Housatonic - Cornwall to Kent - May 15, 2021

Kent Falls

I wasn’t sure what I was going to do this weekend until I got an email from Paul telling me about a trip on the Housatonic with Bob Rankin and a group from the Hackensack River Canoe & Kayak Club. It would be my first HCKC trip, but I remember Matt McCay talking about them – especially the Shepaug River trip from Washington Depot to Roxbury, which they run every spring. And of course, the most famous HCKC "River Rat" is Fat Elmo from p-net. 

I was up early for the 3-hour drive out to western CT. I arrived in time to get a picture of the Kent Falls and the West Cornwall Covered Bridge before meeting the crew around 10:00. We would be running the section from River Road in West Cornwall to the Wildlife Management Area at the end of North Kent Road in Kent – about 11 miles. The river was at a nice level – 1,500 cfs., 3.8 feet on the Falls Village gage.

Covered Bridge Rapid

The Housatonic originates in the Berkshire Hills of western MA and flows south for 150 miles along the western border of MA and CT before emptying into Long Island Sound. There’s lots of great paddling along the Housatonic River. The best-known whitewater section is a class IV run known as Bulls Bridge - it's well above my skill set. There are also a couple of nice flatwater sections - one in MA - Sheffield to Ashley Falls, and one mostly in CT - Ashley Falls to Falls Village.  

From the put-in we headed downstream to the West Cornwall Covered Bridge - one of the earliest bridges built over the Housatonic River. The gates were set up for the Covered Bridge Slalom. I caught a couple, but missed most of them.  

Al running the Ledges

A little ways below the Covered Bridge Rapid is a shorter class I/II rapid known at the Ledges. From there, the river alternates between flatwater and quickwater. We took a break for lunch at the Housatonic Meadows State Park before continuing downstream. The Swifts Bridge Rapid was at a nice level with 1-2 foot standing waves. We took a break on the Appalachian Trail  at Stoney Brook (look for the stream with the split log bridge - there are also campsites here) before heading to the take out.

Such as great place that I decided to lead a RICKA trip on the flatwater sections in the fall.

Bob running Swifts Bridge

Links:

My Pictures
Housatonic Gage - Falls Village
Housatonic Valley Association - Paddle Guides
Housatonic Meadows State Park
River Description - Falls Village to Kent from American Whitewater
NESS Covered Bridge Slalom