Kent Falls State Park, Connecticut, United States

4kzsull01 5:00 PM May 11, 2021

Very Nice Waterfall on a Spring Day in May
My husband and I visited Kent Falls State Park in Kent, Connecticut on Friday, May 7th, 2021. It was a very nice day to see the impressive waterfalls that cascade 250 feet into the Housatonic River in the middle of a 300-acre State Park. Actually they include a series of waterfalls on Falls Brook that go through the Kent Falls Gorge. You could even see the waterfall from the parking lot of the park. The cascade of falls was flowing very nicely, at the time of our visit, being a nice spring day, and having had some rain earlier in the week, making our visit an enjoyable one. There is a nice paved path/trail with stairs that is on the side/adjacent to the falls, which you could walk-up to view the falls. I believe it is about a quarter of a mile up to the top. There are observation platforms along this path where you could stop and rest and get a very good view of the falls and surrounding rocks, that are interesting from a geological perspective, and nice places to take photographs of the falls. Some of the steps were steep with more of an impact going down than going up. However, the steps do not go all the way to the top. They end at a point where you have to climb some rocks, if you want to continue up to the top. There is a small footbridge, which is a replica of a covered bridge, and another footbridge, both going over the brook, on the way to and from the falls. A trail map is available online that shows all the trails in the park. The park is dog friendly and fishing is allowed, but I am not certain if it is allowed in all areas. I do not believe swimming is permitted, since the State Park’s website states that entry into the water is prohibited. Several picnic tables are available with charcoal grills. However, you would need to bring your own charcoal and cooking utensils if you would like to do some grilling. Also, it is recommended to bring a table cloth if you would like to do some picnicking. Portable bathrooms were available at the time of our visit but I believe restrooms are available when the park is open for the season from Memorial Day to Labor Day. More on the Geological Features: The geologic features of the falls include beautiful potholes and plunge basins. The rock formations include marble, schist and gneiss. The gneiss is made up of different minerals, including dark-red garnet, the Connecticut State Mineral. More details about the geology of the falls are in the Geology Section on the State Park’s website. Some Park History: The park was developed by the Civilian Works Administration in the 1930s, and a terraced observation area paved with native flagstone was created by the Youth Conservations Corps of Connecticut at the base on the falls in the 1970s. The Youth Corps. also created the observation platforms that appear along the path on the side of the falls. We enjoyed our visit to the falls and recommend a visit in the spring, in particular after it rains.  

4gk347N 5:00 PM Apr 24, 2021

Beautiful Falls
We were at the Falls during February when they were frozen. It was beautiful. We returned last weekend to see them in spring. They were very impressive. There is a walking path that goes to the top of the falls forxa really nice view. The surrounding park has picnic tables, bathrooms and lots of open space for recreation. Parking is good but on a really busy day it will fill up quick. There is no admission fee to vehicles with Connecticut plates. Well worth a trip especially when there is plenty of water coming over the falls.