Privacy and access to nature in Colebrook
Colebrook is a small town in the rolling Litchfield Hills region of northwestern Connecticut. “It’s very rural, so it appeals to people who want their privacy,” says Tom McGowan, a sales agent with Elyse Harney Real Estate, who moved to the region in 1997. The town hall, community center and a 1700s church rest at its heart. Tree-lined roads branch out from there, with lichen-speckled stone walls and white picket fences along the way.
More than 30% of the town’s land is protected public space, which allows residents to surround themselves in nature. “When we first moved here, we were so amazed by the stars. We would just sit in the car and look at them,” says Debra McKeon, the Colebrook town clerk. “The sunsets are magnificent as well.”
Outdoor adventures and community activities
Outdoor recreation is very popular in Colebrook. State forest, wildlife management areas and conservation land cover most of the northeastern portion of town, providing opportunities for hiking, bird watching, and in some spaces, hunting. The Colebrook Land Conservancy maintains four loop trails, which wind around wooded hillsides and past streams. McKeon says that many people enjoy Colebrook River Lake, a dammed section of the West Branch Farmington River. The lake is stocked with bass and trout, and it has a boat ramp that is available seasonally.
Structured activities include bingo nights at the Community & Senior Center of Colebrook and youth sports through the recreation board. Kids and families can attend Camp Jewell YMCA, where they can try the high ropes course, ride horses or zipline across Lake Triangle.
Colebrook’s homes and properties
Colebrook lots tend to span multiple acres, though a few houses have lots just under an acre. Home ages range from the late 1700s to the early 2000s, and buyers may find Dutch Colonial Revivals, ranch-style houses and Cape Cods. The majority of listings fall between $250,000 and $800,000. Homeowners maintain their own wells and septic systems.
Some parts of the town are designated wetlands, and owners may face restrictions if their lots border wetlands. If properties lie within flood-prone areas, lenders may require flood insurance.
An in-town elementary and a regional middle and high school
Children may begin learning at the Colebrook Consolidated School, which runs from kindergarten through the sixth grade and earns an A on Niche. Beginning in seventh grade, students can transition to the Northwestern Regional Middle School then Northwestern Regional High School. The two schools share a building and some resource teachers, and both earn B-plus ratings. The high school partners with the University of Connecticut to provide high-level economics and world language courses.
Dining with neighbors and a short drive for shopping options
The Colebrook Preservation Society owns the Colebrook Store, originally built in 1812 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. For years, the store served as the town’s main gathering spot, but after it closed in December 2024, the preservation society made plans to update the inside before leasing it to a new tenant, McKeon says.
Many residents now meet up for Tuesday morning breakfast and Thursday lunch at the Community & Senior Center of Colebrook, or they head to the Norbrook Farm Brewery for craft beer and pizza. The brewery also hosts a variety of events, including live music, trivia nights and mountain biking competitions. McKeon says that people generally do their grocery shopping in Winsted or Torrington, around 7 and 15 miles away, respectively. Outlet malls are in Lee, Massachusetts, less than 30 miles north, and the Westfarms mall is about 30 miles southeast.
Colebrook's events and fairs
Homes are fairly spread apart, but town gatherings help to build a sense of community. In December, there’s a craft fair in the town hall, and the historical society hosts an open house. The Colebrook Fair, which takes place in late August or early September, is an event that many people look forward to all year. “It has an old down-home feeling, and everyone comes out — parents, kids and grandparents,” McGowan says. Fair activities include a frog jumping contest, a classic car show and a cardboard boat regatta in the pond.
Two-lane roads lead to larger cities and health care
The community is car dependent. Drivers can travel along two-lane state roads and U.S. Route 44 to connect with larger interstates and nearby cities. Hartford is just over 30 miles away, but the trip often takes an hour or more.
In Winsted, the free-standing Hartford HealthCare HealthCenter provides outpatient primary care and emergency services between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., and more comprehensive care is available at the Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington, about 17 miles south. Bradley International Airport is around 30 miles east.
Photography Contributed By
Ed Messenger
