Adventures for Anyone: On With Connecticut! A Tour of Some of My Favorite Spots in the West!

I wish I could say I was able to take a bus or a train for this trip, but this is strictly a road trip.

I live in the beautiful and astonishing hills of Northwestern Connecticut. Where I live is the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains. Where I live there are few if any four lane highways. We have country roads; some with numbers; some not. We still have dirt roads in places. We have scenic byways. We have chocolate farms and country wineries. We have farm stands and country nurseries where we buy plants. It's a far cry from what most people visualize as Connecticut.

I chose a section of this area for a little road trip the other day. It's one of my favorite routes to spend a day on. I've done this road trip a dozen times in the years I've lived here; maybe more.

My first stop was at Kent Falls State Park. This is one of the best known state parks in Connecticut. It's known for it's rolling hill setting in Kent and its beautiful waterfalls. It's got a large meadow to have picnics in and a little covered bridge across the brook at the bottom for pedestrians to enter the park. On the weekends it's crowded. I won't lie. During Covid-19 it was barricaded to deter people from hanging out in groups. I even saw people being arrested during that time for entering the park over the Jersey Barriers despite the police notifications. So make no mistake; you'll be sharing the space with others.

There's one thing that we should all know about Kent Falls. There are many falls. Not just the ones visible from the bottom. The entire falls from the top falls to the bottom is roughly 250 feet. The bottom falls are nice. I enjoy them, but the most beautiful falls is at the top. And to get there, you have to hike a bit.

Most people don't hike to the top. That's the secret. If you take the time to hike to the top and see all of the falls; you'll distance yourself from the crowd. And the best part is at the top anyway. It's a win win for anyone willing to make the trip up.

The hike is a bit strenuous, but it's less than a mile round trip. There are multiple viewing platforms along the way and it's a really pleasant way to spend some time on a nice day. To be fair, I've even taken this walk in the wintertime and it was very nice then too.

Kent Falls State Park is a great place to relax and see some awesome scenery. If you continue on into Kent, you'll find all kinds of shops, restaurants and places to gather. There is an old furnace and museum along Route 7 at the Kent Furnace. There's a public bathroom with showers in the center of town, because the Appalachian Trail is close by. It's all a lovely way to spend some time.

I left Kent Falls State Park and drove north on Route 7 just past Cornwall Bridge, home of the Cornwall Market. This is a lovely country store with goodies for everyone.

I stopped at Housatonic Meadows State Park next. This is a lovely spot that you will find in multiple locations along the Housatonic River and Route 7. There's picnic areas, fishing, hiking and camping. The Housatonic River is one of the most beautiful rivers in the state. Several miles of Route 7 are labeled as a scenic byway. Almost everywhere you encounter the river you will want to take photos of it. Housatonic Meadows is a great state park to visit for family picnics and other outings.

Following my snack stop in Housatonic Meadows, I continued on Route 7 to West Cornwall. This little burg is home to several tiny shops, several of which cater to the outdoors person. There's also a lovely French restaurant and a farmer's market on the weekends in season. For a tiny town, there's always a little something going on, and that's the beauty of this part of Connecticut. Even the tiniest of villages have activities. Connecticut always has something to do.

The bridge itself was built around the 1860's. It's been maintained well, and is still open to vehicle traffic as a one way bridge. Down river from the bridge is the access to the river and facilities. The river is a popular fishing, and non motor boating area. There are also hiking trails along the river.

My last stop of the day took me from West Cornwall on Route 128 to Route 4 east to Mohawk Mountain and the vast recreation area there. This is a mountain that has a lot to offer. There's a road approximately three miles long from bottom entrance to top of the mountain. There are multiple viewpoints along the way. There's a tower that you can walk to that's got a great view and is interesting to see. There's also a short trail that will take you to a very interesting spot. It goes to the top of Mohawk Mountain Ski Resort. The resort is on the west side of the mountain; open seasonally. But the short trail at the top is one of my favorites. I stop there in the spring sometimes just to play in the leftover snow when it's warm outside.

The view from the top is amazing, and one of my favorite stops. But, the mountain is home to not one, but two epic trails. You can catch the Mohawk Trail (25.2 miles) and the Mattatuck Trail (15.7 miles) from that mountain. There are several trails confined to the mountain too. If you prefer machines, in the winter there are snow machine trails as well.

So, there's one of my favorite day trips. I've been doing this for 30+ years. Hiking and waterfalls are a thing in my neck of the woods and I will post more road trips in the coming weeks and months. I hope that this gives you an insight into how Connecticut really is. It's a beautiful place for anyone who ever wondered why I live here. So, get out, get some air and enjoy!

Here's some other trails that are in or run through Western Connecticut.

The Appalachian Trail (2189 miles)

The East Coast Greenway (3000 miles upon completion)

Metacomet Trail (114 miles)

Mattabesett Trail (58.2 miles)

Tunxis Trail (38.5 miles)

Happy Hiking!

https://ctparks.com/parks/kent-falls-state-park

https://www.alltrails.com/parks/us/connecticut/kent-falls-state-park

https://ctparks.com/parks/housatonic-meadows-state-park

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/new-englands-ultimate-roa_b_3831817

https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/connecticut/beautiful-drive-through-ct/