Lake Waramaug All-Arounder

A photography tour of Connecticut's Litchfield Hills

Lake Waramaug, Housatonic River, Kent, Sharon,

and The Cornwall Covered Bridge 

Summer wedding photography season is a busy time for me starting in April and going into November. I try to take a little time aside in the summer to do a photography tour and focus on my landscape photography. For the last 4 years  I have been going to Acadia National Park in Maine and that has been a great place to take a summer break and photograph the amazing scenery of Acadia.  This year the campgrounds at Acadia were closed due to Covid-19 and with issues of quarantine crossing state lines, I decided to opt for staying in Connecticut which had its state parks open all summer.  I didn't get away for my more lengthy two week trip this year but was able to get away for a few days to the Litchfield Hills of northern Connecticut.

Connecticut has such a wide variety of terrain and topography ranging from the coastal scenery on the Long Island Sound to miles of fields and farms in the interior and rugged hills and valleys in the North West area called the Litchfield Hills.  This idyllic landscape  is home to Connecticut's highest mountains, The Appalachian Trail, countless lakes, thousands of acres of forest, farms and two of Connecticut's scenic rivers, the Housatonic and Shepaug.  Also found here are the last two operational covered bridges in Connecticut, The Cornwall Covered Bridge and Bulls Bridge as well as quaint historic New England houses and towns.   

Base camp for me was the Lake Waramaug State Park camping area on the shores of beautiful Lake Waramaug. This was a great place to capture photos of the lake as well as surrounding farms.  One sunrise in particular was crazy amazing over the lake. 

Summer Loving
Waterscape 8.2020-553 Waterscape 8.2020-578 Waterscape 8.2020-902 Fields and Farms 8.2020-152-Pano

On the shores of Lake Warmaug is Hopkins Inn.  A historic Inn and winery with stunning views of Lake Waramaug.  A great place to stop for lunch, dinner and enjoy the long days of summer.  Acres of vineyard covered hills adds such beauty to the area. Waterscape 8.2020-1105
Hopkins Vineyard-1

Numerous Farms are scattered around Lake Waramaug and the surrounding countryside offering a glimpse into Connecticut's agricultural past and present

Country Farm (1 of 1) Fields and Farms 8.2020-173

The Shepaug River is only a few miles away and travels from North to South through the Litchfield Hills.  It is a smaller river, quite free flowing yes oh so inviting.  It is still very wild and untouched.  It is  one of Connecticut's treasures. Waterscape 8.2020-741-Edit

Sounds of Shepaug-1 After a few days at Lake Waramaug, I moved camp to Housatonic Meadows campground in Sharon, Connecticut.  Housatonic Meadows Campground is on the banks of the Housatonic River nestled in a forest of towering pines.  It is a great way to access the upper Housatonic River and Cornwall Bridge.

The Housatonic River is one of Connecticut's gems.  It is one of Connecticut's largest rivers and some of the best trout fishing in the state.  It cuts a deep valley through the Litchfield Hills creating stunning scenery with every twist and turn.  

Wet and Wild (1 of 1) The Wild-1 Housatanic High (1 of 1)

Last but in no way least is the Connecticut's most covered bride, The Cornwall Covered Bridge.  No trip to this part of the state is complete without driving over it. In an season its beauty and history will make impact on you for years to come. 

Bridges 8.2020-74-HDR-Edit

Though it was a short trip this year, it provided me with amazing sunrises, quiet moments of reflection and stunning views of this very diverse and photographically rich area.  And the best part is I didn't have to drive 8 hours but instead traveled only 40 minutes from my home. Sometimes as the saying goes "There is no place like home." and I feel so blessed to live in such a majestic place I call "God's Country"