I’m fairly certain autumn was invented in Litchfield County.
White church steeples rise above hills painted in amber and crimson. Pumpkins spill out from roadside farm stands. Centuries-old stone walls disappear beneath fallen leaves, apple orchards are heavy with fruit, and every winding country road seems to lead to a barn, a corn maze, a cider donut, or some sort of harvest celebration.
And experiencing all of it with little ones makes the season even more magical.
Since moving to Litchfield County two years ago, fall has quickly become one of our family’s favorite times of year. There is something about watching the girls experience these traditions that makes me feel like a child again, too. Apple picking becomes an annual event. We stop for pumpkins even though we already have far too many at home. We collect leaves for arts and crafts projects, wander through farm stands, visit the chocolate cows, eat cider donuts while they’re still warm, and spend entire afternoons outside simply because the weather is too beautiful not to.
So consider this the family companion to my larger Litchfield County travel guide: all of my favorite things to do in Litchfield County with kids during fall foliage season.
Pack the sweaters. Bring an extra pair of boots for muddy little feet. And absolutely leave room in the car for pumpkins.
When Is Fall Foliage in Litchfield County?
Litchfield County is one of the first parts of Connecticut to begin changing each autumn, and the season generally builds from late September into October.
But I wouldn’t become too obsessed with timing “peak” foliage perfectly. Part of the beauty is watching the landscape evolve. Early October brings that first wash of yellow and orange; then suddenly the hills are blazing red and gold; and by late October, everything settles into those beautiful rust and copper tones that feel equally romantic. With kids especially, I think the best way to experience foliage here is to make it the backdrop rather than the entire activity. Go apple picking. Visit a pumpkin patch. Take a short hike. Drive to lunch. The leaves will find you.
Go Apple Picking
Averill Farm, Washington Depot
This is our family tradition. We come every year with the girls to pick apples, eat warm cider donuts, stock up at the farm stand, and take in some of the most beautiful views in the county. The hilltop orchard has been farmed by the Averill family for generations, and it feels wonderfully unchanged by time. Come hungry. The cider donuts are non-negotiable.
March Farm, Bethlehem
If you’re looking for more of an all-afternoon fall adventure, March Farm is especially fun with little ones. In addition to pick-your-own fruit, there’s a farm store and bakery, goats, pigs, a playscape, and a corn maze. This is one I’d choose when the kids need to RUN.
Find the Perfect Pumpkin
Angevine Farm, Warren
One of the prettiest pumpkin-picking experiences in the county. Rather than rows of pumpkins staged beside a parking lot, you actually wander out into the fields to find yours. The hilltop setting and surrounding countryside are spectacular in fall, and the Harvest Barn is worth a visit before you leave.
Bunnell Farm, Litchfield
For the full pumpkin-patch experience: pumpkins, corn maze, hayrides, farm scenery, and plenty of fall nostalgia. This is the kind of place where the kids leave exhausted and the back of the car somehow ends up filled with gourds.
Get Lost in a Corn Maze
There are few activities children approach with more confidence – and adults regret halfway through – than a corn maze.
Bunnell Farm in Litchfield and March Farm in Bethlehem both offer classic fall mazes, and they’re an easy way to turn pumpkin or apple picking into a longer family outing.
And if you’re willing to venture a little farther around the county, keep an eye out for the seasonal mazes at local farms. They’re one of those wonderfully simple fall traditions that kids remember.
Spend a Fall Day at Action Wildlife
For children who would choose animals over apples, Action Wildlife in Goshen is such a fun fall outing. Their 2026 Fall on the Farm season adds a five-acre corn maze, hayrides on weekends, a pumpkin patch, petting zoo, giant hay slide, corn pit, playground, yard games and more to the property’s hundreds of exotic and farm animals. It’s essentially every fall activity your child could ask for in one place.
Visit the Chocolate Cows, and Then Eat Chocolate
Thorncrest Farm & Milk House Chocolates, Goshen
One of our girls’ favorites. Thorncrest is a working dairy farm where you can visit the cows and then stop into the Milk House for handmade chocolates created using milk, cream and butter from the farm’s own herd. There’s something particularly sweet about children meeting the cows and then discovering that their milk helped make the chocolate they’re holding.
Explore White Memorial
White Memorial Conservation Center, Litchfield
White Memorial is one of my favorite places to bring the girls because you can make the visit as ambitious, or, as easy as everyone’s mood allows. Start inside at the nature museum, where interactive exhibits introduce children to the wildlife and ecosystems of the region. Then head outside and explore the sanctuary. For kids who are old enough for a little adventure, the Little Pond Boardwalk winds through wetlands and feels wonderfully wild without requiring an enormous hike. And if the weather suddenly turns? You still have the museum.
Easy Fall Walks for Little Legs
Not every foliage hike needs to involve a summit. We like to call them nature walks!
Topsmead State Forest, Litchfield
One of my favorite options with children. The open lawns surrounding the historic estate give little ones plenty of space to roam, and you can enjoy the fall scenery without committing everyone to a strenuous hike. Bring a blanket and make a picnic of it like we do.
White Memorial, Litchfield
Between the museum, trails and wildlife sanctuary, you can tailor the adventure to the age of your children.
Steep Rock Preserve, Washington
Beautiful woodland trails following the Shepaug River. Choose a shorter section with younger children rather than feeling like you need to complete an entire route.
Kent Falls State Park, Kent
Waterfalls plus fall foliage is a fairly unbeatable combination for children. Even a short visit feels like an adventure.
Go to a Real New England Country Fair
If you’re visiting during fair season, GO.
There is something wonderfully nostalgic about a proper agricultural fair in Litchfield County: livestock barns, tractor pulls, horse shows, baking contests, carnival rides, fried food and children running around with absolutely no idea what time it is.
Goshen Fair, September
For us, this feels like the unofficial beginning of fall. It’s one of the area’s classic agricultural fairs, with livestock, competitions, tractors, food and all the small town New England nostalgia you could hope for.
Bethlehem Fair, September
Another wonderful family fair with agricultural exhibits, animals, entertainment, food and rides.
Harwinton Fair, October
A fantastic option if you’re visiting during foliage season. Think pig races, equestrian events, poultry judging, tractor pulls and plenty for kids.
Riverton Fair, October
One of the last agricultural fairs of the season and perhaps one of the most charming. Pair it with a foliage drive through the northern part of the county.
Take a Fall Foliage Drive
This might actually be my favorite activity with little kids because everyone gets to experience the foliage, and no one has to walk particularly far. Pack snacks, put on a good playlist, take the long way and pull off to the side of the road, open up the trunk and have a picnic out the back of the car.
Lake Waramaug Loop
If you only do one drive, make it this one. Circle Lake Waramaug through New Preston, Warren and Washington. In October, the hills surrounding the lake become a patchwork of red, orange and gold. Stop in New Preston, grab something to eat, wander the shops, and continue around the lake.
Route 7: Kent to West Cornwall
This is quintessential New England. Follow Route 7 north through Kent toward West Cornwall for river views, forest, old barns and the iconic covered bridge.
Washington → New Preston → Warren → Kent
This is my kind of fall day with the girls: beautiful roads, farm stands, lunch somewhere cozy, pumpkins in the trunk and absolutely no reason to rush.
Stop at Every Roadside Farm Stand
This may be my favorite Litchfield County tradition of all. During autumn, handwritten signs begin appearing everywhere: APPLES. PUMPKINS. MUMS. EGGS. DAHLIAS. SQUASH. Some lead to proper farm markets. Others lead to a little wooden table beside someone’s barn with a cash box operating entirely on the honor system. The girls love choosing pumpkins and flowers, and I love that something so simple can still feel like an event. My advice? Keep small bills in the car during fall.
Have a Picnic Among the Leaves
Pick up lunch at Meraki, sandwiches and provisions from Bantam Market, or something from The Smithy Market, and turn lunch into an activity. Topsmead, Lake Waramaug and the grounds around many of our local preserves make beautiful picnic destinations. Children don’t need much: a blanket, sandwiches, somewhere to collect leaves, and enough open space to run.
Save These for a Rainy Fall Day
Because New England weather inevitably has other plans.
White Memorial Museum, Litchfield
Our go-to. The nature museum is interactive enough to genuinely entertain children while still teaching them about the animals and habitats they see outside.
KidsPlay Children’s Museum, Torrington
A great one to keep in your back pocket with toddlers and younger elementary-age children. It’s an indoor, hands-on children’s museum filled with imaginative and interactive exhibits.
Hickory Stick Bookshop, Washington Depot
Let everyone choose a new book and then find somewhere cozy for lunch.
House of Books, Kent
Another wonderful independent bookstore to build into a Kent day when everyone needs to come inside and warm up.
And, Obviously, Cider Donuts
I firmly believe cider donuts constitute their own category of fall activity. Get them warm whenever possible. Eat them immediately. Do not tell yourself you’re saving the rest for tomorrow.
Where to Eat with Kids
After several hours outdoors, I’m generally looking for somewhere delicious where bringing children doesn’t feel like an event in itself. The Owl is our family’s pizza spot, casual, welcoming and always an easy yes with the girls.
White Horse Tavern feels straight out of the Cotswolds, with a little river outside where children can explore and exposed beams and fireplaces waiting inside.
GW Tavern in Washington is cozy, historic and perfect after a chilly afternoon outside.
Swyft makes an easy stop when you’re spending the day in Kent.
And Meraki is my go-to when I’d rather grab lunch and turn it into a picnic.
My Perfect Fall Day in Litchfield County with Littles
Start early at Averill Farm.
Pick apples. Eat a cider donut while it’s still warm. Buy another half-dozen “for later.”
Drive around Lake Waramaug while the morning fog is lifting from the water.
Stop in New Preston for coffee and wander for a bit.
Head to a farm stand and let everyone choose a pumpkin.
Pick up lunch and have a picnic somewhere beautiful.
Spend the afternoon at White Memorial or, if everyone still has energy, visit Thorncrest to see the cows and pick out chocolates.
Then finish with pizza at The Owl or Bohemian Pizza if you’re feeling adventurous.
Everyone goes home tired, slightly sticky, carrying at least one leaf they have absolutely insisted must come home with you.
Which, in my opinion, is exactly how an autumn day should end.
A Little Note Before You Go
Fall in Litchfield County is gloriously seasonal, which also means things change constantly. Apple varieties ripen at different times. Pumpkin fields get picked over. Corn mazes and hayrides may only operate on weekends. Foliage follows its own schedule. Fair dates change every year. Check each farm or destination before leaving home, particularly if there’s one specific activity your little one has their heart set on. But also leave some room for spontaneity. Because some of our favorite days here haven’t come from following an itinerary at all.
They’ve come from spotting a handwritten sign and turning down a road we didn’t know. From pulling over because the foliage was too beautiful. From finding a farm stand we hadn’t visited before. From watching the girls run through leaves while a white church steeple rises above the trees in the distance.
There are plenty of places to see fall.
But with little ones in tow, Litchfield County is one of those rare places where you get to actually live inside it.
