The Ultimate Foliage Tour - Eastern Connecticut
Do the leaves have to be in full color for this trip to be enjoyable? Absolutely not. But once you’ve experienced the autumn glories of this part of Connecticut, you’ll want to return year after year, and make new discoveries along the way.
- Fall
- Union
- Woodstock
- Route 169 – National Scenic Byway
- Norwich
Town of Union, Union
Union
Begin this trip in the tiny town of Union, up by the Massachusetts line. It’s the only town in Connecticut with a population of less than 1,000, so there’s lots of open land to admire. Start on Route 190 and just to the north of town take a right on Route 171, also known as Bigelow Hollow Road. You’ll soon pass the entrance to Bigelow Hollow State Park, but you don’t have to pass by - the park is one of Connecticut’s great gems and well worth a look.
Town of Woodstock, Woodstock
Woodstock
On to Woodstock. Next, take a left onto Route 197, which will eventually become known as Old Turnpike Road. You’ll pass by farms and fields, ponds and rolling terrain, all in a blaze of fall color. There are many interesting side roads to take – including one that leads to the splendid Roseland Cottage - just don’t get lost!
Route 169 – National Scenic Byway
In North Woodstock, you’ll take a right onto Route 169, also known as the Norwich-Worcester Turnpike or the General Israel Putnam Highway. For our purposes, however, we’d point out that the road’s natural beauty and historic interest has enabled it to be named a National Scenic Byway, a federal designation that really means something. In foliage season, it shouldn’t take you long to figure out why.
City of Norwich, Norwich
Norwich
As you proceed south to Norwich, there are many places to consider stopping off, including Woodstock’s Scranton's Shops, where you can find unique arts, crafts and antiques by more than 90 local artisans - all in an early New England blacksmith shop setting.
