Kent Falls State Park Trail

Kent Falls State Park in Kent, Connecticut, preserves one of the most visited waterfall cascades in New England, set in the Litchfield Hills of northwestern Connecticut along Route 7. The park entrance is staffed during peak season and a parking fee applies — out-of-state visitors pay $15 on weekdays and $22 on weekends from Memorial Day through Labor Day, with lower rates for Connecticut residents. A short loop trail of approximately 1.5 miles follows Falls Brook upstream past a series of cascades that collectively drop around 250 feet over layered marble and schist bedrock. The path begins near a covered bridge at the parking area and climbs gradually on a wide gravel and compacted stone surface, with wooden boardwalks and stone steps on steeper sections near the uppermost falls. The main cascade at the trailhead is the park's most photographed feature, reached within five minutes of the parking lot and accessible to visitors of nearly all mobility levels. A second viewpoint at the top of the primary cascade, roughly 200 feet above the entrance, offers a perspective looking down through the gorge and across the surrounding Litchfield Hills forest canopy. The upper loop returns through mixed woodland to the parking area. Trail surfaces become slippery in wet weather and on the wooden boardwalks near the cascades; non-slip footwear is advisable year-round. Water from Falls Brook is not safe to drink without treatment. A small picnic area near the parking lot accommodates families combining a short hike with lunch. The park connects to informal woodland paths in the adjacent Wyantenock State Forest. Kent village, with antique shops and riverside dining, is three minutes south on Route 7.