Every waterfall in this guide deserves your time and attention. If a trip has earned a rating of two, it does not mean that the waterfall should be excluded from your plans. It only suggests that you many want to supplement this particular waterfall with others in the area. For the dedicated enthusiast, every waterfall is a new special place.

Type

After visiting the waterfalls of New England, we have concluded that there are six distinguishable types. Everyone has a favorite style of waterfall, whether it is the classic block or the completely vertical drop of a plunge.

Block – a cascade, wider than it is tall, that usually covers the entire distance across a stream. Blocks are often referred to as being “classic” or “horseshoe” falls.

Cascade – a series of small drops, too many to count, that fall at a low angle of descent. Just about every type of waterfall usually has cascades shortly upstream or downstream from it.

Fan – a steep-angled cascade that fans out from a narrow width at the top to a larger base at the bottom. Most fans are also horsetails in that they maintain contact with rock during their descent.

Horsetail – a nearly vertical drop characterized by waters maintaining constant or almost constant contact with the underlying rock that they are flowing over.

Plunge – a waterfall in which water drops at an entirely vertical angle. Water flows over some broad ledge, usually an overhanging one, and does not make contact with underlying rock.

Punchbowl – characterized by water being contracted to a very narrow width and show down into a plunge. Punchbowls are seldom found in this region.

Height

One of the first pieces of information people want to know about a waterfall is how tall it is. There is a tendency for people to believe that there is a direct correlation between height and beauty. We have found that this is just not so. Some of our favorite waterfalls are less than 20 feet in total drop, and one is a mere 6-foot drop.

In determining the height of the falls, we either separated the major drops—if they were distinguishable—or lumped the entire formation into one total drop. Some heights have been accurately measured, and a few have been reasonably estimated. In all cases the height reflects the elevation drop.

Trail Length

All trail lengths listed are one-way, representing the distance from trailhead to the waterfall, unless otherwise noted. Some trails are loops, and they reflect the total hiking mileage covered on the trip. Before undertaking a hike, or deciding to skip a particular falls, consider other trail factors, such as altitude gain and trail difficulty. A 3-mile round trip with no elevation gain is much easier on your body than a 2-mile round trip with a 1000-foot elevation change.

Water Source

The fourth characteristic is the water source of the waterfall. This tells you which brook, stream, creek, or river is feeding the formation. Several of the waterfalls described in this guide have water sources that are either unknown or too seasonal to be worthy of an official name.

Altitude Gain/Loss

For the majority of waterfalls described in this guide, the altitude gain or loss on the trail was the prevalent factor in determining trail difficulty. For every 1,000 feet of elevation gain, average-paced hikers can expect to add about half an hour to their one-way trail time.

The trails that gain significant elevation in a short amount of distance can be hazardously slippery and muddy during the wet season.  Unless you are prepared for the worse, avoid hiking trails that feature 500 or more feet of elevation gain over less than 2 miles of length in early spring. Examples include Beaver Brook Cascades of New Hampshire and Race Brook Falls of Massachusetts—both are sure to supply too many dangers to allow a pleasant overall experience.

Trail Difficulty

The Trails described in this guide are categorized in to one of five levels of difficulty: easy, easy side of moderate, moderate, moderate side of difficult, and difficult. To come up with a rating, we took into consideration trail distance, altitude gain, trail dangers such as the scale of muddy and slippery travel, and any challenges that must be overcome, like crossing a river. All of the ratings are conservative, based on family-friendly hiking. Travelers with years of hiking experience can downgrade the hiking difficulty by one step.

Easy  - generally flat, stable-foot terrain, with no challenging trail difficulties. These trails are perfect for families and safe for all.

Easy side of moderate – hikes involving a fair amount of navigating over rocks and roots on the trail. There also may be some elevation gain, mud in springtime, or sections of slippery travel after periods of rain, but nothing too difficult.

Moderate – trails offering a significant altitude gain, with steep and slippery stretches of terrain. Moderate hikes are still appropriate for families and children, as long as you take them in summer or fall. Water and snacks should be carried, because these hikes are usually longer and more time consuming than trails with lower ratings of difficulty.

Moderate side of difficult – only a handful of New England’s waterfall trails approach a difficult rating; we purposely chose waterfalls in this guide that were challenging but not extraordinarily so. If you are hiking trails with a moderate side of difficult rating, you should be fully prepared with water, food, and other supplies, and you can expect demanding altitude gains. You may be required to cross a knee-deep river or scramble down a steep gorge wall. We suggest traveling in groups for trips with this rating.

Difficult – any trail marked difficult is reserved for the truly experienced. If you are not in great physical shape, skip these hikes—there are scores of other waterfalls with less potential for disaster. If you choose a difficult hike, bring at least 3 liters of water, food, a compass, and a few friends in case of emergency.

Hiking Time

The approximate hiking time is based on a commonly followed hiking formula: A mile can be covered in half an hour, and for every 500 feet of elevation gain, an additional half hour is added. Extras, such as the time required to cross a river, scale a rock wall, or scramble down a riverbank, also add to the amount of approximate hiking time. As you might expect, our estimates can differ from the actual time it will take you to reach a waterfall. Our approximations are based on the average person’s pace of travel: about 2 miles per hour. Experienced hikers may be able to cut down a travel time by nearly half; conversely, a family with children might need nearly double the amount of time.

Take note that approximate hiking time is for one-way travel. If you are wondering what the entire trip might take you, double the hiking time given and allow some time for exploration and enjoyment at the waterfall. For loop trails, the hiking time reflects the entire trip.