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🗺️ Farm Day Trips guide
Things to Do Near the Lavender Farms of Killingworth & the Connecticut Shoreline, Connecticut
Lavender Pond Farm in Killingworth blooms June into August, and Hammonasset's two miles of Long Island Sound beach are about 15 minutes south.
5 places · updated October 17, 2026
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Updated October 17
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Lavender Pond Farm · Lyman Orchards
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Killingworth is a wooded inland town a few miles up from the shoreline towns of Madison and Clinton, with the lower Connecticut River valley to the east. Within half an hour you can be on a Long Island Sound beach, inside a hilltop stone castle above the river, at a 60-foot waterfall, or in the boardinghouse where the Old Lyme painters lived. Route 9 and I-95 keep most stops between 5 and 35 minutes apart.
Lavender Pond Farm is the anchor: about 25 acres around a freshwater pond, with roughly 10,000 lavender plants of English and lavandin varieties. Visitors walk the rows (there is no u-pick) and shop soaps, lotions and fresh or dried bunches made with the farm's lavender. It opens daily from Mother's Day weekend through August, then Wednesday to Sunday until December 24, so a fall trip can pair the farm shop with apple picking at Lyman or Bishop's.
The lavender farms
- Lavender Pond FarmLavender farm · Killingworth
June into August, with some rebloom in late summer into early October
Walk the fields and shop: daily 10–4 from Mother's Day weekend to August 31, Wednesday–Sunday 10–4 from September 1 to December 24 (2026). No u-pick; weddings not hosted.
Best time to visit
Lavender Pond Farm's bloom usually runs from June into August, and some varieties rebloom in late summer, holding color into early October in some years; the farm is open daily 10 to 4 from Mother's Day weekend to August 31. Summer is also beach season at Hammonasset and Rocky Neck, and Gillette Castle's self-guided tours run daily from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. From September, the lavender farm switches to Wednesday–Sunday hours, castle tours drop to weekends through Columbus Day, and the orchards take over: in October 2026 Lyman Orchards had pick-your-own apples and pumpkins and a corn maze open through November 1, and Bishop's Orchards ran pick-your-own apples and its Fall Festival daily through November 1. Leaves turn in the state forests and around Chatfield Hollow in October. The Florence Griswold Museum closes November 9–26 before its Holiday Magic season, and the lavender farm stays open for holiday shopping until December 24.
Places to see nearby parks, trails, beaches and landmarks
- Chatfield Hollow State Park🌳 State park · Killingworth · about 2 mi, 5 min drive
Schreeder Pond has a 300-foot sandy swimming beach behind a 1934 CCC dam, and the park keeps a restored covered bridge and waterwheel. The short Chimney Trail loops past rockfall caves, and 18 miles of trails connect into Cockaponset State Forest.
Daily 8 a.m. to sunset; nature center weekends and holidays 10:30–4:30 through the third week of October
Free for Connecticut vehicles; out-of-state $10 weekdays, $15 weekends and holidays
- Cockaponset State Forest🌲 Preserve · Haddam and Chester · about 7 mi, 15 min drive
Connecticut's second-largest state forest, more than 17,000 acres with over 100 miles of hiking trails and a swimming area at Pattaconk.
Daily 8 a.m. to sunset
Free for Connecticut vehicles; out-of-state $10 weekdays, $15 weekends at Pattaconk
- Hammonasset Beach State Park🏖️ Beach · Madison · about 9 mi, 15 min drive
About two miles of Long Island Sound beach with a 3.4-mile mostly paved and boardwalk walk along the shore. Meigs Point Nature Center has a saltwater touch tank and live animals, and Willard's Island Trail is good for birding.
Daily 8 a.m. to sunset; dogs on the beach only September 30–April 1
Free for Connecticut vehicles; out-of-state $15 weekdays, $22 weekends and holidays, $7 after 4 p.m.
- Connecticut River Museum🏛️ Museum · Essex · about 12 mi, 20 min drive
A riverfront museum on Main Street in Essex covering the history and nature of the Connecticut River, with exhibits, programs, and public cruises and charters on the river from its Main Street dock.
- Gillette Castle State Park🏛️ Historic site · East Haddam · about 16 mi, 30 min drive
William Gillette's stone castle high above the river, toured on your own in about an hour. Outside, the 1.5-mile Train Trail follows his old miniature railroad bed through a 75-foot tunnel, and the Chester–Hadlyme ferry lands just below.
Grounds daily 8 a.m. to sunset; castle tours daily Memorial Day weekend–Labor Day, weekends to Columbus Day, then Friday–Sunday Thanksgiving to Christmas (2026)
Grounds free; castle $6 ages 13+, $2 ages 6–12 (2026)
- Florence Griswold Museum🏛️ Museum · Old Lyme · about 17 mi, 25 min drive
The boardinghouse of the Lyme Art Colony (1900–1937), where the painters decorated the walls and door panels, now a museum of American Impressionism. The Wee Faerie Village trail runs into November 2026.
April–December Tuesday–Sunday 10–5; closed November 9–26, 2026
$18 adults, $7.50 ages 5–12 (2026)
- Devil's Hopyard State Park💧 Waterfall · East Haddam · about 20 mi, 35 min drive
Chapman Falls drops more than 60 feet over stepped ledges, with round potholes worn into the rock around it. Trails climb to waterfall viewpoints, and leashed dogs are welcome on them.
Daily 8 a.m. to sunset, year-round
free
- Rocky Neck State Park🌳 State park · East Lyme (Niantic) · about 22 mi, 30 min drive
A half-mile sand beach on the Sound, salt marsh platforms on Bride Brook where herons and swans feed in fall, and the 2.5-mile Rocky Neck Loop past Tony's Nose Overlook and Baker's Cave. The stone Ellie Mitchell Pavilion was built by the WPA in the 1930s.
Daily 8 a.m. to sunset
Free for Connecticut vehicles; out-of-state $15 weekdays, $22 weekends and holidays
Where to stop: farms, food and stays
- Cohen's Bagel CompanyRestaurant · Madison
Hand-rolled bagels and sandwiches on Boston Post Road in Madison, open from early morning to mid-afternoon.
- Bishop's Orchards WineryWinery or vineyard (21+) · Guilford
Guilford farm market with a creamery and wine bar for its fruit wines and hard ciders, plus pick-your-own apples in fall.
- Cafe AllegreRestaurant · Madison
Italian and Mediterranean dinners in Madison from 4 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday, with indoor and outdoor seating.
- Lyman OrchardsFarm stand · Middlefield
Middlefield orchard with pick-your-own apples and pumpkins in fall, a corn maze, and the year-round Apple Barrel market and bakery.
- Stonington VineyardsWinery or vineyard (21+) · Stonington
A longer drive east, this Stonington winery pours in its tasting room daily from noon if you are heading toward Mystic.
A one-day plan
- 10:00 AMLavender Pond Farm
Walk the rows around the pond and shop for soaps and dried bunches; about an hour and a half.
- 11:35 AMChatfield Hollow State Park · about 5 min drive
See the covered bridge and waterwheel and walk the boardwalk or Chimney Trail caves; about 45 minutes.
- 12:45 PMCohen's Bagel Company · about 20 min drive
Lunch of a bagel sandwich, soup or salad in Madison; arrive before 2 p.m. on weekends.
- 1:45 PMHammonasset Beach State Park · about 5 min drive
Walk the boardwalk along the Sound and visit Meigs Point Nature Center; about two hours.
- 4:00 PMBishop's Orchards · about 15 min drive
Browse the farm market, get a creamery treat, or try a fruit wine at the wine bar (21+); about 45 minutes.
- 5:15 PMCafe Allegre · about 15 min drive
Italian dinner back in Madison; reservations are taken by phone. Closed Mondays.
Tips
- Connecticut-registered cars park free at state parks; out-of-state cars pay at Hammonasset and Rocky Neck ($22 on weekends and holidays, $7 after 4 p.m.).
- Lavender Pond Farm has no u-pick days and only one portable toilet; plan restroom stops at Hammonasset or in Madison.
- Gillette Castle tour groups are capped at 18, so book ahead for summer weekends.
- Dogs are not allowed on Hammonasset's beach until September 30, or on Chatfield Hollow's beach at any time; trails are fine on a leash.
- Lyman Orchards asks pickers to use its containers; outside containers are not allowed.
Checked in October 2026 against official park, tourism and business websites. How we check listings
Questions
When does the lavender bloom at Lavender Pond Farm?
Usually from June into August, with some varieties reblooming in late summer and holding color into early October in some years.
Do I have to pay to visit Connecticut state parks near Killingworth?
Not with a Connecticut-registered car. Out-of-state vehicles pay parking at parks such as Hammonasset ($15 weekdays, $22 weekends and holidays) and Chatfield Hollow ($10–$15).
How much are Gillette Castle tours?
In 2026, $6 for ages 13 and up and $2 for ages 6 to 12; the grounds and trails are free.
Where can I pick apples near Lavender Pond Farm?
Lyman Orchards in Middlefield and Bishop's Orchards in Guilford both offered pick-your-own apples in fall 2026, through about November 1.
🪪 Collect a stamp at every stop
The free Lavender Passport keeps a stamp for each farm and stop you visit, in real life and in the Lavender Farm Simulator. At the farm, play Field Quest to collect plant varieties as you walk, climb the leaderboards and unlock sponsor rewards.
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