10 Must-See Waterfalls in New England

Lush forests and rolling mountains make for magical waterfall formations, and New England is home to many examples ranging from gentle and family-friendly to wild and roaring. These ten waterfalls in New England are some of our favorites.

10 Must-See Waterfalls in New England

Chapman Falls – East Haddam, CT

Located within Devil’s Hopyard State Park, Chapman Falls zigzags down metamorphic rock steps, tumbling 60 feet in silvery streaks.

Beaver Brook Falls – Colebrook, NH

No ordinary horsetail waterfall, the 80-foot-high Beaver Brook Falls looks like that of a champion stallion. This Great North Woods cascade is equally enchanting in deep winter, when it’s reliably frozen in time.

Horseshoe Falls – Charlestown, RI

Today, Horseshoe Falls paints a lovely scene (especially in fall) of the Pawcatuck River spilling over a stone dam into a rock basin below, but it’s also a reminder of the river’s long history as a source of industry and power for the communities along its banks.

Screw Auger Falls – North Oxford, ME

If you’re driving Route 26 north from Newry toward the New Hampshire border, watch for a pullover just inside the park, where a fenced-in observation area overlooks the 23-foot Screw Auger Falls. It’s at its visual peak in the fall, surrounded by ultra-fiery yellow, orange, and red foliage.

Diana’s Baths – Bartlett, NH

Both kids and adults enjoy hiking, wading, and navigating smooth rocks alongside plunging 12-foot waterfalls at Diana’s Baths in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, making it one of the most unique waterfalls in New England. The path to get there is flat and easy, and it’s less than a mile to the base of the falls.

Bish Bash Falls – Mount Washington, MA

Two trails — one easy, one steeper — lead to the 80-foot-tall, V-shaped gush of water, Massachusetts’s highest, and arguably its most photographed, waterfall.

Arethusa Falls – Hart’s Location, NH

Tucked away within Crawford Notch State Park, this waterfall plunges along a granitic cliff to a rocky pool beneath. Despite the steep trail and tricky terrain getting there, Arethusa Falls is one of the most stunning waterfalls in New England.

Kent Falls – Kent, CT

Located in one of Connecticut’s most popular state parks (in one of our very favorite New England foliage towns), the 250-foot plunge over multiple levels is a beautiful sight.

Falls of Song – Moultonborough, NH

From the Shannon Pond trailhead within the Castle in the Clouds Conservation Area, the Brook Walk trail leads to seven sparkling waterfalls. It’s an easy trek — under two miles out and back — and each waterfall along the way is only a tease for the main event, Falls of Song, a 40-foot stunner tucked into a granite chasm.

Bingham Falls – Stowe, VT

A popular waterfall hike in an even more popular Vermont tourist destination, Bingham Falls is a gem in Smuggler’s Notch State Park, but take care when navigating slippery rocks and at the roped-off gorge edge.

Did your favorite waterfalls in New England make the list? Let us know!

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Aimee Tucker

Aimee Tucker is Yankee’s senior digital editor. A lifelong New Englander and Yankee contributor since 2010, Aimee has written columns devoted to history, foliage, retro food, and architecture, and regularly shares her experiences in New England travel, home, and gardening. Her most memorable Yankee experiences to date include meeting Stephen King, singing along to a James Taylor Fourth of July concert at Tanglewood, and taking to the skies in the Hood blimp for an open-air tour of the Massachusetts coastline.

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