Colebrook, you will find colonial clapboard houses, the oldest general store in Connecticut, and a Greek Revival Congregational Church clustered around a picture perfect green. The town hall and Colebrook Historical Society are located together in the former Colebrook Inn, in the heart of this historic village. Roller coaster hills and backroads that wind their way through farms and woods, alongside rivers stocked with trout, and past well preserved colonial homes lead you to the storybook village of Riverton. After exploring the charms of this quiet hamlet, take the leisurely nine mile loop around the west branch of the Farmington River, one of four rivers in New England designated as a National Wild and Scenic River. If you don't want to make the complete circuit, from Colebrook to Riverton, park your car in Pleasant Valley to take the easy nine mile loop around the Farmington River.

Timeless landscapes, gracefully carved hills, golden meadows of corn, gentle fields of sunflowers, vast verdant pastures of grazing cows and fine boned horses, exquisitely maintained country estates... all are a quintessential part of old New England still alive and well in the Litchfield Hills. Pedal past 26 working farms from dairy and beef to sheep and horses and along the sky reflecting waters of Twin Lakes, Mudge Pond and the Housatonic River. In Falls Village take a walking tour of this bucolic 1840's riverside village to admire its well preserved American architecture.

Vistas and views, wilderness and woods, combined with gently rolling roads make this a popular touring route. It will appeal to cyclists wanting to enjoy alpine views without suffering anymore than a couple of short, steep climbs, and rewards them with splendid descents. For much of your ride, the landscape opens up to offer fine views of the Litchfield Hills. You will pedal through miles of lush woodland landscapes, interspersed with meadows -- bright green in spring, flower strewn in summer, and tawny in autumn. Along the way, you will pass an idyllic cross section of New England's enchantments, set against the timeless backdrop of the Litchfield Hills.

This area covers the nuts and bolts information that you will need to plan your visit to the Litchfield Hills. Browse through this section for public transportation information, directions, weather tips, suggested reading, and "fast facts" on Litchfield Hills. We look forward to the pleasure of your company and wish you a safe journey to and from northwest Connecticut's Litchfield Hills.

A variety of pleasant events keep visitors entertained during every season of the year. The Maple Sugaring Demonstrations, Canoe and Kayak Races, Blessing of the Motorcycles and Balloons over Bristol are big draws in the spring; world-famous concert series that attract performing musicians from the four corners of the world, open house and garden tours and village fair days are big draws in the summer. Agricultural Fairs, Country Fairs, and Antiques Shows are among favorite events of the fall season. Winter brings such happenings as Holiday House Tours, Christmas Fairs and Festivals, International Ski Jumping Championships and sightings of the American Bald Eagle. Follow our site to a cornucopia of special events in the Litchfield Hills.