Spring is a wonderful time for getting out and exploring nature’s endless beauty. The trails are less crowded, the weather cooler, and waterfalls are at their peak with winter runoff. Best of all, some of the very best Berkshires waterfalls are within easy driving distance of the Inn!

There’s just something magical about a waterfall.

The sight of the water frothing and splashing as it falls is hypnotic and the sound equally soothing. Some waterfalls, especially the larger ones, create a cooling mist as they fall. This mist is filled with negative ions that have a calming and uplifting effect on our moods.

The state of Massachusetts is home to over 400 waterfalls, with more than 30 of them right here in Berkshire County. Of course, there are waterfalls and then there are WATERFALLS. While some of the nearby Berkshires waterfalls are smaller or even just seasonal cascades, others are quite impressive. In fact, Berkshire county is home to the state’s highest waterfall: Bash Bish Falls.

Best of all, the Inn at Stockbridge is surrounded by waterfalls and spring is one of the very best times to visit them. Below is a list of some of the area’s most popular cascades, all within an hour’s drive of our Stockbridge inn.

Bash Bish Falls

If you can only visit one waterfall in the Berkshires, make it Bash Bish Falls. Bash Bish Falls are the tallest and most popular falls in Massachusetts. At the falls, the water of Bash Bish Brook splashes down through a series of dramatic gorges to split on a craggy boulder some 80 feet above its receiving pool. Truly fantastic.

Though located some 40 minutes away in Mount Washington State Forest, they are well worth the drive. You do have to hike in to see the falls but it’s an easy hike, under half-a-mile hike. In fact, about the only negative thing I can say about Bash Bish is that maybe they’re too popular. Up to 3,000 people a day visit the falls in the summer. This makes visiting them in spring, with a bigger flow and smaller crowds, a no-brainer.

Visit the state park website for more information.

Wahconah Falls

Wahconah Falls are located about a half an hour away from Inn at Stockbridge, just outside Dalton, MA.

These beautiful falls are made up of several smaller falls leading up to a big, 40 foot plunge. It’s a spectacular set of falls only made better by spring runoff. Even better, the under a half-mile “hike” to the falls is quite pleasant and easy. Take in the falls, enjoy a picnic, fish the brook, or just revel in the beauty of this northern hardwood forest.

Visit Wahconah Falls State Park website for directions and more info.

Race Brook Falls

Race Brook Falls is a set of five distinct waterfalls located along 1.7 mile Race Brook Trail, which joins up with the Appalachian Trail. The trail is beautiful but challenging and parallels the brook for outstanding falls views. Visitors can start up the admittedly steep trail and follow it as far as you like. Should you continue on, the trail leads to the summits and attendant scenic views of Mt. Everett or Mt. Race.

The trail and falls are located a half hour south of the Inn near Sheffield, MA. Visit www.alltrails.com for more information.

Falls on the Overbrook Trail

The Falls on Overbrook Trail are just 15 minutes away from the Inn at Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary. These falls are very dependent on spring run-off. At their height, they manifest as a 15-foot curtain of water flowing down the mossy face of a cliff.

While the Overbrook Trail loop is considered quite challenging, the falls are located less than a mile up the trail and waterfall enthusiasts could simply end the hike there. Visit newenglandwaterfalls.com for directions and more about Overbrook Trail Falls.

Campbell Falls

These lovely falls, located in Campbell Falls State Park, are another of the most popular and famous Berkshires waterfalls. The cascade zigzags down a tight gorge cliff face to a thundering, 50 foot drop. In fact, these falls are so powerful, especially in spring, that you’ll probably hear them before you see them.

Campbell Falls are found at the end of a fairly easy, 1.4 mile out and back hike. Visit the state park website for more information.

The State Park is located south of New Marlborough, MA along the Massachusetts and Connecticut border, about 35 minutes drive from the Inn. In fact, the park crosses the border, with most of it in CT – but the falls are in MA.

And That’s Not All

The preceding list only covers 5 of the many scenic waterfalls you can visit in the Berkshires. There are many others to consider and a variety of worthy attractions around them.

Are you a waterfall lover? If so, let us know! We’d be more than happy to help you plan your itinerary of falls to see, other attractions in the area, and places to stop and eat. Inn at Stockbridge loves sharing the Berkshires with our guests!