Sharon (Connecticut)

Sharon is a town in the Litchfield Hills of Connecticut.

Appalachian Trail's Pine Knob Loop Trail section in Housatonic Meadows State Park — scenic overlook of the Housatonic River valley in Sharon and Cornwall

Understand

Sharon was populated by Native Americans for quite a long time before it was settled by colonists of European extraction in 1739. It is a wealthy township with much natural beauty and many old, very well-kept mansions. It is a bit quieter than neighboring Kent.

Get in

By car

The north-south Federal Route 7 hugs the west bank of the Housatonic River at the eastern boundary of the township. The roads that intersect at the center of town are the roughly north-south State Route 41 and State Route 4 (343 across the New York State line), which is most nearly southeast-northwest and connects the town with Amenia, New York. State Route 361 (same number in New York) continues further north and goes to Millerton, New York.

Get around

You will need a vehicle to get around town.

Do

Parks and nature preserves

There are several parks and nature preserves, including:

• Housatonic Meadows Park.
• Housatonic State Forest.
• Sharon Audubon Center, 325 Cornwall Bridge Road (Route 4), ☏ +1 860 364-0520. Raptor Center and Trails: open dawn to dusk. Visitor Center and Nature Store open: Tuesday through Saturday 9am-5pm, Sunday 1pm-5pm. Closed Mondays and major holidays.. Includes two lovely ponds (the marshier Ford Pond and the clearer, larger Bog Meadow Pond), a garden, a center for rescued raptors, and a museum/center for rescued animals and gift shop. Some of the paths, such as the one that hugs Bog Meadow Pond may be muddy, possibly impassible after a rain, and buggy (it's a good idea to use some insect repellent before hiking). The grounds are home to a wide variety of wildlife. You can get trail maps without extra charge at the Visitor Center or look at one on their website. Trail fees: $3/person, $1.50 for seniors, $1.50 for children and free for members of National Audubon Society and friends of the Sharon Audubon Center. 

Golf

• Sharon Country Club, 2 Golf Rd, ☏ +1 860-364-5964, fax: +1 860-364-5935. 9-hole regulation course. 

Buy

Downtown Sharon Valley

Go next

• Kent
• Amenia, New York
• Cornwall
• Canaan
• Millerton, New York
• Torrington

Routes through Sharon

Pittsfield ← Sheffield ←

N  S

→ Kent → Danbury