Litchfield Hills

The Litchfield Hills cover the northwestern corner of Connecticut, the rolling Berkshire foothill country where the state climbs from the Connecticut River valley toward the Massachusetts and New York lines. The terrain is hardwood forest, narrow river valleys, and a string of glacial lakes — the highest, most rural country in the state, and a long-standing weekend destination for New Yorkers. Litchfield County is the only county in the region. Anchor towns include Litchfield, Torrington, Salisbury, Lakeville, Kent, Cornwall, Sharon, Washington, Woodbury, and New Milford. Kent Falls State Park, People’s State Forest, and Mohawk State Forest hold the major public lands; the Housatonic River runs through Cornwall and Kent on its way south; Mohawk Mountain has a small ski area; the Appalachian Trail crosses the western edge through Salisbury. Most trips are slow-paced — antiquing along Route 7, fly fishing the Housatonic and Salmon Creek, hiking at Bear Mountain or Mount Riga, and the inn-and-restaurant scene around Washington Depot, Salisbury, and Lakeville. The fall foliage runs through October; Tanglewood and the Berkshires are an easy hour northwest. Most weekends begin Friday night and end Sunday afternoon.