Camping & Lodging Near Waterfalls

Zealand Falls Hut above Zealand Falls, New Hampshire

shelter near Falls on Pecks Brook, Massachusetts

AMC Cardigan Lodge near Welton Falls, New Hampshire

Looking to camp or stay near waterfalls? This page is focused on some of the best waterfalls that have either lodging or campsites either directly adjacent or within close proximity to them. Some of these are developed campgrounds, while others are either backpacking tensites, huts, or shelters. Several of these shelters and huts are completely free, while others charge a small or moderate fee.

If you use any of the campsites, huts or shelters listed below, please make sure do to your part to respect the area and keep keep it clean. For specific information about camping at a particular waterfall, see the individual waterfalls' page or contact me at gparsons66@hotmail.com.

If you know of any other waterfalls that you can legally stay or camp at or near that is missing from this list, please let me know!

Follow New England Waterfalls on Facebook!

CONNECTICUT

Here is a list of all known camping and lodging opportunities near waterfalls in Connecticut.

STATE	WATERFALL	PARK / LOCATION	TYPE	NOTES / DESCRIPTION
CT	Chapman Falls	Devil's Hopyard State Park	Car Campground	seasonal campground with 21 campsites (as of 2016); campground is located a short distance from the falls; stream fishing; online and phone reservations are accepted
CT	Kettletown Brook Falls	Kettletown State Park	Car Campground	seasonal campground with 68 campsites (as of 2016); the campground is located a short distance from the falls; online and phone reservations are accepted

MASSACHUSETTS

Here is a list of all known camping and lodging opportunities near waterfalls in Massachusetts.

STATE	WATERFALL	PARK / LOCATION	TYPE	NOTES / DESCRIPTION
MA	Bash Bish Falls	Taconic State Park	Car Campground	car campground and several cabins are available for rent; the campground is actually located just over NY border (about a mile west of the falls)
MA	Bear Rock Falls	Laurel Ridge Campsites	Backpacking Tentsites	backpack-in campsites along on the Appalachian Trail in the southwestern corner of the state; designated campsites (some sites are on tent pads) are just south of the falls; easiest access is via trail from East Road and then turn north onto Appalachian Trail
MA	Deer Hill Falls	Sperry Rd. Backpacking Campground	Backpacking Tentsites	backpack-in campsites in Mt. Greylock State Reservation; falls are 0.5 mile away from campsite; easy walk along old road to backpacking sites (former car campground); combine with nearby March Cataract Falls; trailhead is found on main park road
MA	Falls on Pecks Brook	Pecks Brook Shelter	Lean-to &Tentsites	lean-to (free; first-come, first-served) on eastern slopes of Mt. Greylock State Reservation; the lowest and most impressive of falls require a difficult scramble to reach
MA	March Cataract Falls	Sperry Rd. Backpacking Campground	Backpacking Tentsites	backpack-in campsites within Mt. Greylock State Reservation; the falls are 0.8 mile away from the campsites; to reach the backpacking sites, you'll walk along Sperry Road, which is now closed to traffic; combine your trip to these falls with a trip to nearby Deer Hill Falls; the trailhead is located on the main park road, across from the entrance to Sperry Road
MA	Money Brook Falls	Wilbur Clearing Lean-to	Lean-to	backpack-in lean-to site (free; first-come, first-served) within Mt. Greylock State Reservation; the lean-to is about 0.5 mile away from falls; trailhead is located on the main park road
MA	Race Brook Falls	Race Brook Campsites	Backpacking Tentsites	access to these five waterfalls is via the Race Brook Trail from MA 41; the tentsites are found above the uppermost of the five falls; if you have the time and energy, consider hiking up to the fine views from open ledges on Mt. Race
MA	Royalston Falls	Royalston Falls Shelter	Lean-to	this shelter (free; first-come, first-served) sleeps 12 and is found 0.3 miles north of Royalston Falls along the yellow-blazed Tully Trail; you must keep fires within the designated fire pit in front of the shelter
MA	Sages Ravine (Upper Falls)	Sages Ravine Campsites	Backpacking Tentsites	backpack-in campsites along the Appalachian Trail in southwestern corner of the state; easiest access is via trail from East Road and then you must turn north onto Appalachian Trail

MAINE

Here is a list of all known camping and lodging opportunities near waterfalls in Maine.

STATE	WATERFALL	PARK / LOCATION	TYPE	NOTES / DESCRIPTION
ME	Allagash Falls	Allagash Waterway Campsites	Canoe-in Sites	canoe-access campsites on the Allagash Wilderness Waterway; taking a canoe-trip down the Allagash River is one of the most enjoyable adventures in the United States
ME	Cooper Brook Falls	Cooper Brook Falls Lean-to	Lean-to &Tentsites	backpacking sites on the Appalachian Trail between the East Branch and Potaywadjo Spring lean-tos
ME	Gauntlet Falls	North Maine Woods Campsites	Car Campground	car campsites; contact North Maine Woods, Inc. for more information; campsites can be reserved in advance
ME	Grand Falls	Maine Huts & Trail's Grand Falls Hut	Hut	this is a relatively new hut on the ever-expanding Maine Huts & Trails trail system; falls are a moderate hike away from the hut; reservations to stay in the hut are required
ME	Hay Brook Falls	North Maine Woods	Car Campground	car campsites; three campsites just downstream of the falls; high-clearance vehicles are recommended to reach these campsites; contact North Maine Woods to make reservations
ME	Heald Stream Falls	Private Ownership	Car Campground	car campsite; you need landowner permission to camp here; the campsites are 100 feet from the falls
ME	High Bridge	North Maine Woods Campsites	Car Campground	several car campsites are found here, including one immediately adjacent to falls and swimming hole (Site #1)
ME	Logan Brook Falls	Logan Brook Lean-to	Lean-to &Tentsites	backpacking site on the Appalachian Trail between the Carl A. Newman and East Branch lean-tos
ME	Poplar Stream Falls	Maine Huts & Trail's Poplar Stream Falls Hut	Hut	reservations are required to stay at this hut; full meals are served; the falls are 0.3 mile away from the hut; the hut is heated in winter

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Here is a list of all known camping and lodging opportunities near waterfalls in New Hampshire.

STATE	WATERFALL	PARK / LOCATION	TYPE	NOTES / DESCRIPTION
NH	Ammonoosuc Ravine	AMC Lakes of the Clouds Hut	Hut	the AMC Lakes of the Clouds Hut is located a few miles above the falls; be prepared for a steep and challenging trail; also be prepared for poor weather as you near the hut; the hut can be used as base to climb Mt. Monroe and/or Mt. Washington; advance reservations are required
NH	Appalachia Waterfalls	AMC Madison Spring Hut	Hut	several waterfalls can be visited along the way up to, or down from, the hut, including: Duck Fall, Tama Fall, Salmacis Fall, Salroc Falls, and Gordon Fall; many of the waterfalls of Appalachia are directly visible from the Brookside Trail
NH	Appalachia Waterfalls	RMC properties (Crag Camp, Gray Knob, Log Cabin & The Perch)	Lean-to, cabin, and/or hut	several different waterfalls are en route to the Randolph Mountain Club's backcountry lodges and lean-tos depending on which one you visit, including: Spur Brook Falls, Chandler Falls, Cascade Ravine, Cold Brook Falls, Mossy Falls
NH	Beaver Brook Cascades	Beaver Brook Shelter	Lean-to &Tentsites	backpacking site on the Appalachian Trail on the shoulder of Mt. Moosilauke; 1.5 miles from NH 112; lean-to plus 2 tent platforms are available
NH	Bridal Veil Falls	Coppermine Shelter	Lean-to &Tentsites	lean-to shelter on the Coppermine Trail; the falls are an easy 0.2 mile away; there are a few unofficial overflow tentsites here as well
NH	Dry River Falls	Dry River Trail	Lean-to &Tentsites	several backpacking sites deep in Dry River Wilderness between 3.0-5.2 miles from US 302; there is also a lean-to about 0.9 mile above the falls, but at some point it will be removed from the wilderness area
NH	Eliza Brook Cascades	Eliza Brook Shelter	Lean-to &Tentsites	backpack-in campsites on the Appalachian Trail along the Kinsman Ridge Trail; a lean-to shelter sleeps 8 plus there are several tent sites; easiest access is via the Reel Brook Trail from NH 116
NH	Rattle River Falls	Rattle River Shelter	Lean-to &Tentsites	backpacking sites on the Appalachian Trail; lean-to plus several tent sites; access is via US 2; the swimming hole is only a few hundred feet from the lean-to
NH	Shelburne Basins	White Birches Camping Park	Tentsites, Cabins, Trailers, Shelters	Shelburne Basins is a pretty waterfall with a lovely swimming hole on Pea Brook; it is a 1.5 mile hike to the falls; to visit, you may need to visit the White Birches Camping Park on US-2 and obtain permission to pass through their property en route to the falls
NH	Thirteen Falls	13 Falls Tentsite	Backpacking Tentsites	these popular backpacking sites are managed by the AMC (and so a per person fee is charged); 8.0 mile hike one-way; 9 tent sites; all five sets of falls here are within 0.3 mile of the campsites; make sure to visit Franconia Falls en route (adds 0.4 mile each-way); visit in summer during warm weather so you can enjoy the swimming holes
NH	Welton Falls	AMC Cardigan Lodge	Walk-in tentsites & Lodge	both walk-in campsites and basic, dorm-style lodging are available; the falls are 1.2 miles from the AMC Cardigan Lodge
NH	Zealand Falls	AMC Zealand Falls Hut	Hut	backpacking hut; the falls are located a few hundred feet below the hut; the falls are seasonal and are thus best seen in high water (typically April-June)

VERMONT

Here is a list of all known camping and lodging opportunities near waterfalls in Vermont.

STATE	WATERFALL	PARK / LOCATION	TYPE	NOTES / DESCRIPTION
VT	Hamilton Falls	Jamaica State Park	Tentsites, Shelters	from the state park campground, it is a 3.0 mile one-way hike to spectacular Hamilton Falls; along the route to Hamilton Falls, you'll also pass by the seasonal West River Trail Cascade; this state park campground is also extremely convenient for visiting more awesome falls a short distance anyway, including Angel Falls and Pikes Falls
VT	Pool of Jalna	Kingsley Hill Manor	Hotel/B&B	for guests of the Kingsley Hill Manor, which can be reserved online through the Homeaway or VRBO home rental systems

PHOTOGRAPHS

AMC Zealand Falls Hut lies only a few hundred feet above Zealand Falls (New Hampshire)

first-come, first-served shelter near Falls on Pecks Brook, Mt. Greylock State Reservation (Massachusetts)

AMC Cardigan Lodge makes for a fine base for visiting Welton Falls (New Hampshire)

The AMC Lakes of the Clouds Hut sits a few miles above the waterfalls of Ammonoosuc Ravine (New Hampshire)

the first-come, first-served Coppermine Shelter that sits 0.2 mile below Bridal Veil Falls (New Hampshire)

one of the tent platforms at Thirteen Falls (New Hampshire)

the Royalston Falls shelter, which sits 0.3 miles north of Royalston Falls along the Tully Trail (Massachusetts)

BACKPACKING IN NEW ENGLAND

Newenglandwaterfalls.com has created backpacking guides to most of the New England states. Those pages can be found here:

GOING BACKPACKING?

Here is a comprehensive backpacking checklist to help you prepare for a safe & fun trip. I have spent many hours compiling this checklist, so hopefully you will find it helpful.

EXPLORE MORE OF NEW ENGLAND!
Connecticut / Maine / Massachusetts / New Hampshire / Rhode Island / Vermont
Home Page / About the Book / Book Updates / Top 40 Waterfalls / Swimming Holes / How To Use This Guide / Contact Us
Waterfall Photography / Top 25 New England Hikes / 4000 Footers of NH / Bigroads.com
© newenglandwaterfalls.com
photographs/images may not be used without permission

Waterfalls, swimming holes, and hiking can be extremely dangerous. Hundreds of people have been injured or killed in the waterfalls and swimming holes of New England over the years. Never swim in strong water currents. Don't jump into a swimming hole without scouting it first. Do not climb up or along the side of waterfalls. Be wary of slippery rocks. Never swim in pools above waterfalls. Use of this website and all of its information is at your own risk! Newenglandwaterfalls.com will not be held liable for your actions. Be safe out there - and always use common sense!

As an Amazon Associates affiliate, this website contains affiliate links. If you choose to purchase any products after clicking any links, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. I only endorse products that I have personally used or come highly recommended by trusted peers.