Skip Vermont – Connecticut Has More Fall Fun and Colorful Foliage

New England is legendary for fall foliage. About 3.5 million people a year visit Vermont in the fall. And while Vermont certainly has beautiful fall foliage, so does Connecticut, and without the crowds.

If you’re looking for the best opportunity for hassle-free leaf-peeping, you’ll want to head to New Haven instead of the overcrowded Green Mountain State.

Plus, Connecticut offers much more than just vibrant fall colors. You can pick some apples at one of the many orchards, go on a spooky ghost tour, or try your hand at navigating a corn maze.

Pumpkin Patches and Corn Mazes

The best pumpkin patches in the New Haven area are at Lyman Orchards, Bishop Orchards, and Jones Family Farms. Lyman Orchards offers the experience of picking your pumpkins straight from the field to find the perfect one for a Jack O’lantern.

Bishop Orchards and Jones Family Farms offer a more traditional pumpkin patch, with pumpkins stacked high, waiting to find a home.

Lyman Orchards and Bishop Orchards also offer apple picking with dozens of varieties of apples. Different apples are ready to pick throughout the season, so you will want to check before you go.

Lyman Orchards is full of fall festivity with a massive corn maze that will take you at least an hour to get through. Lyman’s Apple Barrel Market sells the best Apple Cider Donuts and Apple Pie.

Jones Family Farms has a hayride perfect for getting into the Fall spirit. The ride lasts about 20 minutes and goes through the woods on the farm.

Spooky New Haven

For thrill-seekers, New Haven has a great ghost tour. The “Ghosts of New Haven” tour lasts for 90 minutes and focuses on the spooky history of the second largest city in Connecticut. Knowledgeable guides will lead you through the Grove Street Cemetary and New Haven Green.

The tour focuses on the spooky history of New Haven as well as stories of the paranormal.

If Ghost Tours aren’t your thing, you might enjoy A Taste of New Haven. This food tour will provide a lot of the same history as the ghost tour, but you also get to sample some fantastic food along the way.

Fall Foliage Is Just as Great in New Haven

Fall Foliage in New England is legendary, and in New Haven, it is simply stunning. There are plenty of ways to take it all in. You can drive along the Connecticut coastline, hike at Sleeping Giant State Park, or take a stroll through any of New Haven’s gorgeous parks.

To see tons of fall color, drive to the top of East Rock Park for a bird’s eye view of the city and the fall foliage. The view takes in all of the New Haven area as well as Long Island Sound. You can see Long Island from the top of East Rock Park on a clear day.

If you love to hike, Sleeping Giant State Park is a must-do in the fall. A mile-and-a-half trail leads to the peak of Sleeping Giant and a stone lookout (sometimes called the castle.) This park in nearby Hamden is a favorite in the fall, so go early to ensure parking.

Free Yale Walking Tour

New Haven is home to Ivy League Yale University, which offers free 1-hour tours of campus Monday-Saturday at noon. The tour is a great way to learn about the history of the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States while enjoying the beautiful autumn weather. The walking tours, led by Yale students, focus on facts about Yale and the architecture of the campus.

You must make a reservation ahead of time for the walking tours.

Another great way to see New Haven in the fall is on a self-guided Yale walking tour. You can explore at your own pace and focus on the things you want to see.

Yale Museums Are Also Free

If you have another hour to spend at Yale, you can visit one of two free Yale University museums. The Yale Center for British Art and The Yale University Art Gallery are worth visiting. The Yale Center for British Art is renowned for its collection of British art, which is the largest and most comprehensive outside of Great Britain.

The Yale University Art Gallery is the oldest college art museum in the United States. Both museums are perfect for art lovers, with a wide range of art from different cultures and periods.

What Are You Waiting For?

Whether you’re looking for some cozy fall fun or want to explore the city, New Haven is the perfect place to be this autumn. You can enjoy the beautiful fall colors while exploring all the city offers.

So skip the overcrowded fall destinations and head to New Haven for underrated fall fun and Connecticut Charm.

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This post was produced by Travels With The Crew and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.