The best sleigh rides in Connecticut have the power to override the reality of being in a very densely populated, high urbanized state like Connecticut. There is just enough open land in Connecticut for stable and horse farm owners to make a go of the sleigh ride business during the long New England winter. No you are not in Vail or Aspen, but honestly you don’t need to be. You can get plenty of snow covered scenic views, seasonable cold and the jingle of sleigh bells in many parts of the country as the best sleigh rides in Connecticut will prove.
Cedar Knoll Farm Lisbon, Connecticut may not be the best known community in Connecticut, except for folks who are familiar with Cedar Knoll Farm. Cedar Knoll is opened year round and offers many horse related activities. You can engage carriages for every manner of social event and horses are also available for hire. But during the winter lots of the activity at Cedar Knoll settles in around horse drawn sleighs and the fun they bring with them.
Cedar Knoll offers hay wagons drawn by horses with a capacity to carry up to a dozen riders. It’s not exactly a sleigh but it passes for one when all around you is snow. The more traditional sleigh ride with an actual sleigh from the 19th century is reserved for romantics or any twosome . These sleigh rides come with warm lap robe and enough jingle bells to put the sound in your mind for days to come.
Wood Acres Farm. Terryville, CT is certainly not Connecticut’s major shopping area. But in if you are shopping for a one of the best sleigh rides in Connecticut, you may find yourself in the right community because int Terryville you can find Wood Acres Farm. This horse centered farm offers a variety of sleigh ride packages meant to meet the needs of every size party.
A very popular arrangement is to select a sleigh ride for two which allows you and your special someone a chance to glide gracefully and memorably over scenic farm land and even occasionally catch sight of some Connecticut rural wildlife. You will be accommodated by a Victorian sleigh which holds only a maximum of four people which can be hired out for $105 for an ride lasting approximately 40 minutes.
But not everyone is part of a couple and so Wood Acres over its 35 years of operation has developed packages to meet larger and more diverse groups than just the romantically inclined couple. For a medium sleigh that will hold 8 people, nicely accommodating most families with a friend or two brought along for good measure you will need to pay $195. The fee allows for a 40 minute ride and a half hour warm up time in Wollman Room which includes warm beverages.
For parties of up to 14 the same services are offered at $250. Parties of more than 14 will cost $300.
Because all sleigh rides are in effect “private parties” , reservations are required in advance. For more information or to make a reservation call Wood Acres Farm at 860-583- 8670.
Loon Meadows Farm. It sounds bucolic because it is. Located in Norfolk, Connecticut the Loon Meadows farm includes 21 acres of forest and meadow lands that becomes a winter playground when the snows are favorable. Loon Mountain offers sleigh rides for two in a horse draw sleigh at $120 per 35 minute ride . For each additional rider there is a $10 fee. You can also extend your ride by making arrangements in advance with Loon Meadows.
For large group events like school groups or family parties, Loon Mountain brings out the big sled but of course also the big price tag of $300 per hour. This package does include a half hour use of the Loon Meadows Farm party room where you can enjoy complimentary warm cider and if the weather permits a bonfire .
The party room is definitely a nice extra at Loon Meadows Farm. The room allows everyone to warm up after their ride and there is a full kitchen with refrigerator, stove and microwave oven at your disposal so that you can transform a sleigh ride into a family party. Should you choose to use the room for longer than a half hour an additional hourly rate is applied.
For reservations call 860-542-6085
Dutch Iris Inn. You can really take your sleigh ride in Connecticut up a notch or two by making it part of a B & B experience at the Dutch Iris Inn in Granby, CT.
Begin your getaway adventure with an overnight stay in comfortable and pleasant accommodations furnished by Dutch Iris Inn and wake up to a very cordial candlelit breakfast. When you are sufficiently fortified its time to go for that sleigh ride, as long as weather provides.
Rides from the Dutch Iris Inn take you off to the historic neighboring community of Simsbury. You may be amazed to see how truly scenic Connecticut can be, especially when it is graced with a cover of fresh snow. When your ride has been completed you can warm up once again with a hot beverage before you leave for home. It is a love way to extend an overnight getaway and leave you feeling at peace with the world and yourself.
For reservations call the Dutch Iris Inn at 877-280-0743. For the sleigh ride package you will be charged an additional $125.
