Length: 15.7 miles

Elevation change: 1,908 feet

Nearby Towns: Kent, New Milford

Begin and End: Macedonia Brook State Park (in front of the park headquarters)

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Venture into the Macedonia Forest Block

Count on the shake, rattle and roll of hardpacked, and not so hard packed, dirt roads at the start of this 16-mile loop. The Macedonia Forest Block, an important conservation area, is the focal point of this backcountry ride. And that means woods roads and “why bother” roads where the pavement just peters out.

The reward for the jolts comes intermittently as parks and preserves pop up alongside your ride. There’s Skiff Mountains North and South, home to a wide range of wildlife that appreciate the variety of habitat found there. You’ll cross into the Appalachian Trail Corridor, and nearby Pond Mountain Natural Area — also with hiking trails — on this trip.

On Skiff Mountain Road, you’ll pass a parking area for Skiff Mountain South preserve. It’s worth a stop to take a walk along the beaver pond and wetland (wear orange in the hunting season). The website for the Kent Land Trust has an enticing collection of hand-drawn trail maps.

These interlocking preserves add up to a fine ride, moody and magic in fall when the leaves are down and you’re looking for that last roll of the year.

The Loop

Begin in Macedonia Brook State Park. The main park road, going right up the guts of the park, leads to a parking area by the park office, where you’ll find ample parking and public restrooms.

In the first stretch of the route, you’ll be following the Macedonia Brook, a frisky companion through the woods on an unpaved road.

Follow the map in a clockwise direction around the loop. You’ll have a couple places to shorten the ride, especially if you want to avoid a long descent to the Housatonic River (and the big climb back up). For a shortcut, take a right when you get to Dolldorf Road. Or, continue on Skiff Mountain Road instead of turning left at the baseball fields.

But if you stick to the route, you’ll come to a right-hand turn off Skiff Mountain Road, a bumpy, somewhat rutted downhill road. It’s marked as  a dead-end road, but it emerges, thankfully, on River Road alongside the Housatonic River. From there, River Road is a flat, unpaved ride back to a steep uphill along Skiff Mountain Road and the continuation of the loop, back to where you left your car.

The Details:

Elevation change: 1908 feet

Direction: For best results, head north from the park office, following Macedonia Brook Road to your first turn, a right-hand turn onto Keeler Road.

The Roads:

You’re on dirt roads for approximately half the route. The rest is paved, but the roads remain less trafficky and safe.

Afterwards: Just up from Macedonia Brook State Park, the small New England town of Kent offers plenty of places to warm up after a brisk afternoon ride. Or, on warmer days, you could spend a little time walking the sidewalks of this antique town.

On a recent trip, I was looking for a place to make a phone call and relax for awhile, and I found it at the Kent Pizza Garden, tucked in behind the main thoroughfare. I grabbed an outdoor table, ordered up a glass of Chardonnay and a roasted cauliflower pizza — fabulously flavorful and crisp — and just savored the afternoon, spent autumn leaves tossing around me.