From Hartford · Litchfield Loop

This full-day version starts in Hartford. The first 34 miles go out on back roads, mostly CT-4 and CT-118, to Litchfield, where the good part begins. The core stretch, Litchfield Loop, runs 58 miles to Norfolk.

The ride home is the quick way: 35 miles on US-44 back to Hartford. All in, it's about 126 miles and 4 hours in the saddle, before any stops for gas, food or photos. There's time to take it easy.

Full-day version that starts in Hartford: it adds the ride there and back to Litchfield Loop. Here is what you'll find on the core stretch:

Litchfield Hills in one afternoon: you leave the Litchfield green, pass Bantam Lake, run the east side of Lake Waramaug and cross to Kent on CT-341 before heading up the Housatonic to Canaan and Norfolk. Colonial villages, a lake and some tight bends around the water. It's a ride for the scenery, not for hurrying: expect cyclists around the lake and heavy US-7 traffic in foliage season.