Photo: Jeff Bellinger · CC BY-SA 3.0Chapman Falls
If you're passing
Is it plungeworthy?
A 3-tier tiered on Eightmile River.
The details
- Tiers
- 3 drops
- Type
- Tiered
- Watercourse
- Eightmile River
- Coordinates
- 41.48394, -72.3418
About Chapman Falls
Chapman Falls is a tiered in Connecticut, on Eightmile River. The water falls in 3 distinct tiers.
It's fullest after rain, and flow can drop off during dry spells — plan around recent weather.
Plungeworthy rates Chapman Falls 5.2/10 — if you're passing. The score weighs its scale, how confidently it's mapped, and its character.
What you'll find
Chapman Falls drops more than 60 feet in a staircase of steps carved through Scotland Schist — the centerpiece of Devil's Hopyard State Park in East Haddam, and eastern Connecticut's best waterfall by a comfortable margin.
The park's name comes from the potholes at the falls' base: colonial-era locals decided the perfectly round holes were the Devil's hoofprints, burned into the rock as he hopped across. (Geologists credit spinning stones in the current, less memorably.)
Unlike Kent Falls and Wadsworth, there's no parking fee here for anyone — free admission, a walk of a few minutes to the falls, and a wooded campground if you want to stay.
Getting there
- Trailhead
- Devil's Hopyard State Park, Hopyard Road, East Haddam
- Parking
- Park lot near the falls, free for all plates
- Road
- Hopyard Road — paved
- Hike
- 0.2 mi round trip (Easy — the falls is steps from the lot; 15+ miles of park trails beyond)
- Heads up
- Campground: 21 wooded sites, $14 CT resident / $24 non-resident, mid-April to mid-October, portable toilets only.
When to go
Reliable in every season; spring gives the staircase its full voice. Open 8am to sunset daily.
Rules & fees
- Fee / pass
- Free — no out-of-state fee at this park
- Dogs
- Leashed on trails and picnic areas; not allowed in the campground
- Hours
- 8am to sunset daily
- Camping
- 21 sites, seasonal (mid-April through mid-October)
- Warnings
- Stay off the falls face — the schist steps are slicker than they look.
Researched from CT State Parks — Devil's Hopyard State Park. Conditions change — verify before you drive. Been to Chapman Falls recently? Post a conditions report below.
Where it is
Before you go
The pin marks the feature, not a trailhead or a legal route in. Some sit on private land or need a real hike, and conditions change with season and rain. Check local access, don't trespass, and never enter water — hot or cold — where it isn't safe.
Common questions
Where is Chapman Falls?
Chapman Falls is a waterfall in Connecticut, at 41.48394, -72.3418.
Is Chapman Falls worth visiting?
If you're passing — Plungeworthy rates it 5.2/10.
Gear for the trip
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