Directions: (Routes 53 and 58)

click for the 10 day forecast If the forecast link is broken, type Bethel, CT in the weather search box)

(Routes 53 and 58) - Take exit 42 off the Merritt Parkway (also known as Route 15) and head north on Route 57 (towards Weston, CT.) After a few miles take a right onto Route 53 to begin the Rt. 53 - 58 scenic drive. Follow Route 53 north as it passes the Saugatuck Reservior, the Mark Twain Library, the towns of Redding and West Redding, and ends in Bethel. When 53 meets Route 302 in Bethel take a right onto 302 (also known as Main Street in Bethel). Go through the center of town all the way past the quaint shops and local restaurants and head out on 302 as it begins to pass through residential neighborhoods of Bethel. After a short distance you'll come to a light at the 4-way intersection of Route 302 and Route 58. Take a right onto Route 58 heading south towards Redding Ridge. Route 58 will take you through a rural part of southern Connecticut. A pleasant loop can be made off Rt 58 about 1.5 miles south of the intersection left onto Sunset Hill Road. This country road will meander a few miles south and will merge back onto 58. Of interest here is the impressive Huntington State Park. If you chose not to make this detour and remain on 58 be sure to check out Putnam Memorial Park a couple of miles further south - the site of some significant Revolutionary War history. Either way 58 will provide a satisfying drive that eventually will lead you back to the Merritt Parkway.