Plainfield

A mysteriously named hamlet with a disputed origin story - some say it got its name from rowdy chair factory workers who 'raised hell.' The road sign is perpetually missing, likely stolen by souvenir hunters, making it feel like a ghost place on the map. During Halloween season, the area transforms with creative pumpkin people displays, adding whimsical charm to this oddly named valley between hills along Hell Hollow Road and Kenyon Road.

Every fall, hundreds of life-sized pumpkin-headed figures invade Plainfield's roads and yards in a town-wide Halloween tradition that started in 2012. These aren't your typical decorations - residents craft elaborate scenes with themes ranging from local businesses to pop culture references. Drive the circuit from East Plainfield along Route 120, Stage Road, and Route 12A to spot mechanics with tin foil wrenches, dinner parties, auction scenes, and Frankenstein families. Maps are available at local businesses, and the whole town participates in this whimsical October phenomenon.

This uniquely named brook cuts a scenic gorge through the landscape, passing Hell Hollow and Mill Village before joining the Connecticut River. The brook offers quiet fishing spots and follows old cart paths used by Saint-Gaudens. Along Route 12A, you can glimpse the gorge where an old mill once operated circa 1820, and the brook's unusual name (origin unknown) never fails to raise eyebrows and spark conversation among visitors.