2 Best Sights in Hartford and the Connecticut River Valley, Connecticut

The 122-acre park's main attraction is a rather outrageous, 24-room, oak-and-fieldstone hilltop castle—modeled after medieval fortresses of the Rhineland and built between 1914 and 1919 by the eccentric actor and playwright William Gillette. You can tour the castle (and its secret passages) and hike trails near the remains of a 3-mile private railroad, which chugged about the property until the owner's death in 1937. Gillette, who was born in Hartford, wrote two famous plays about the Civil War and was especially beloved for his play Sherlock Holmes (in which he performed the title role). In his will, he demanded that the castle not fall into the hands of "some blithering saphead who has no conception of where he is or with what surrounded."

Chapman Falls, a 60-foot cascade, is the centerpiece of this 860-acre park, an idyllic spot for bird-watching, picnicking, trout fishing (you'll need a license), camping, hiking, or simply dipping your toes in a clear, cold stream. The campground is open from mid-April through Labor Day.