Hike Bee Brook Loop Trail in Washington Depot Ct. It’s part of Hidden Valley Preserve and just north of bustling New Milford, Connecticut. It’s also a beautiful family-friendly destination.
The loop itself is supposed to be around two miles. However, our Alltrails didn’t decide to record until we were already partway through our hike. When we arrived, we went over the small bridge and kept to our right. We followed that and saw white blazes. However, we saw a sign that said: “trail closed.” Not recommended, but the water was almost non-existent in spots, so we crossed to trail on the other side through the water. Eventually, there was another bridge over and no signs saying that the trail was closed. It goes up a steep wooden staircase that feels more like something out of Jumanji. We followed the loop around until we got back to the split-off. Just pay close attention because there are several offshoot trails. We passed one more “trail closed” sign near where we started. However, there were people hiking by us and there was nowhere to go unless we added a lot of mileage onto our trek. Our fat dog wouldn’t have made it. So we just kept hiking until we landed back where we started.
VIDEO ALERT-CLICK HERE FOR BEE BROOK LOOP VIDEO
Key Points-
- Shepaug River is Beautiful. Lot’s of places to dip the toes and stand on the rocks. The scenery is beautiful surrounding the water and very tranquil.
- The bridges. are awesome. Abby girl and the dog loved the suspension bridge. The other bridge is cool too because it has a jungle vibe.
- Easy to moderate. The hardest part is the stairs winding upward and then some uphill. However, from the river, we clocked around 1.5 miles, and Abby and I were both hiking barefoot with no issues. Lot’s of wide trails and Pine Trees. Also not recommended unless you are used to hiking barefoot and are an experienced hiker.
- Just beyond the jungle stairs, it does narrow and is the most rugged part of the trip. However, there is an awesome little “mini” cave that we took our break at and had lunch.
Tip: Abby Girl packed the food. She had a small soft cooler and packed a few slices of cheese and bread. She made trail cheese sandwiches and they were really good.
- The cell service is very spotty and not available for a big chunk of the hike and surrounding area. Make sure you download the map before you go or printout a copy.
Final Thoughts on Hiking Bee Brook Loop
Go early and weekends obviously will be more crowded. However, overall it is truly a magical place. We can’t wait to explore more of the trails within the preserve. From the center of Dutchess County, it’s about an hour drive and worth it.
Hey! Want more hiking suggestions? We try to update our trail guide often. So go over to it for more suggestions!
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