Gillette Castle State Park
State park · Connecticut
Actor William Gillette, famous for playing Sherlock Holmes on stage, built this 24-room fieldstone castle above the Connecticut River in 1919, complete with hand-carved oak doors and a former narrow-gauge railroad grade, now trails through river-valley foliage.
Don’t miss
Peak: October 22–October 26
Color builds from October 12 · mostly bare by November 15
Sampled at Gillette Castle State Park’s own coordinates and elevation (47 m) rather than a regional average.
This window comes from 4 weather points across Connecticut, nudged 1 day later to match 1 published peak date from smokymountains.com. Against Connecticut's own climatology, the 2026 weather puts the peak 2 days earlier. How the forecast works
When to go to Gillette Castle State Park
You get about 21 days of color here, from the first turn through to roughly November 2. That is about 3 days later than Connecticut as a whole.
Figure about 27 mi from Hartford. Providence is about 60 mi out.
Gillette Castle State Park on the map
Drag the date slider to see when color reaches this corner of Connecticut, or tap a pin for that stop’s own peak window.
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Frequently asked
- When does Gillette Castle State Park peak in 2026?
- Peak color is predicted for October 22–October 26 (best estimate October 24). Color starts around October 12 and is mostly bare by November 15.
- How do I get to Gillette Castle State Park?
- The closest city is Hartford, about 27 mi away. It's part of Connecticut's fall lineup.
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