Nestled in the picturesque countryside of western Connecticut, New Milford is one of the best towns to experience in the area, and offers such a variety of things to see and do. While known for having one of the most charming downtown areas in the state, it’s also got beautiful parks to explore, cozy cafés, great shops, and lovely scenery.
This post is all about the best things to do in New Milford, CT, and whether you’re planning a day trip or a weekend getaway, I’m sharing all my favorite things to do when you visit the area – including some bonus suggestions on nearby attractions you don’t want to miss.
So, what do you say? Let’s start planning!
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Fun Things To Do In New Milford, CT
1. Explore The Charming Downtown
Of course, the one place in New Milford you don’t want to miss is the downtown area. This is where you’ll find the town green with the gazebo, and the cutest shops and cafés. You can also enjoy mountain views at certain parts of the area, which is really cool.
The town green spans for around 4 blocks, which offers a nice opportunity for a leisurely walk around the town. Most of the shops and such, however, are along the first two blocks of the green. There are some nice shops, coffee places, and restaurants in this area that are very worth checking out.
Good To Know: Parking downtown is free, and there are a lot of spots. There’s a 3-hour limit on most spots, but that’s usually enough time to see everything. You’ll just want to plan accordingly if you’re planning on staying longer, or if you’re heading out for a longer meal.
2. Have A Gilmore Girls Moment At The Town Green Gazebo
The town green and gazebo in New Milford deserve their own own spot on this list, especially if you’re a Gilmore Girls fan 😉 Many folks are usually disappointed to learn that the town that mostly inspired Stars Hollow doesn’t have a gazebo because it was such a big part of the scenery in the series. However, the perfect Gilmore Girls gazebo can be found right in New Milford.
The gazebo is architecturally beautiful, and is often decorated by the town during different times of the year. The photos in this post were taken during the fall season, and it definitely lived up to my expectations when I saw the fall decorations!
And as mentioned, the town green is the heart of downtown, so you’ll easily be able to walk to all the shops and such when visiting. There are also benches for sitting and sipping on coffee so you can slow down and just admire the scenery (which is especially lovely in the fall season with all the colorful trees).
3. Visit Lover’s Leap Bridge & State Park
One of my favorite places in New Milford is Lover’s Leap State Park, which is less than a 10-minute drive from downtown. Depending on how much time you have, you can either plan a quick visit to see the beautiful red truss bridge, or stay even longer to hit up some of the trails.
While the park isn’t huge, it’s really beautiful, and easy to explore. You’ll find 4 miles of trails here, spanning over 160 acres of land, and the trails offer really cool views of the river gorge, which was such an unexpected delight when I visited.
If you don’t have time to walk the trails, the Lover’s Leap bridge is worth a short walk from the parking lot. Not only is a great spot for photos, it’s also a serene area with awesome views of the Housatonic River. This spot is especially beautiful in the fall season, too.
Good To Know: Be sure to go to the actual entrance of the park, as Google and some other websites give you the incorrect address for the main parking area. You’ll want to use these GPS coordinates: 41.542820859315874, -73.40936223170128. Do NOT use the 178 Short Woods Road address. This will take you pretty far from the park. Parking is free for all visitors.
4. Try The Local Beer Housatonic River Brewing
If you love craft beer, or are just looking for a cool place to hang out, Housatonic River Brewing is a fun place to checkout. Crafting and brewing their own beer on-site since 2018, Housatonic River Brewing specializes in IPAs, and typically has 8 brews on tap for you to try.
They also have yummy food available, and great musicians during their live music events, so that’s something you’ll want to check out during your visit, too.
Good To Know: The tap room is 21 and over only, so you’ll want to be aware of this, and plan accordingly based on your group.
5. Hunt For Antiques
Antiquing in the Connecticut countryside is usually pretty great, and New Milford is no exception. You’ll find some really awesome antique and consignment shops here, so if that’s your jam, you’ll want to keep this on your radar.
Right in the downtown area you’ll find The Hunt, which is one of the top-rated antique shops in town. What I liked about The Hunt is that it’s so well organized, and they have a great variety, including clothing, homegoods, and music (CDs and records, etc.).
If you walk a bit further down Railroad Street, you’ll find The Auction Barn, which is more focused on furniture.
You can also swing into New Milford Antiques, The 7 Kent Road Estate Gallery & Thrift Annex, and Best Treasures during your visit.
6. Pop Into The Adorable River & Rail Coffee Shop & Café
While downtown, my favorite little café for a drink and quick bite is River & Rail. They have a nice coffee and drink menu, and also, absolutely fantastic breakfast and lunch options.
Everything here is made-to-order, and between the omelettes and french toast for breakfast, and the soups and sandwiches for lunch, everything I’ve tried here has been impressive. Highly recommend!
The inside seating areas are small, but very cozy if you can snag a table. They also have a couple of tables outside along the sidewalk for outdoor seating in season.
7. Take In Lake Views At Lynn Deming Park
As much as I love Lover’s Leap, Lynn Deming is another fantastic park to experience when visiting New Milford. Sitting on Candlewood Lake, which is Connecticut’s largest lake, Lynn Deming has sandy beach areas for swimming, docks, and is backdropped by small mountains. It’s also fantastic in the fall season for foliage color.
For a more relaxed visit, there are some easy walking trails to explore at the park, but you can also come to just sit on the beach and enjoy the peaceful surroundings.
If you own your own kayaks, this is also a really tranquil place to launch and cruise around the lake, which spans 8 miles long.
Good To Know: The downside to visiting Lynn Deming is that from June through August, you have to purchase your admission ticket at a separate facility about 3 miles away (located at 2 Pickett District Road). If you’re not a New Milford resident, the park charges $30 per person, not per vehicle, which is a very hefty fee that I know will prohibit many people from visiting. However, fees will not apply when visiting in the off season. Click here for more information on passes to visit this park.
8. Get In Touch With Your Inner Artist At Create Escape Studio
For something a little different in New Milford, Create Escape Studio is a lot of fun. Offering classes and workshops for all ages using pottery, mosaics, paint, and fused glass mediums, there are a lot of different options to choose from for a fun afternoon or night out.
Whether you’ve always wanted to learn about pottery-making, or try your hand at painting a canvas, this may be just the motivation you need 😉
Click here to check out the workshop calendar to see if an event aligns with your plans!
9. Visit Harrybrooke Park & Harden House Museum
Another fantastic park in town is Harrybrooke, and as an added bonus, this park is free for all visitors. Spanning over 40 acres, you’ll find nice nature trails here, picnic tables for relaxing, and lots of open spaces.
On the grounds is also the Harden Mansion, which is a historic property that offers tours (in season), and is home to artwork, authentic furniture, and tons of historic charm.
10. Experience The Silo At Hunt Hill Farm
Another wonderfully unique thing to do in New Milford, CT is book a culinary class at The Silo at Hunt Hill Farm. Offering a nice selection of classes ranging in cuisine and skill level, they all have one thing in common – they’re lots of fun. Plus, you’ll learn some exciting new skills and recipes as expert chef’s guide you along in the process.
Hunt Hill Farm is a non-profit agriculture and arts education center, and situated on over 130 beautiful acres of property. Click here to check out their current class schedule being offered.
In the winter, they also host an indoor farmer’s market with local vendors, as well as chefs making dishes that feature ingredients you can find inside the market. It’s a really cool experience if visiting in the colder months! However, the classes mentioned previously are offered year-round, so there’s always something exciting to experience here.
11. Get Festive During The Holidays!
Speaking of winter, experiencing New Milford during the holidays is another fantastic way to enjoy the town. The decorations around the downtown area feel like a Hallmark movie, and with great stores to visit, you can shop small for everyone on your list.
During the holidays, you can also attend the tree lighting, caroling on the green, the Christmas parade, holiday crafts shows, Holiday Lights Decorating Contest, and of course, visits from Santa himself.
Perfect Fall Things To Do In New Milford, CT
Since fall is a popular time to visit New Milford, I wanted to offer a few special things to do throughout the mont of October to celebrate the very best this season has to offer. Enjoy!
12. Find The Perfect Pumpkin At Harris Hill Farm
The best farm stand to visit in New Milford in the fall season is Harris Hill Farm, which specializes in pumpkins, and opens their beautiful pumpkin fields to the public every fall season. They grow such a wide selection, everything from the perfect carving pumpkin to heirloom varieties, so you’ll have plenty to choose from when you stop by.
I really love this pumpkin patch because the grounds and scenery are so beautiful, and backdropped by the rolling hills in the distance. It’s exactly what you’d picture when visualizing an afternoon out to pick pumpkins on a fall day.
While they don’t have a lot of other fall activities like hayrides and such, the trade-off is that it’s a more calm and peaceful experience. However, you can often pick up some of their homemade pumpkin bread to take home, which won a blue ribbon at a local county fair!
13. Pick Up Cider & Doughnuts At Park Lane Cider Mill
Park Lake Cider Mill makes some really awesome, fresh cider, and also serves up some delicious cider doughnuts. While the shop here is pretty small, the outside is incredibly charming, and they also have a few local products to shop from, including jams, jellies, and honey.
The cider doughnuts at Park Lane are more of the dense variety, and while I usually much prefer a yeasted doughnut, these really impressed me – I went back for seconds (maybe thirds 😂). And their fresh cider was also perfection.
In the fall season, you can also buy bags of fresh apples and pumpkins to take home with you.
14. Experience The Scarrybrooke Park Haunted Trail
Lastly in the fall section, one of the most fun things to do in October is buy tickets to the Scarrybrooke Park Haunted Trail, which has been a tradition in the town since 2015.
This haunted trail is run entirely by volunteers, and proceeds go to local non-profit organizations, which is always so heartwarming to hear. Held at Harrybrooke Park, this haunted trail is actually pretty spooky, so don’t let the cute name fool you 😉
Good To Know: Getting to the trail requires that you park, and then take a free shuttle bus to the start of the trail, so you’ll want to plan accordingly. Instructions are provided when you purchase your ticket.
Where To Stay In New Milford, CT
In all honestly, there are not a lot of exciting hotel options right in New Milford, and I usually recommend that you stay in another nearby town when visiting this area, if that works with your plans. However, there are two places in New Milford you can consider if that works best for your itinerary, which I’ll list at the end of this section.
The Litchfield Inn: This is where I most often stay when visiting this area of Connecticut, as I think it strikes the perfect balance of feeling special and cozy, but it’s also not as expensive as some of the luxury options. They provide an elevated continental breakfast with cooked-to-order eggs and omelets, very cozy rooms, cookies and refreshments in the afternoons, and a beautiful space to enjoy during your stay. It’s also about 25 minutes from New Milford, and 5 minutes to beautiful nature trails at the White Memorial Conservation Center.
→ Click here to check rates & availability at the Litchfield Inn
Two hotel options right in New Milford, if these work better with your plans:
The Homestead Inn: About an 8-minute walk to the downtown area, and is a cute little New England-style inn. However, it’s not right in the quaint downtown area, and it’s also directly across the street from the hospital, and on a main road.
Rocky River Inn: One of the best affordable places to stay in the Litchfield Hills, which is perfect for those on a budget, especially since this area is rather expensive to stay in. I recommend paying a little extra for the recently updated rooms here when booking your stay. This inn is about a 5-minute drive outside of the main town area, but very close to all the attractions.
Things To Do Near New Milford
While New Milford offers lots to do (as you can see!), I also really suggest taking short drives to experience other towns and attractions nearby, depending on how much time you have. Here are all my favorite things to do near New Milford, CT that are definitely worth your time.
15. Visit Beautiful Kent
Just 25 minutes from New Milford you’ll find the beautiful town of Kent, which is home to more parks waiting for you to explore, covered bridges, and its own quaint downtown that I love.
Kent is most known for being the home of the tallest waterfall in Connecticut, which can be found at Kent Falls State Park, and this little park is so charming. It doesn’t have a ton of space for walking trails and such, but there are still some nice trails to experience, and of course, the waterfall is a fun attraction to take in.
Good To Know: This is one of the parks in Connecticut that charges an admission fee for out-of-state visitors, however, there’s not always an attendant at the gate. Look for signs on how to pay your admission fee online if you don’t see an attendant when you pull in.
Additionally in Kent, you can head to the small downtown area, which has a unique and special vibe, and also explore Macedonia State Park, which is free for all visitors, and offers lots of trails to explore.
16. Explore Wonderful Litchfield
One of the most idyllic towns in this region of Connecticut is Litchfield, which also had a beautiful downtown area, its own parks to explore, and lots of cool things to do. You’ll find so many beautiful houses and tree-lined streets here, great places to eat, and awesome nature trails to explore.
My personal favorite thing to do when visiting Litchfield is the White Memorial Conservation Center, which has 35 miles of trails spanning across 4,000 acres. However, the quaint downtown area is also a must.
Psst! I have a detailed guide on the best things to do in Litchfield CT, if you’d like more info to help you plan your trip 😉
17. Hit The Trails At Mount Tom State Park
Another fantastic park in the area is Mount Tom State Park, which is only about 20 minutes from downtown New Milford. This park is most known for its tower trail, which is a steep 1.3 mile loop trail that takes you to a stone tower at the top, which offers incredible views of the surrounding region.
However, there’s also a beautiful pond to enjoy during your visit, as well as a few other great trails to explore. This park is especially gorgeous during fall foliage season in October, and is known for being a top spot for leaf-peeping.
18. Explore Quaint Washington (AKA The Real Stars Hollow)
If you’re a fan of the show Gilmore Girls, you’ll want to plan a couple of hours to visit quaint Washington and Washington Depot. Just 15 minutes from New Milford, this is widely-thought to be the main inspiration for Stars Hollow in the show. In fact, you can even book a memorable lunch the famed Mayflower Inn & Spa, which is said to have inspired the Dragonfly Inn (it’s where the show’s creator stayed as she was developing the pilot for the series!).
Not sure what I’m talking about? Don’t worry! All of this to say, Washington Depot is a lovely small town loaded with character, and while it’s not as condensed as places like New Milford and Litchfield, it’s most definitely worth a visit. You’ll find a couple of great cafés here, an awesome park with walking trails and a suspension bridge, as well as authentic, small town charm.
Psst! I have an entire guide on what the real Stars Hollow is actually like, which includes lots of suggestions for things to see when you’re there 😉
19. See West Cornwall Covered Bridge
If you love covered bridges, you’ll want to take a 35 minute drive to the West Cornwall Covered Bridge, which can easily be combined with a visit to Kent (they’re both north of New Milford).
This is the longest covered bridge in Connecticut, and spans over 170 feet. While located in a residential area, it does have a few small parking spaces, so you’re able to get out of your car to walk around and enjoy different perspectives of the bridge.
20. Visit Thorncrest Farm & Milk House Chocolates
A very special Connecticut gem is Thorncrest Farm & Milk House Chocolates, and this is worth the 40-minute drive from New Milford (but it can easily be combined with your visit to Litchfield, as it’s only 10 minutes from there).
This little dairy farm is down a dirt road through the woods in a beautiful rural area of the Litchfield Hills, and they not only produce high-quality milk, but also incredible chocolates. Their little chocolate house is only large enough to fit a few people in at a time, which kind of adds to its charm! Flavors of their hand-crafted artisanal chocolates change frequently, so when you walk in, you’ll want to look for the glass case explaining that day’s offerings.
These chocolates are some of the best I’ve ever had, with incredible flavors and a great temper on them. I can’t recommend it enough. Boxes of these chocolates also make great gifts if you’re in need of something to give someone, or are visiting during the holidays.
21. Take A Hike
Last on my list, there are so many more great hikes to tackle nearby, despite already mentioning a few awesome parks in the area already. In fact, parts of the Appalachian Trail run through this region of Connecticut, so you have plenty of options. You’ll need to drive out of New Milford to access most of these trailhead, but they’re so worth it, and not too far away.
Here are some of the hikes I recommend checking out (in addition to the ones I’ve already mentioned):
→ Hidden Valley Preserve Trails in Washington Depot
→ Prospect Mountain
→ Meeker Trail via Macricostas Preserve
→ Sections of the Appalachian Trail: Caleb Peak, Mount Algo, and St. John’s Ledges to Glacier Rock
→ Cobble Mountain Loop
→ Mountain View Preserve
Visiting New Milford, CT FAQ
Does New Milford Have A Downtown?
Yes, and it’s known for having one of the most beautiful and charming downtowns in Connecticut! In this area, you’ll find several shops, cafés, and restaurants sprinkled around the town green, and you’ll enjoy tree-lined streets for walking to admire the scenery.
Is New Milford Walkable?
The downtown area of New Milford is very walkable, however, you’ll still need a car to experience other parts of the town. Unfortunately, the other attractions are not walkable from town center.
What Is The Best Time Of Year To Visit New Milford, CT?
New Milford sees most of its visitors during fall foliage season, as the town offers a lot of gorgeous autumnal color this time of the year. But really, any season is a great time to visit, and it just depends on what your personal preference is. Typically, early spring is a tough time to visit anywhere in New England because of mud season, and the unpredictable weather. Outside of that, each season offers something fun to experience.
Psst! I have a guide on Fall in Connecticut, which features my favorite fall foliage towns, things to do, and more.
Is New Milford The Same As Milford, CT?
No, these are two different towns, and it can be confusing! There is a separate town in Connecticut called Milford that’s about an hour south of New Milford, and along the coast.
Is New Milford Safe?
Yes, New Milford is very safe to visit, and has one of the lowest crime rates in the U.S.
What Is New Milford, CT Famous For?
As mentioned, New Milford is known for having one of the most beautiful and picturesque downtown areas in Connecticut. However, it’s also known for being the home of Roger Sherman, one of the men who signed the Declaration of Independence, and the U.S. Constitution.
That’s A Wrap On Things To Do In New Milford, CT!
And there you have it! My guide on the best things to do in New Milford, CT, one of the most charming towns in the state. Hopefully you were inspired to add a few of these suggestions to your own itinerary, and are feeling excited to explore the beautiful parks, pop into the adorable shops, snap some photos at the charming gazebo, and also explore the nearby areas and towns. Happy travels! 😊
