The 10 Best Waterfalls in Massachusetts
Massachusetts waterfalls cluster hard in the west — the Berkshires and the hilltowns own this list, from Bash Bish Falls in the state's extreme southwest corner to the twin falls of Savoy Mountain State Forest. The east contributes charm (Trap Falls, Bears Den) but the elevation lives in the hills.
One correction we're making openly: the falls databases call the Trustees property in Royalston 'Cascade Falls.' It's Royalston Falls — same coordinates, same 45-foot drop, and the Trustees have owned it since 1951. Our page carries the correct name and the explanation.
A theme to respect: Massachusetts land managers ban swimming at their major falls, and they mean it — Bash Bish (since the 1960s, after decades of deaths), Doane's Falls (since 2002), Tannery Falls (posted). The swimming holes on this list are the ones built for it: Chapel Brook's pools and Umpachene's river beach. Every pick is publicly accessible; rankings weigh the falls, the setting, and the honesty of the experience.
The state's tallest and most famous: a 59-foot twin plunge at the bottom of a 200-foot cascade series. Park in Massachusetts for the steep way in, or in New York for the gentle one.
Directions, season & rules for Bash Bish Falls →Five cascades stacked up Mount Everett's flank, the lower falls alone about 100 feet. Half a mile to the base; a thousand-foot climb to the Appalachian Trail if you keep going.
Directions, season & rules for Race Brook Falls →Listed in databases as 'Cascade Falls' but really Royalston Falls — 45 feet into a glacial gorge on a Trustees preserve, reached by a strenuous, slippery, worth-it descent on the New England Trail.
Directions, season & rules for Cascade Falls →
Five cascades in a fifth of a mile of mossy ravine, with an accessible path to boot. Swimming has been banned since 2002 — this one is for walking beside, and it's plenty.
Directions, season & rules for Doane Falls →
A 50-foot double plunge on the Whiting River with a geographic punchline: the falls is in Massachusetts, the parking lot is in Connecticut. Two-tenths of a mile, steep, done.
Directions, season & rules for Campbell Falls →Greylock's secret: 80 feet of cascade in the wild ravine at the head of the Hopper, up a narrow trail named for colonial counterfeiters. The quietest big waterfall in the state.
Directions, season & rules for Money Brook Falls →Eighty feet into a green pool in a mossy chasm — many call it the prettiest falls in Massachusetts — with 40-to-60-foot Parker Brook Falls a few paces away. Two waterfalls, one half-mile walk.
Directions, season & rules for Tannery Falls →
Not a plunge but a slot: a brook charging between 80-foot granite walls 25 feet apart. The number you read is the wall height — walk the rim and you'll understand why it makes the list anyway.
Directions, season & rules for Windsor Jambs Falls →Three friendly ledge cascades with wading pools, a climbing cliff, and a small summit on one Trustees property. The family pick — swimming customary at the third pool, caution after rain.
Directions, season & rules for Chapel Falls →
A 40-foot main drop over dark gneiss tiers, minutes from the car in its own little state park. The easiest real waterfall in the Berkshires.
Directions, season & rules for Wahconah Falls →Rankings reflect our research, not a verdict on your trip — every spot page takes community ratings and conditions reports, and that's where the real answer to "is it worth it?" lives.