There is no portending evil in the title of this short walk. Dark Entry Ravine is quite the contrary of its inauspicious name. It is a pleasant and delightful natural feature that emits an atmosphere of blithesome well-being.

Dark Entry Ravine is on the Appalachian Trail [[ the Appalachian Trail no longer travels this route. In its place a blue blazed trail in 2003 called the Mohawk Trail but this trail has been open-closed at unknown times by the 'Dark Entry Forest Association' which lays claims to the land and area is supposedly being surveyed. The last resident of the area founded this Association..a Dr.Clark...(who's wife went insane) and claims to about 900 acres of land. ]] in the town of Cornwall, Litchfield County. The ravine is the course of Bonney Brook as it cascades toward the west between Coltsfoot Mountain to the north and Bald Mountain on the south.

The beginning of the trail leading to Dark Entry Ravine is reached by following road map routes to the juncture of Rt's.4 and U.S.7, at Cornwall Bridge. From this junction follow Rt.U.S.7 south 500 feet to the Appalachian Trail crossing. The trail is marked on the east shoulder of the highway by a blue oval sign lettered in white with the trail name.The trail is also indicated by painted white-blazes on trees and rocks.

Leave car parked well off the traveled portion of the highway. Take trail toward the east entering mature woods and ascending lower contours of Coltsfoot Mountain, then descending into Dark Entry Ravine. The blazed trail follows Bonney Brook upstream through a heavily forested notch with attractive waterfalls and pools.

Along this section of trail is to be found a typical Appalachian Trail lean-to shelter with fireplace. On the shelter is a sign, placed there by members of the Appalachian Mountain Club, with this warning in part--"This trail and area is patrolled at regular intervals....Anyone guilty of destroying or defacing property or cutting down living trees..will be prosecuted...."

What a sad commentary on human nature it is that a sign of this type is necessary to warn up against destroying and befouling those things which gave us pleasure and sustenance. Are we instinctively urged by our preying past to still consider all things as booty to be plundered? The reason for this sign is the only dark spot in all of Dark Entry Ravine.

Leaving the lean-to the trail continues along the north bank,clinging to it just above the stream. In places the path across the tumbled boulders is rugged but not dangerous.