The Housatonic River

A Photographic journey along a Wild and Scenic waterway

On the mornings when fog sits on the Housatonic River and the trees dissolve into amber early morning light, the valley feels like a wild, untamed frontier - like it belongs to another century.

This is a series of photographs from a corridor in the northwestern corner of Connecticut that most people pass through on the way to somewhere else. They drive Route 7 and miss the solitude and drama of this beautiful region.

They were taken in a small geographical area - essentially between two covered bridges, Bulls Bridge and Cornwall Bridge - but don't expect chocolate box New England scenes. This series documents the landscape, the whitewater, the ridge lines, the falling waters, and the weather. I keep coming back to the same stretches to capture changes across every season.

The Housatonic Valley often catches me off guard, but it always inspires.

Ever-Changing, Always Wild.

A River for All Seasons

Tumultuous winter meltwater flooding over rocks on the Housatonic River at Bulls Bridge, Kent, Connecticut

Flow: Unseasonal Winter weather created heavy thaw conditions and this tumultuous flow of meltwater on the Housatonic River at Bulls Bridge.

Nikon D850 : 35mm : f5.6 : ½ second : iso 32

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Freshly fallen snow blankets the world in silence, broken only by the river’s restless journey downstream

Winter’s Kiss : Winter sunshine gives life to the river following a heavy overnight snowstorm.

Nikon Z 7-II : 20mm : f22 : 3/5th second : iso 64

Long exposure winter landscape of the Housatonic River near Bulls Bridge in bright winter sunshine, Kent, Connecticut

Bend in the River: Midday winter sun on the steep forested slopes of the Housatonic River gorge, Bulls Bridge, Kent, Connecticut

Becalmed: Fresh snow and winter sunshine on the calm Housatonic River, western Connecticut, long exposure nature photography

Deafening Silence: Winter sunshine on the Housatonic River near Bulls Bridge

Nikon D850 : 35mm : f22 : 2.5 seconds : iso 32

Bend in the River: Midday Winter sun barely penetrates the precipitous slopes adjacent to the Housatonic River

Nikon D850 : 105mm : f22 : 1/13th second : iso 64

Becalmed: Winter sun and freshly fallen snow on the Housatonic River in Western Connecticut

Nikon D850 : 70mm : f22 : 1.3 seconds : iso 64

The snow has to go somewhere!

Spring snowmelt flooding the Housatonic River at Bulls Bridge gorge, Kent, Connecticut

Rushing spring meltwater over granite rocks at Bulls Bridge on the Housatonic River, Connecticut

There's a blog about these images ↑↑ - Read it here

No Winter lasts forever

The snow melts, the water rises, life returns and color slowly returns to the landscape

Early spring light on the Housatonic River at Bulls Bridge, fresh green foliage, Kent, Connecticut

Rapids: Spring bursts into life around the Housatonic River at Bulls Bridge, in Connecticut

Spring bursts into life around the Housatonic River at Bulls Bridge, in Connecticut

Housatonic Green: Summer turns to Fall on the Housatonic River at Cornwall Bridge in Western Connecticut

Nikon D850 : 82mm : f16 : 232 seconds : iso 64

Sunrise Flow: Remnants of a morning mist as Summer turns to Fall on The Housatonic River at Cornwall Bridge in Western Connecticut

River in the Mist: Early Fall mists turn The Housatonic River into a mysterious journey. Cornwall Bridge in Western Connecticut

Foggy Daze: Early Fall mists turn The Housatonic River into a mysterious journey. Cornwall Bridge in Western Connecticut

Northern Lights over the Housatonic

On November 11th 2025 there was a strong magnetic substorm which was predicted to be a strong display of the Northern Lights in uncommon southern latitudes. The forecast in Connecticut that evening was for a dense cloud bank to move in as the night progressed, but, since the Housatonic runs north to south it had to be worth the short trip to Bulls Bridge just in case?

When the sky Ignites: A strong Aurora with a deep crimson sky over the snow-covered rapids at Bulls Bridge on the Housatonic River Western Connecticut

Aurora, Housatonic Valley: The northern lights are strong looking north towards Kent up the Housatonic River at Bulls Bridge in Western Connecticut

Kent Falls

Kent Falls is a series of falls and cascades, dropping nearly 250 feet from the hills above the Housatonic down to the river.

In winter it freezes, in spring it roars. On the right morning, when there’s a strong wind and right light is cutting through the mist it is one of the most beautiful waterfalls to photograph anywhere in New England.

Winter’s Last Stand:

A long exposure on a windy morning at Kent Falls, Connecticut showing the transition from Winter to Spring

Nikon D850 : 44mm : f18 : 1.6 seconds : iso 32

Winter's Last Stand: A Long exposure at Kent Falls, Connecticut showing the transition from Winter to Spring. Housatonic River in Western Connecticut

Winter's End: A Long exposure at Kent's upper falls, beginning the transition from Winter to Spring. Housatonic River in Western Connecticut

Emerald Greens: A Long exposure at Kent Falls. Lush green foliage frames the the beautiful cascade of the upper falls at Kent, Connecticut

Thaw: A Long exposure at Kent's upper falls. taken early on a winter morning. Unseasonally warm temperatures in late February begin the transition to Spring. Kent Falls in Western Connecticut

Spring Cascade: A Long exposure at Kent's upper Falls. Lush green foliage frames the the beautiful cascade of the upper falls at Kent, Connecticut

Winter's Icy Grip: A heavy December snowfall turns the upper falls at Kent into a Winter wonderland. Kent Falls, Western Connecticut

Gravity's Patterns: A Long exposure of the lower falls at Kent in western Connecticut

A Beautiful Gift: Spring sunbeams illuminated in the early morning spray at the lower portion of Kent Falls in western Connecticut.

A Beautiful Gift: Spring sunbeams illuminated in the early morning spray at the lower part of Kent Falls in Western Connecticut.

Nikon D810 : 68mm : f22 : 3/5th second : iso 64

Above the Clouds

A hike in the dark, a climb up a hillside and if the weather is right you come to another world

Macedonia Inversions: Early Morning inversions fill the Housatonic Valley in Kent, Connecticut. One of the beautiful views along the Macedonia Ridge.

Nikon D850 : 200mm : f16 : 1/25th second : iso 64

Macedonia Brook State Park, Kent

Big hikes / Big Views

September Sunrise from one of the beautiful views along the Macedonia Ridge.

Pre sunrise cloud formations from one of the beautiful views along the Macedonia Ridge.

Early Morning inversions fill the Housatonic Valley in Kent, Connecticut. One of the beautiful views along the Macedonia Ridge.

A Fall hike in the clouds to the Pine Knob viewpoint above West Cornwall

Islands in the Sky: Early Morning inversions fill the Housatonic Valley from the viewpoint at Pine Knob in West Cornwall, Connecticut.

Nikon D850 : 195mm : f18 : 1/80th second : iso 64

These photographs represent only a tiny 15 mile portion of this impressive 150 mile long river which flows from its headwaters in Northern Massachusetts, through Connecticut and on into Long Island Sound. I’ve travelled its length and I genuinely feel that this stretch of the river is by far the most scenic, I’m just very lucky that it also happens to be close to my home and I can visit pretty much whenever I want.

However I do want to finish with two photographs taken early one morning of the Housatonic Valley and its flood plain just a little further north than West Cornwall. The View is from the slopes of Round Mountain looking east towards Lakeville and Salisbury in Connecticut. They both happen to be amongst my favorite images and I can’t decide whether I prefer the landscape view or the portrait view so I’ve posted them both for comparison.

Sunrise view towards Salisbury, Lakeville and the Housatonic Valley, from the viewpoint on Round Mountain, Salisbury, CT

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