Bears Den Falls
If you're passing
Is it plungeworthy?
A segmented on Middle Branch Swift River.
The details
- Type
- Segmented
- Watercourse
- Middle Branch Swift River
- Coordinates
- 42.54198, -72.3267
About Bears Den Falls
Bears Den Falls is a 12-foot segmented in Massachusetts, on Middle Branch Swift River.
It's fullest after rain, and flow can drop off during dry spells — plan around recent weather.
Plungeworthy rates Bears Den Falls 5.1/10 — if you're passing. The score weighs its scale, how confidently it's mapped, and its character.
What you'll find
Bears Den Falls is a 12-foot cascade on the Middle Branch of the Swift River in New Salem — small water, big setting. The river bends through a rocky little gorge on a six-acre Trustees reservation, on its way to filling the Quabbin Reservoir.
The quarter-mile trail forks: left to the falls, right along the stream past the ruins of an old mill site. It's a fifteen-minute visit that punches above its size on atmosphere, especially in fall.
Know what this is: a minor falls and a pretty gorge, not a destination hike. It earns its place as the best short-stop waterfall in the Quabbin region, not as a rival to the Berkshire giants.
Getting there
- Trailhead
- Bear's Den, Neilson Road, New Salem
- Parking
- Small pull-in, free
- Road
- Neilson Road — paved
- Hike
- 0.5 mi round trip (Easy, short — some steep, rocky footing near the water)
- Heads up
- Six-acre reservation; the mill-ruin path is the right-hand fork.
When to go
Spring for flow, October for the gorge in color. Low water in late summer reduces the falls to a chute.
Rules & fees
- Fee / pass
- Free
- Dogs
- Leashed only — unleashed dogs prohibited
- Hours
- Sunrise to sunset
- Camping
- Prohibited, as are fires
- Warnings
- Steep drops near the gorge edge — watch children.
Researched from The Trustees — Bear's Den · Wikipedia — Bear's Den (New Salem). Conditions change — verify before you drive. Been to Bears Den Falls recently? Post a conditions report below.
Where it is
Planning a visit? We want your photo.
Bears Den Falls doesn't have a photo yet. If you make the trip, send one to hello@plungeworthy.com and we'll publish it here with credit to you.
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
How tall is Bears Den Falls?
Bears Den Falls drops about 12 feet, in Massachusetts.
Where is Bears Den Falls?
Bears Den Falls is a waterfall in Massachusetts, at 42.54198, -72.3267.
Is Bears Den Falls worth visiting?
If you're passing — Plungeworthy rates it 5.1/10.
Gear for the trip
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