5. Mt. Tom State Park
From the rustic bluestone lookout tower atop Mt. Tom, the view across the treetops takes in the Catskill Mountains to the northwest and one of Connecticut’s highest peaks, Bear Mountain, to the north. In the park’s lower reaches, you can swim in a bracing spring-fed pond or picnic at the tree-shaded water’s edge. At nearby Lake Waramaug State Park (reached via Rtes. 202, 45, and 341), you can camp, swim, fish, or rent a canoe and explore the hidden coves nestled along the lake’s unusually scenic shoreline.
6. Kent
Veering west at Warren, the drive coasts along Rte. 341 toward the picture-postcard village of Kent on the banks of the Housatonic River. The Appalachian Trail, which cuts through town, remains largely unnoticed by the art and antique lovers who crowd Main Street. For a change of pace, head down to the river, where the serenity is broken only by the subdued oar strokes of the Kent School crew team.
7. Kent Falls State Park
In spring the dogwoods gleam like pale moon drops along Rte. 7 as it gently rises and falls on its journey north from Kent. History lovers should stop at the Sloane-Stanley Museum just outside of town to view its collection of early American tools. A few miles farther on, at popular Kent Falls State Park, you can stroll across a grassy meadow to view the foaming cascades of a gorgeous multitiered waterfall.
8. West Cornwall
As Rte. 7 continues north, it passes through Housatonic Meadows State Park, where the rushing river is often dotted with canoes, kayaks, and fly fishermen. A few miles to the north, a turn onto Rte. 128 leads—by means of passing over a weathered red covered bridge—to the picturesque and diminutive hamlet of West Cornwall.
9. Canaan
The last leg of the drive, along Rte. 7 from West Cornwall to Canaan, offers pleasant diversions in the warm months. Fans of sports-car racing flock to nearby Lime Rock (via Rte. 112), and music lovers are lured to Music Mountain (at Falls Village) for the summer chamber-music festival. At the little village of Canaan, you may want to pause at an outdoor café before heading north to the Berkshires or looping back toward lovely Litchfield.
Republished from:
Most Scenic Drives in America
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