Looking for a fall getaway? Here are 9 unforgettable destinations in and near Connecticut, including a vintage steam train and riverboat, a road-racing mecca, a Halloween hotbed along the Hudson and more.
Pick your pleasure at this one-stop spot for a whimsical fall experience.
Perhaps you’ve picked blueberries or peaches at Bishop’s Orchards, but if you’ve never stopped by during the fall, you’ve been missing out. The family-run Guilford farm and orchards, whose roots date back to the 1800s, is one of the dreamiest destinations for a day of fall fun.
Bishop’s Orchards in Guilford
Winter Caplanson
When you arrive, head straight to the farm market for a few apple cider doughnuts before immersing yourself in their epic corn maze. Each year brings a new creation, with past ones including an ice cream cone theme and marine life one featuring a beluga and penguin. This year’s labyrinth is designed in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Newbery Medal for children’s literature. You’ll find facts and plots from different stories and places to win prizes throughout the maze. The labyrinth is open every day through Oct. 30, with the last admission at 4:30 p.m.
Bishops Orchards
Winter Caplanson
After making your way out of the maze (hopefully with your entire party), pick those apples for the pies you’ve been meaning to make. Keep in mind that due to this year’s drought, there may be fewer apples available, so the early bird gets the prize. Not into apples? Hunt for the perfect pumpkin before hopping on a tractor ride around the farm. Depending on the day, you’ll also find live music at The Little Red Bar(n) along with charcuterie boards, brisket and other barbecue items to order.
Bishop’s Orchards in Guilford
Winter Caplanson
Don’t forget to stop in the farm market for a tasting of their wines and cider and to stock up on more apple cider doughnuts or the banana, pumpkin and zucchini breads before venturing into Guilford for the afternoon. — Bridget Shirvell
1355 Boston Post Road, Guilford, 203-453-2338, bishopsorchards.com
IN THE AREA
Where to eat: Head to Three Girls Vegan Creamery for a late lunch. You’ll find calzones, sandwiches and plenty of other goodies that even the meat lovers in your group will love.
Can’t-miss attraction: Guilford has the charming, small-town thing down. Walk around the town green and pop in and out of the many shops such as Breakwater Books, Evergreen Fine Crafts for unique gifts and handmade items, and anything else that catches your eye.
Hidden gem: Not ready to say goodbye to Guilford just yet? Head to Chittenden Park off Seaside Avenue. Seriously. Even though it doesn’t look like much, if you walk from the parking lot through the field toward the trees, you’ll find a wooden boardwalk leading to a viewing platform with lovely sights of Long Island Sound.
Essex Steam Train & Riverboat
Autumn means sublime rides on the Strasburg Rail Road in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, or the Essex Steam Train in Connecticut. But here, you get to add a 75-minute riverboat cruise on the Connecticut River that starts after you exit the train near Deep River Landing.
The Essex Steam Train and Riverboat
Courtesy of the Connecticut Office of Tourism
And folks often do. They also buy tickets to dinner cruises on the Becky Thatcher riverboat, special witchy autumn Salem Express trains, occasional visits by Thomas the Tank Engine (the little kids go wild), the North Pole Express (again, high excitement) and the lovely open-air, pandemic-year addition that stuck around, the Rail-Bike Adventure.
The steam train (right off Exit 3 of Route 9 in Essex) shows off some natural Connecticut River Valley beauty (including cool bird sightings) along its 12-mile, narrated round trip north to Deep River and Chester. Patrons glimpse not only the natural beauty but historic man-made sights such as Gillette Castle, Goodspeed Opera House and the Haddam Swing Bridge.
The Essex Steam Train and Riverboat
Courtesy of the Connecticut Office of Tourism
You can buy a train-boat combo ticket or do a train-only out-and-back. The dinner train runs Oct. 1–23 on weekends at 11:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Rail-bike rides offer two- and four-seaters.
Tickets to another popular Essex Steam Train offering, the North Pole Express, have been on sale since mid-September. The train runs weekends from mid-November and Wednesdays and Thursdays Nov. 30–Dec. 23. — Joe Amarante
1 Railroad Ave., Essex, 860-767-0103, essexsteamtrain.com
IN THE AREA
Where to eat: The homey Griswold Inn opened its doors in 1776 and still pleases. In quaint Chester sits the young but much-awarded Italian “scratch kitchen” eatery Grano Arso.
Can’t-miss attraction: CTake the Chester-Hadlyme Ferry to reach Gillette Castle State Park in East Haddam. It’s just $2–$6 to get into the hilltop castle, perhaps the most famous and unusual “house” in Connecticut. The hulking fieldstone structure was built by the legendary stage actor William Gillette (who portrayed Sherlock Holmes) and contains fascinating features including ornate carved wooden doors and locks. You’ll find 47 doors, each one uniquely designed. Also great are The Goodspeed musical theater (featuring 42nd Street), Ivoryton Playhouse (The Great Gatsby) and farther east, Mohegan Sun, which is holding its annual beer festival, Sun Brewfest, Oct. 8.
Hidden gem: Stick with the river theme at Essex’s Connecticut River Museum, also offering excursions on the RiverQuest eco-tour boat.
MORE FALL FUN: Lose yourself in a corn maze
Mystic Seaport Museum
Fall back in time at a nautical playland.
With 2022’s heat waves behind us, Connecticut’s historic attractions are easier to appreciate. Enter Mystic Seaport Museum, the time-traveling cousin to nearby Mystic Aquarium for in-state daytrippers and out-of-state visitors.
Mystic Seaport
courtesy of the Connecticut Office of Tourism
It’s the 1800s here, with the era’s actual homes and shops transported to and preserved on this Mystic River jut of land. Mystic served as an important supplier of wooden trade and fishing vessels under the Greenman brothers from 1834–78. The museum began in 1929.
Part of the Mystic River Scale Model exhibit at Mystic Seaport.
Joe Aramante
While you can gaze at electronic displays in the planetarium, or nautical art or the glass-encased, 12-foot by 40-foot Mystic River Scale Model exhibit, most of the joys here are low-tech and slow tech from the 1800s — authentic wood-carving tools and drugstore bottles, nautical instruments, sail riggings and schoolhouse benches. Families love the toy boat-building room, huddling around glue guns, simple pieces of wood and other craft supplies.
A fall view of Mystic Seaport’s street of authentic period buildings.
Courtesy of Mystic Seaport
The centerpiece of the museum’s waterfront is the Charles W. Morgan whaling vessel, where a self-guided tour speaks volumes about a tough, tight-quarters life.
The fall Seaport calendar offers fresh celebrations that are vintage New England: Riverfest from Oct. 8–10 allows visitors to take a boat onto the river, enjoy live music and food at a beer garden, play harvest-themed games and chat with visiting fishermen at their boats. Oct. 22–23 will bring pumpkin carving, and you can return Oct. 25-29 to see if your creation made it to the illuminated Jack-o-Lantern Walk. — Joe Amarante
75 Greenmanville Ave., Mystic, 860-572-0711, mysticseaport.org
IN THE AREA
Where to eat: After strolling the sedate Seaport, families can find a lively meal setting at the Jealous Monk in nearby Olde Mistick Village. The Jealous Monk offers a nice beer selection and an expansive outdoor patio with a menu of burgers, bratwurst and other beer hall bites and children’s menu items.
Can’t-miss attraction: A three-minute drive south of the Seaport takes you to downtown Mystic, with its quaint shops and iconic Mystic River Bascule Bridge (rising at 40 minutes after the hour during day hours).
Hidden gem: For Harry Potter fans, it’s The Cloak and Wand shop in Olde Mistick Village. For wine lovers, try the pair of Stonington wineries — Saltwater Farm Vineyard in Stonington with its repurposed WWII airplane hanger and scenic wedding-setting grounds, and Stonington Vineyards in North Stonington.
Lime Rock Park, Lakeville
This foliage-filled road-racing mecca will rev your engines.
Ever since opening in the Northwest Corner in 1957, Lime Rock has stayed a true park. No concrete or grandstands mar the grass and trees, where spectators gather with their lawn chairs and coolers, as the wooded hills echo with nerve-tingling thunder. Paul Newman called Lime Rock his home track, Dan Gurney and Mario Andretti raced the same turns modern drivers can, bending through the bowl-shaped valley of the park, then up, and sweeping down the hill at its center, where fans watch, and race teams from IMSA sports cars, classic Formula 1, and even NASCAR line the paddock.
Lyme Rock Park
Courtesy of the Connecticut Office of Tourism
The official racing season closes out with the Vintage Sports Car Club of America’s Fall Finale Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, a celebration of pre-war vehicles with multiple racing sessions for a variety of rare autos that you’re more likely to see motionless in a museum than zipping around a track.
New this October are bicycling tours that take riders through an unpaved and little-traveled network of dirt roads surrounding the park. Scheduled for Oct. 9, three tour lengths (18, 46 and 68 miles) are offered, with the shortest including one climb and two easy stretches, and the longest featuring about 6,000 feet of climbing.
Lyme Rock Park
Courtesy of the Connecticut Office of Tourism
The drive to Lime Rock Park is an experience in itself, with the last several miles winding by the forests and rivers of Litchfield County. The joy of the drive gets many a weekend car out of the garage, and the parking lot at the track is a show unto itself. It’s worth taking a walk around the park on an off-day, scheduling your own drive at a drivers’ school, or marking your calendar for the upcoming season to have your own experience, and build memories along the way. — James Gribbon
60 White Hollow Road, Lakeville, 860-435-5000, limerock.com
IN THE AREA
Where to eat: The historic Litchfield Green features beautiful scenery, old churches, the nearby home of Revolutionary War hero Benjamin Tallmadge — and some excellent dining. Chef Carlos Perez helms two of them: @ The Corner for New American cuisine, and the newly opened ATC South St. for delicious tacos and cocktails. Across the green, Market Place Tavern is housed in a former jail built to house British prisoners in the War of 1812. Sit in the booths where barred windows overlook the green, and let chef Matt Delongis prepare high-end American tavern fare.
Can’t-miss attraction: Bantam’s Arethusa Farm is actually a dairy, produces some of the better ice cream you’ll have in Connecticut, and won a global blue ribbon for their blue cheese. The scoop shop, bakery (a mano), and fine-dining restaurant (al Tavolo) can be found in Bantam center.
Hidden gem: Connecticut’s version of the towering old-growth forests of the Pacific Northwest, Gold’s Pines Natural Area Preserve and Cathedral Pines, both in Cornwall, were noted as far back as the 18th century, and established as woodland preserves before the dawn of the 20th. The conservation trust leaves them open to visitors on foot, who can gaze upward from the shadows, and walk amongst some of the most majestic neighbors of our state.
Weir Farm National Historic Park, Wilton and Ridgefield
American art comes to life in an autumn masterpiece.
As one of the country’s finest remaining landscapes of American art, Weir Farm National Historic Park is beautiful any time of year. But it’s especially picturesque in the fall, when forested areas are blanketed in a calico canopy of leaves, and meadows and fields are awash in their own pleasing colors.
View of Visitors Center at Weir Farm in Wilton.
Shutterstock
There are plenty of ways to enjoy this 68-acre paradise in Ridgefield and Wilton. Park Ranger Kristin Lessard suggests a walk around Weir Pond to “see the trees and stunning reflection of colors on the water.” (It’s just over a mile round trip; nothing tricky, but wear closed-toe shoes.)
“We get visitors from around the country because we’re a national park,” she says of the farm that was home to artist Julian Alden Weir, known as the father of American Impressionism. Weir acquired it in 1882 and lived there until 1919. His home and studio are preserved, among other structures; many artists have created works at the farm since his time.
Weir Farm National Historic Park, Wilton and Ridgefield
Courtesy of the National Park Service
Everything becomes vibrant with autumn’s arrival, Lessard says. “You can experience nature’s palette and see all the wonderful colors of fall, just as the artists have — artists who’ve been drawn to this site for over 140 years.”
People have told her there’s “something magical” about the place. “When you get out of your car, it’s like stepping back in time; you can just feel the essence, and that can be a really powerful and impactful experience.”
Weir Farm National Historic Park
Courtesy of the National Park Service
The park offers free-to-use art supplies. When the visitor center is open, you can borrow sketching materials or watercolor paints to create your own masterpiece. The Art in the Park festival, Oct. 15, includes demonstrations and activities. Other options include ranger-guided and informal tours and trail walks, “Yoga in the Garden” (Fridays), and the “Owl Prowl” (Oct. 28).
You can also check out some new exhibits at the visitor center. There’s lots to see, since this is the only national park dedicated to American painting. “A really wonderful thing I hear from people all the time is that there’s more here than meets the eye,” Lessard says. — Linda Tuccio-Koonz
735 Nod Hill Road, Wilton, 203-834-1896, nps.gov/wefa
IN THE AREA
Where to eat: To experience creative, farm-sourced New American cuisine, check out Bailey’s Backyard in downtown Ridgefield. Executive chef Forrest Pasternack’s seasonal menu proudly lists partner farms in Connecticut and New York, and seafood comes from local waters. Summer entrées included Amish Chicken Under a Brick with artisanal grits, sautéed kale and dijon-chicken jus, and a seafood hotpot featuring shellfish flavored with red curry, coconut and basil.
Can’t-miss attraction: The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum is only institution in the state solely dedicated to the presentation of contemporary art. The Aldrich is featuring a show called 52 Artists: A Feminist Milestone.
Hidden gem: This fall marks the start of the fifth season of the nonprofit professional theater ACT of Connecticut, which opens with the musical-comedy Guys and Dolls, running Oct. 27–Nov. 20. The intimate, 182-seat theater presents limited runs of well-known musicals, as well as world-premiere productions by next-generation artists.
Gouveia Vineyards, Wallingford
A European-infused experience awaits at this hilltop winery.
Clues hinting at a great experience that awaits are sometimes indirect, and that’s the case with Gouveia Vineyards in Wallingford. While reading about the wines you may notice something not typically displayed by other Connecticut wineries, the longitude and latitude of the farm’s 140 acres on which 26 acres are planted with 17 varietals. It’s the latitude that’s a key indicator; 41.435166 puts Gouveia on the same parallel that crosses part of northern Portugal, Spain and the Italian island of Sardinia, all great winemaking regions.
Gouveia Vineyards in Wallingford
Courtesy of the Connecticut Office of Tourism
You’ll notice, too, that the grapes here are picked by hand — and then over on the FAQ page is the clincher: Gouveia is dog friendly. Taken together, these mentions are indications of pride, devotion, an artisanal approach, and a European-style philosophy of inclusiveness; dogs are part of the family, vineyards sustain families … it all goes together.
Gouveia’s white wines include chardonnay, pinot grigio, a Seyval blanc, a muscat and others, while the reds include a cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, pinot noir, zinfandel, vinho tinto, and the port wine-inspired Chocolate Epiphany Reserve.
Guests who come anytime during the fall for the great foliage and views can enjoy the wines, individually or as flights, on the patio or inside, and are also encouraged to bring a picnic. Food trucks are hosted most weekends from Friday through Sunday.
The welcoming nature of the immersive experience and the hours also reflect the European-roots sensibility. Only closed on Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day, Gouveia is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and until 6 p.m. on Sunday, though winter hours may vary. — Douglas P. Clement
1339 Whirlwind Hill Road, Wallingford, 203-265-5526, gouveiavineyards.com
IN THE AREA
Where to eat: A top destination is Viron Rondo Osteria, about 13 miles away in Cheshire. Dining at this massive, stylish Italian/Mediterranean restaurant is like crashing a great Italian wedding; it’s a feast, a festival and an experience. Take advantage of warm days to dine on the veranda, and whatever you like to eat, start with My Mother’s Chips, the signature crispy eggplant and zucchini with cucumber yogurt dip.
Can’t-miss attraction: The Toyota Oakdale Theatre is a performing arts gem that started life in the 1950s as an open-air venue in an alfalfa field hosting summer stock theater. These days it has that rare attribute of being all things to all people; Demi Lovato and Judas Priest are booked in October, but so are MasterChef Junior Live! and Disney Junior Live on Tour.
Hidden gem: Here’s an insider’s secret: The private college preparatory boarding schools that call Connecticut home have fabulous art galleries and performing arts centers that seem inaccessible, as they’re tucked away on discrete campuses, but the reality is the schools want visitors to come and enjoy the riches, and much of the programming is free. The Paul Mellon Arts Center at Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford (President John F. Kennedy was a graduate) is an exemplar. Designed by architect I.M. Pei (the pyramid entrance at the Louvre in Paris), the center offers art exhibits in its galleries and music and theater this fall.
MORE FALL FUN: Connecticut’s scenic vineyards are perfect for a fall day trip
Westchester’s Rivertowns, New York
The Hudson River villages are a Halloween hotbed sprinkled with dining delights.
A ghostly “Boo!” is only appropriate for some of what goes down during spooky season in Westchester’s Rivertowns, as the area is known to locals.
Kicking off all things Halloween is The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze, a family-friendly walk-through held in Croton-on-Hudson’s historic Van Cortlandt Manor, where more than 7,000 artistically carved pumpkins are illuminated, made into larger gourd displays, with plenty of animatronics, and then some. The Blaze runs through Nov. 20 and advance online tickets are required. While in Croton, should you need a caffeine pick-me-up, adult beverage or scoops of handmade small-batch ice cream, your stops should include The Black Cow in Pleasantville, and The Green Growler and The Blue Pig in Croton-on-Hudson, respectively.
The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze in Croton-on-Hudson
Jennifer Mitchell
But any literature geek who’s also a Halloween freak knows about Washington Irving. His visitable former residence, Sunnyside, is in Tarrytown. Tours of the author’s home closed on Sept. 11, but there are a couple of storytime events — a telling of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and another that shows guests a short puppet film, plus lawn games to play, and access to the seasonally decorated digs — held there in the spirit of All Hallows’ Eve. Additionally, nearby are ghost tours of Tarrytown Music Hall, and there’s always myriad historical and Halloween events happening at Lyndhurst Mansion, where on a nice day you’re welcome to BYOF and a blanket to picnic on the lawn and walk its stunning grounds.
Lyndhurst Mansion is a lovely spot to spend some time this autumn.
Andrew Dominick
And since we mentioned Irving, why not book a walking tour of where he’s buried? The legendary Sleepy Hollow Cemetery isn’t only worth the history, it’s a fantastic spot for photography, and getting in your steps to work up an appetite.
The Headless Horseman Bridge in Sleepy Hollow.
Margaret Fox
Luckily for you, food and drink is easy to find, and hopping between the towns is a short local drive away, or it’s 10–30 minutes north or south on Route 9.
Fans of high-end Chinese food will gravitate to Goosefeather in Tarrytown.
All Good NYC / Courtesy of Westchester County Tourism & Film
Top Chef alum Dale Talde’s Goosefeather, located at Tarrytown House Estate, is a must for fancy Chinese cuisine, while Michael Psilakis’ MP Taverna in Irvington is high-end Greek fare, and Pik Nik BBQ is an approachable smoked-meat, guilty-pleasure stop in Tarrytown. If you’re down with venturing outside this general area, don’t sleep on Peter Kelly’s lauded X20 in Yonkers and a stunningly plated seafood tasting menu at Brother’s Fish & Chips in Ossining.
Meat lovers will want to check out Pik Nik BBQ in Tarrytown.
Andrew Dominick
Should you have more time to dine, Blue Hill at Stone Barns is on every serious foodie’s bucket list. If paying almost $400 a person isn’t in your budget, they do offer a $38 lunch experience Wednesday–Sunday and a $125 family-style supper Wednesdays and Thursdays. — Andrew Dominick
(MORE) IN THE AREA
Where to eat: Right around the corner from his excellent Dobbs Ferry Neapolitan pizzeria, The Parlor, is David DiBari’s Michelin Bib Gourmand-recognized The Cookery — a modern, wildly creative take on Italian cooking. Expect housemade everything including cured meats, sausages, pasta and lots of delicious carnivorous dishes.
Can’t-miss attraction: Four generations of the Rockefeller family lived in Kykuit, an ivy-covered Colonial Revival mansion and its grounds, full of sculptures, paintings and picturesque gardens. It’s open from Oct. 5–Nov. 13 for guided tours.
Hidden gem: You could stop at one of the Rivertowns’ breweries (Peekskill and River Outpost in Peekskill and Sing Sing Kill in Ossining), but the Sleepy Hollow dive bar Bridge View Tavern not only has the best local beer list, but there’s always Vermont liquid gold from Foam and Hill Farmstead, too. Pair a pint or two with stellar bar food like fresh-ground burgers (including bison, wild-boar chorizo, elk) and smoked-then-fried wings.
Roger Williams Park Zoo, Providence, R.I.
With more than 160 species, plus thousands of jack-o’-lanterns, this is a wild fall hangout.
Visit the Roger Williams Park Zoo this time of year and your eyes are immediately drawn to the trees. There’s something orange hanging from the limbs, and not just the resident golden lion tamarins. With Halloween in the offing, jack-o’-lanterns are making an appearance (this year’s theme is 75 years of television; open nightly Sept. 29–Oct. 31), adding to the wonder to be discovered within Roger Williams Park Zoo’s 435 acres. Amongst that wonder: moon bears, a Komodo dragon, red pandas, and, of course, tamarins.
Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, R.I.
Courtesy of Roger Williams Park Zoo
This 40-acre attraction, now celebrating its 150th anniversary, is the third-oldest zoo in the nation. A great starting point for bird’s-eye views 115 feet above the property is the two-seater Soaring Eagle Zip Ride. This area features the Woodlands Express train ride, along with the Hasbro Great Backyard playground with features like its Drip Drop Water Garden and Sticks & Stones Building Zone.
Roger Williams Park Zoo, Providence, R.I.
Courtesy of Roger Williams Park Zoo
Say howdy-do to long-horned ankole-watusi cattle, wildebeest, zebras and cheetahs during a visit to “Africa.” Swimming elephants can be spotted in their yard or taking a dip, and just next door, Masai giraffes peer through the treetops.
Doing underwater loop-de-loops in the Faces of the Rainforest exhibit are Romo and Fernando, South American giant river otters. Be on the lookout for titi and howler monkeys, Chilean flamingos, tropical fish, toucan and an anteater that, if curled up and napping, might look like a pile of leaves. Don’t let the day slip away without meeting the zoo’s snow leopards, bison and oh so many more fascinating creatures.
Roger Williams Park Zoo, Providence, R.I.
Courtesy of Roger Williams Park Zoo
Also worth checking out in the park: the Carousel Village to ride the ponies giving chase round the historic carousel, the famous Swan Paddleboats awaiting to whisk adventurers across the lake, the Botanical Center, home to New England’s largest glasshouse display garden and four year-round greenhouses, and the Museum of Natural History and Planetarium with exhibits of creatures great and small. — Bekah Wright
1000 Elmwood Ave., Providence, R.I., 401-785-3510, rwpzoo.org
IN THE AREA
Where to eat: Word is that Pot au Feu Bistro, a 1972-established French bistro in Providence’s historic downtown, was a favorite dining spot of Julia Child. This is the place to appease cravings for bouillabaisse Marseilles and the duck dish caneton framboise.
Can’t-miss attraction: Many may be familiar with the Rhode Island School of Design but might not know about its sister venue, the RISD Museum. Six designated galleries include decorative arts and design, European, ancient Greek and Roman, ancient Egyptian, 18th- and 19th-century American, and Asian art.
Hidden gem: A great way to gain insight into the lives and contributions of early Black Rhode Islanders is through Providence Walks (goprovidence.com/things-to-do/providence-walking-tours), which offers a 20-stop, self-guided tour. Include a visit to the Stages of Freedom Historical Center to tour the museum, catch a film screening, and for performances from the Jazz is a Rainbow teen ensemble.
Berkshire Camino, Massachusetts
Take a walking pilgrimage in the beautiful Berkshires.
Think “walking pilgrimage,” and what comes to mind is likely the Camino de Santiago, the famous European walking pilgrimage spanning nearly 200 miles that people have hiked since the Middle Ages. But you don’t have to hop on a plane or walk for 30 days to experience a mindful hike. In Massachusetts, Berkshire Camino offers day-long and multi-day contemplative walks and hikes for small groups, inspired by Camino de Santiago.
Berkshire Camino, Massachusetts
Courtesy of Berkshire Camino
“Having walked Camino de Santiago in 2018 and then again 2019, I was completely enamored with the experience,” says Berkshire Camino owner Mindy Miraglia. She thought of opening hostels to support those walking the Appalachian Trail in the Berkshires but eventually decided to do guided tours for people who wanted a multi-day experience.
From May through October, she offers a rotating schedule of 12 different routes divided into town walkabouts and woodland walks. The walks, especially the meditative woodland jaunts, are geared toward adults, although they welcome kids 10 and up and have had those with younger children book private walks. “The woodland walks are really grounded in mindfulness,” Miraglia says.
The day hikes range from $50 to $100 per person and span 2½ to 8 miles. The Berkshires’ iconic towns, including Great Barrington, Stockbridge, Lee and Lenox, are the setting for the town walkabouts. You’ll also visit lovely historic estates such as The Mount, Edith Wharton’s home in Lenox, and Chesterwood, the former home of sculptor Daniel Chester French in Stockbridge. Woodland walks immerse hikers in the peaceful natural landscape of the area. Meetup locations depend on the tour you choose and can include both loops and linear routes in which you park at the destination and are shuttled to the starting point.
The multi-day hiking journeys take four to five days, walking 6 to 10 miles a day with prices starting around $1,900, which includes hotel accommodations along the route, some meals and local transportation if needed due to weather conditions.
“The idea is we’re going on a journey, even if it’s only for a day,” Miraglia says. — Bridget Shirvell
413-327-4312, berkshirecamino.com
IN THE AREA
Where to eat: Start your day with omelets or breakfast sandwiches paired with a cardamom latte at the cozy Haven Cafe in downtown Lenox.
Can’t-miss attraction: Literary lovers can’t miss The Mount, Edith Wharton’s home, which is open for tours. If you opt for “The Mount to High Lawn Farm” tour, the Gilded Age home will be part of the route through Lenox and Lee. Also recommended is downtown Lenox, full of unique B&Bs and a plethora of shops and restaurants.
Hidden gem: It’s fall; you need a warm cider doughnut or two. You’ll find it along with cider and wine at Furnace Brook Winery at Hilltop Orchards in nearby Richmond.