White-blazed trail, Cobble Mountain, river valleys, and current access

Appalachian Trail & Kent Hikes

Kent’s outdoor appeal is not just that the Appalachian Trail passes nearby. It is that the trail, river, waterfall, and village sit close enough to make a real weekend without turning every hour into logistics.

Current Appalachian Trail detour

Follow the marked Macedonia Brook reroute; do not use the bridge or ford the brook

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy says the damaged Macedonia Brook bridge remains unusable and the long-term reroute between CT 341 and Skiff Mountain Road remains in place. The reroute follows steep terrain near Numeral Rock, crosses private land, and requires care along CT 341. Stay on the marked route and read the current ATC update before choosing this section.

Read the current ATC detour →

From short cascade walk to rocky ridge

Kent Falls, Bulls Bridge, Macedonia Brook, and the AT

Kent is unusually good at offering a real long-distance trail, a demanding state-park loop, a compact waterfall climb, and a river stop within one destination. They are not interchangeable. A wet ridge day, a family waterfall visit, and a quiet bridge walk need different shoes, daylight, and expectations.

Appalachian Trail section

For regular hikers who want white-blazed tread and a ridge-and-valley day.

Use the ATC map and current Connecticut trail updates to choose exact access and mileage. The active Macedonia Brook reroute changes the route between CT 341 and Skiff Mountain Road.

Cobble Mountain and the Blue Trail

For a strenuous park loop with broad Catskill and Taconic views.

Macedonia Brook State Park has more than ten miles of trails. Connecticut State Parks describes the Blue Trail across Cobble Mountain and nearby peaks as some of the state’s more challenging terrain.

Kent Falls Steps Trail

For a short waterfall climb rather than a long ridge hike.

The official 0.84-mile out-and-back is short but steep, with an accessible view at the base. Keep it on the Kent Falls guide rather than treating it as an AT substitute.

Bulls Bridge and the river

For bridge and Housatonic scenery when a steep hike is wrong for the group.

This is a lower-mileage sightseeing choice, not an interchangeable hiking route. Stay on established access and away from fast water and slick riverside rocks.

Contextual ink watercolor of a hiker on a rocky hardwood ridge

Macedonia Brook State Park

Cobble Mountain is the harder park choice

The 2,300-acre park has more than ten miles of trails. Its Blue Trail crosses Cobble Mountain and other peaks, with views toward the Catskills and Taconics. The state describes some climbs as among Connecticut’s more challenging ascents. Expect a rocky, strenuous hike rather than a brookside walk.

The park is officially open daily from 8 a.m. to sunset. Cell service is extremely limited, so download the current map before leaving town and carry enough water. Camping requires advance reservations; walk-ins are not allowed. Day hikers can return to Kent village after the route.

Wet leaves, short days, and private land

Autumn footing and the reroute require extra care

Autumn color can hide roots and loose rock. Start with enough daylight to finish the actual route rather than the mileage you hoped to cover. On the AT reroute, obey blazes and property boundaries. At Macedonia Brook, carry the map because a weak phone signal is part of the park’s current visitor information.

Connecticut allows camping along the Appalachian Trail only at designated sites. Day visitors should not build a casual river crossing or improvised campsite into the outing. Trail updates can change after storms, so the official notice—not an old route post—controls the morning decision.

Back in Kent

Keep the evening in the village

A ridge hike already supplies the day’s distance. Kent’s compact center supplies the useful contrast: coffee, House of Books, galleries, and a reserved dinner without another rural drive. If rain shortens the hike, use House of Books and current gallery openings in the village.

Choose Kent Falls instead when the group wants a known short trail and accessible base view. Choose Bulls Bridge when the goal is covered-bridge and Housatonic scenery. Save Cobble Mountain or an AT section for hikers prepared for steeper, longer terrain.

A working landscape beneath the forest

Macedonia Brook’s woods grew back from farms and iron work

The current forest does not represent an untouched hillside. Connecticut State Parks describes agriculture and iron production on the land, including remains of an iron forge and stamping works near the park’s southern end. Charcoal production consumed the original timber by the middle of the nineteenth century. Later conservation work helped the woodland return.

The park’s history also begins well before those industries. The state identifies the area with the Scatacook people and records their presence around the Housatonic and Ten Mile river country. The stonework, stream, and second-growth woods record Indigenous use, later industry, and forest recovery in the same landscape.

Can hikers use the closed Macedonia Brook bridge?

No. The ATC says the bridge remains unusable and the long-term marked reroute remains the official route. Hikers should not use the bridge or ford the brook. Open the current notice and follow its map and blazes.

Is the AT reroute an easy road walk?

No. The update describes steep terrain near Numeral Rock, a section along CT 341, and private land. Follow the marked detour rather than improvising a shorter crossing or wandering beyond the blazes.

Is Cobble Mountain part of the Appalachian Trail?

Treat it as a Macedonia Brook State Park choice and use the park’s trail map. The Blue Trail crosses Cobble Mountain and other peaks; the AT is a separate white-blazed long-distance route with its own current updates.

How hard is the Blue Trail?

Connecticut State Parks describes the park as having some of the state’s more challenging ascents. The route crosses rocky, rolling terrain rather than one steady paved climb. Mileage, elevation, wet leaves, and daylight all matter.

Can a day hiker rely on a phone map?

No. The park warns that cell service is extremely limited. Download the official map, note the trail colors and junctions, and tell someone which route is planned before leaving Kent village.

Where is overnight camping allowed?

Connecticut permits Appalachian Trail camping only at designated sites. Macedonia Brook camping has its own reservation rules, and the park states that advance reservations are required. A day hike should not assume an informal overnight option.

Official resources

Current trail maps and access notices

Open the ATC trail-update index and the state-park page shortly before departure. Reroutes, storm damage, hunting seasons, and park operations can change.

Official sourceATC Connecticut trail updatesCurrent Appalachian Trail Conservancy notices for Connecticut, including reroutes, damaged crossings, and facility changes.Official sourceMacedonia Brook rerouteThe controlling ATC notice for the long-term bridge closure and official route between CT 341 and Skiff Mountain Road.Official sourceMacedonia Brook State ParkOfficial park hours, trail map, camping rules, reservations, and current visitor information.