We’re right on the cusp of arguably the most beautiful season in New England. Our fall colors are renowned for their intensity and variety, and folks come from all over the world to appreciate them: a form of seasonal tourism with the delightful name of “leaf-peeping.”
The Goodwin makes a fantastic leaf-peeping headquarters, and now’s the time to book your boutique accommodations with us for the peak fall-foliage season!
Connecticut’s Fall Colors
The Northeast in general enjoys the perfect setup for incredible fall colors, thanks to such factors as an ideal autumn climate with plenty of warm, sunny days and crisp nights and a great diversity of the deciduous hardwood trees and shrubs that provide the spectacle, as photosynthesis ebbs and non-green pigments take center stage ahead of leaf-drop.
Its more southerly location in New England—which, among other things, means all the richer a lineup of colorful broadleafs—and its diversity of terrain and microclimates give Connecticut its own uniquely rich and extended fall-color show. A typical fall here sees a nice drawn-out rollout of changing leaves, beginning in early October in the Northwest Highlands but often not peaking until early November in the far south. Here in the greater Hartford area of the Connecticut River Valley, peak colors often occur between mid and late October.
There’s quite the spectrum in the color department, too: from the golden fire of cherries, hickories, and tulip-trees and the blazing orange of sugar maples to the purplish uniform of dogwoods and sumacs.
Enjoying Fall Colors During a Stay at The Goodwin
Every season’s a bit different in terms of the timing and vibrancy of fall colors. You can keep track of the autumn-foliage forecast with this interactive map maintained by the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection.
With a room or suite at The Goodwin in downtown Hartford, you’re surprisingly close to some of the Constitution State’s best leaf-peeping vantages. They include Talcott Mountain State Park, where you can survey a broad expanse of fall-fired countryside from a mountaintop tower, and the Ragged Mountain Memorial Preserve, which protects another traprock ridge affording long (and colorful) views. Especially if you’re here on the later end of things, a drive south down the Connecticut River can bring you into the fold of some of the longest-lasting fall foliage in the state at places such as the Cockaponset State Forest.
Don’t wait to lock down your Goodwin accommodations for fall colors: Consider an October (or even early November) getaway with us and enjoy some of the best leaf-peeping available anywhere!
