What waterfall will you visit this spring?

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Pat T

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I'm looking for good trip ideas for hikes (short hikes or long hikes) to waterfalls. There are some that get mentioned here all the time (like trails on the AMR lands in the ADKs) but I'm sure there are others, maybe less well known.

We'll be headed to Tully Lake (northcentral Massachusetts) soon. Will travel by canoe and then short hikes to Doane's Falls and Spirit Falls.

Pat T
 
In the Catskills...
Kaaterskill Falls
Plattekill Falls
Buttermilk Falls

Other places..
Bish Bash Falls
Mine Kill Falls

There are several books about waterfalls.
 
Pat,

If you are visiting Spirit Falls and Doane's Falls, take a quick ride up the street and visit Royalston Falls...it's well worth it. Also, Tannery Falls is about an hour away from there, and a bit tricky to find, but it's my favorite waterfall in all of Massachusetts (even more than Bash Bish Falls, which is a fav for a lot of people). PM me if you want directions to Tannery.

As for me, my favorite spring waterfalls are:
Tannery Falls in MA
Angel Falls in ME
Arethusa Falls in NH

and some new waterfalls I have not visted yet that I plan to this spring...
Champney Falls, Giant Falls, Dryad Falls, Dry River Falls, and #13 Falls, all in NH
 
I don't know nor have I heard quite how to get there. As far as I know, Hawthorne Falls is one of the Pemi Wilderness's biggest secrets.

Either this summer or the next I'm going to go find it...with or without directions
 
Rivet mentions books-I was given one as a X-mas gift. It's "Catskill Region Waterfall Guide" by Russell Dunn, and it includes waterfalls in the Shawangunks as well the Catskills. Dunn has also authored "Adirondack Waterfall Guide" and they're both published by Black Dome Press, which is a small, local press located in the northern Catskills.

I hope to finally check out Kaaterskill Falls (Catskills) soon, and there's still some falls I haven't seen in the Gunks, such as Rainbow and StonyKill Falls.
One of my favorite Gunks hikes is along the Peters Kill and I'm sure I'll do it again soon. It's mostly on trail, w/ just a little bit of very easy off-trail, and it hits Peters Kill Falls, Sheldon Falls and Awosting Falls. Three falls in one hike! It's described in Ed Henry's "Gunks Trails" (also published by Black Dome), although I do the route in the opposite direction from his description.

BTW, I have no affiliation, or interest in Black Dome, other than wanting to see a cool, local, small press succeed.

www.blackdomepress.com

Matt
 
Last edited:
I second roadtripper's recommendation for Royalston Falls. I like it better than Spirit, though I've never seen Spirit in high water. It's in the same area, both are along the Tully Trail. The quickest way in from a paved road that I know of is from route 32. Continue heading north from the dam, approx 1.7 miles past route 68. You should see a sign on the right for the Tully Trail and a cemetery. Park there, hike in toward the east, stay on the Tully Trail and you'll get there. The trail parallels East Brand for approx .75 miles before reaching the falls.

Also interesting is the M & M trail in the same area. The trails run together until the stream crossing at the shelter. After the crossing, the M & M goes straight, the Tully turns right. If you follow the M & M, there are some interesting rock formations. Not waterfalls, but still worth seeing.

Another good local falls is Bears Den in New Salem MA. Just stumbled across the below link while trying to find directions for Bears Den.

http://www.waterfalls-guide.com/ma_waterfalls-guide.htm
 
Arethusa Falls with my "littlest hiking buddy" :)
I will be taking my annual "Waterfall Hiking Trip" and I hope to make the trip to Arethusa Falls with my friend Mary's little girl Acacia . . . I think at 8 years of age she should be old enough to handle this hike, my favorite of all times.

sli74
 
Appalacia Falls Tour

The northern slopes of the Presidentials are loaded with nice mossy falls. I like to map out a route, out of Appalacia, that will take me to many falls, then the summit of Madison or Adams, then more falls on the way down. All the brooks seem to run well thoughout the summer, but I like to go the day after rain. It's also a great plan for a rainy day because everything is lush and the cloudcover diffuses the light.

Below is an image from along Sylvan Way, a highly recommended trail.
 
Pat,

I stopped at Doannes Falls this past Friday (4/1) and the water volume was impressive. I would second the trip up to Roylston Falls (rt. 32n of Tully Lake about 5 miles) Park the car ar Newtons Cemetery. Also when you hike down to Falls Brook take a hike up stream (opposite direction to the falls) to see some nice potholes and an arch.

There was still ice on Tully as of Friday,also if they (corp. of Engineers) are using the lake for flood conrtol I believe boating activities are not allowed.
 
Hawthorne this summer

I have to work every weekend through Memorial Day, then I want to hike the old Gale River Trail to the Hawthorne Falls trail to the ridge and the tent site near the Garfield Ridge Trail. Probably go down the Garfield Trail the next day.
Anyone interested in going to Hawthorne Falls this summer, please contact me.
 
More on Hawthorne

There is a bit of history on the Hawthorne Falls Trail (the original Gale River Trail?) on the website of the former Hut croo members.
http://www.ohcroo.com/galehead_notes.html
Also, MarkJ had a short note that he and Post'r hiked down to the falls and found them quite scenic although the trail was hard to follow.
Doesn't seem like it should be too hard to follow uphill as the map shows it following the east side of the brook until the trail continues south (uphill) while the brook goes southwest to its source.
 
In what can only be called 'falls for the flatlanders'... the cascades by the Shilly Shally brook in the Middlesex Fells (Melrose, MA) are running strong and they are a beautiful reminder that spring is here for us Bostonians.
 
In Vermont near Manchester is a 50 Foot Waterfall (not continuous) called Lye Brook Falls. 2.6 miles RT with about 1000ft elevation gain. Well worth the effort. Great precepice for eating lunch. Highly recommended, especially on a rainy day. Vermont is so green....

-percious
 
Noticed this morning that Doannes Rd in Roylston is closed for flood control operations. This may cause parts of the Tulley Trail to be under water, specificly from Doannes Rd. to Spirit Falls. Another way to get to Spirit Falls is to hike from rt. 68 from the top of the hill (called Jacobs Ladder by locals)
 
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