Macedonia Brook State Park

About Macedonia Brook State Park

The Catskill and Taconic Mountains offer breathtaking views of the hardwood forests, Hudson River and New York State Park System.

The Blue Trail crosses Cobble Mountain and several other peaks and offers great views of the Catskills and Taconics. Numerous springs and streams add to your hiking pleasure, and the exciting terrain in the park offers a variety of hiking trails, such as the Blue, Green, Red and Blue Trails. This creates a great mix of paths and trails for all ages and abilities, as well as for people with special needs.

The country was once home to the Scatacook Indians, who derived their name from the area's original name, Maconia Brook. The area has been divided between the Indians and settlers since Kent in 1738, with the first settlers arriving in the 18th century.

Besides the important iron, the commercial activities in Macedonia included the cider mill, water management and sawmills. During the Revolutionary War, hundreds of Scatacook volunteers operated a signaling system at the top of the river valley. When the original owners moved away from Kent and died, many woodlands west of Housatonic were sold and handed over to a commercial and agricultural settlement called Macedonia. Local shops were a thriving business and a busy meeting place as teams kept coming and going.

The iron industry played an important role in the early history of Connecticut and the malleable iron was processed in Kent and in the village of Macedonia.

At the southern end of the park are the remains of a second smithy and minting. The original wood was not used because the process required huge amounts of charcoal, and only then was a committee set up to prevent waste of wood, and most of the equipment was switched to a more efficient and environmentally friendly form of iron production.

Competition from larger mines in Pennsylvania eventually forced the furnaces in Macedonia to close in 1865. Many years later, the National Park Service set up a camp and conservation corps in the park, and many improvements were made.

Stay left and turn right onto Macedonia Brook Road, then turn left onto the main road of the park and then right into the parking lot.