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When my son and his friend decided to take on a hiking challenge on the CT portion of the Appalachian Trial, my husband and I took the opportunity to hike a section of the trail that I had not done before. We had a three hour window of time in the Kent area before checking in with the boys, so we chose to hike St. John’s Ledges. This section is considered the most difficult section in CT because of the enormous rock walls and steep inclines, and the name alone did nothing to ease my apprehension. However, I was up for a challenge on this particular day and knew that if I didn’t check this area out, I would always wonder what I was missing.
We accessed the trail head from River Rd. in Kent, about a mile and a half down the road on the left where there was ample parking along the road. We chose to hike southbound which meant we would be ascending the difficult rock walls. This may sound like the more challenging way to go, but we both prefer to climb up rocks hand-over-hand, instead of descending. For us, it was the right decision.
Once on the trail the ascent starts immediately. I was happy to have my poles along this section but once we started climbing the rocks I needed two free hands. The rock wall section was a fun challenge and did not last long. We went slowly, stopped a few times to catch our breath, and let other hikers come down the rocks. The rocks were very well marked with the white rectangular blaze so there was no questioning our direction while we were climbing.
The rest of the trail had its ups and down with some steep stairs followed by easy sections where we moved right along. There are also two nice look-out areas on this part of trail. The look-out at the top is called Caleb’s Peak and looks down over the Housatonic River. I thought the climb was worth the view.
We made our hike a loop by taking a left onto Skiff Mt. Rd once we came to the road crossing and then another left back onto River Road. In total it was about a 4 mile hike.
After hiking St. Johns Ledges, the town of Kent may provide some relaxing entertainment with restaurants, bookstores, and small shops. On this particular day we chose to head into town for some outdoor dining and people watching. It was a great way to spend a perfect summer day. If you’re up for a challenge on a beautiful dry day, I’d recommend St. John’s Ledges. Don’t let the name scare you. I think I may even do this one again when the leaves change colors this fall
When my son and his friend decided to take on a hiking challenge on the CT portion of the Appalachian Trial, my husband and I took the opportunity to hike a section of the trail that I had not done before. We had a three hour window of time in the Kent area before checking in with the boys, so we chose to hike St. John’s Ledges. This section is considered the most difficult section in CT because of the enormous rock walls and steep inclines, and the name alone did nothing to ease my apprehension. However, I was up for a challenge on this particular day and knew that if I didn’t check this area out, I would always wonder what I was missing.
We accessed the trail head from River Rd. in Kent, about a mile and a half down the road on the left where there was ample parking along the road. We chose to hike southbound which meant we would be ascending the difficult rock walls. This may sound like the more challenging way to go, but we both prefer to climb up rocks hand-over-hand, instead of descending. For us, it was the right decision.
Once on the trail the ascent starts immediately. I was happy to have my poles along this section but once we started climbing the rocks I needed two free hands. The rock wall section was a fun challenge and did not last long. We went slowly, stopped a few times to catch our breath, and let other hikers come down the rocks. The rocks were very well marked with the white rectangular blaze so there was no questioning our direction while we were climbing.
The rest of the trail had its ups and down with some steep stairs followed by easy sections where we moved right along. There are also two nice look-out areas on this part of trail. The look-out at the top is called Caleb’s Peak and looks down over the Housatonic River. I thought the climb was worth the view.
We made our hike a loop by taking a left onto Skiff Mt. Rd once we came to the road crossing and then another left back onto River Road. In total it was about a 4 mile hike.
After hiking St. Johns Ledges, the town of Kent may provide some relaxing entertainment with restaurants, bookstores, and small shops. On this particular day we chose to head into town for some outdoor dining and people watching. It was a great way to spend a perfect summer day. If you’re up for a challenge on a beautiful dry day, I’d recommend St. John’s Ledges. Don’t let the name scare you. I think I may even do this one again when the leaves change colors this fall