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Waterfalls in Massachusetts

28 waterfalls in Massachusetts with photography planning data — sunrise and sunset azimuths, golden hour by month, Milky Way windows and estimated sky darkness. Berkshire County has the most (12). The darkest skies are at Tannery Falls (Bortle 4).

Top waterfalls

Royalston FallsWaterfall
Royalston FallsWorcester County · 261 m
Pawtucket FallsWaterfall
Pawtucket FallsMiddlesex County · 21 m
Bash Bish FallsWaterfall
Bash Bish FallsBerkshire County · 345 m
Spirit FallsWaterfall
Spirit FallsWorcester County · 238 m
Doane's FallsWaterfall
Doane's FallsFranklin County
Waterfall
Glendale FallsHampshire County · 325 m
Chapel Brook FallsWaterfall
Chapel Brook FallsFranklin County
Waterfall
Bear Rock FallsBerkshire County · 500 m
Waterfall
Campbell FallsBerkshire County · 310 m
Waterfall
The CascadeWorcester County · 215 m
Waterfall
The CascadesFranklin County · 78 m
Waterfall
Chapel FallsFranklin County · 352 m

Waterfalls by county

All waterfalls (28)

NameCountyElevationNearest townSky
Royalston FallsWorcester County261 mRichmond4
Pawtucket FallsLowellMiddlesex County21 mLowell8
Bash Bish FallsBerkshire County345 mSheffield4
Spirit FallsWorcester County238 mRoyalston4
Doane's FallsFranklin County—Royalston5
Glendale FallsHampshire County325 mBecket4
Chapel Brook FallsFranklin County—Ashfield4
Bear Rock FallsBerkshire County500 mSheffield4
Campbell FallsBerkshire County310 mCanaan4
The CascadeWorcester County215 mWorcester7
The CascadesFranklin County78 mTurners Falls5
Chapel FallsFranklin County352 mAshfield4
Danforth FallsMiddlesex County87 mHudson7
Doane FallsWorcester County233 mRoyalston5
Lulu CascadeBerkshire County398 mLanesborough5
Money Brook FallsBerkshire County572 mAdams5
Otis FallsBerkshire County404 mOtis4
Race Brook FallsBerkshire County355 mSheffield4
South Hadley FallsHampden County18 mHolyoke8
Sutton FallsWorcester County162 mSutton6
Tannery FallsBerkshire County420 mAdams4
Turners FallsFranklin County36 mTurners Falls5
Twin CascadeBerkshire County322 mNorth Adams4
Umpachene FallsBerkshire County252 mNew Marlborough4
Wahconah FallsBerkshire County425 mDalton5
Wallamanumps FallsHampden County61 mLudlow7
Wicassic FallsMiddlesex County29 mTyngsboro7
Windsor JambsBerkshire County446 mHinsdale4

Sky = estimated Bortle class (1 darkest – 9 brightest).

Map

How to photograph waterfalls

Waterfalls photograph best in soft, even light: overcast days, deep shade, or the hour after sunrise before direct sun hits the water. Bright sun on white water blows highlights and adds harsh contrast.

  • Use 1/4 to 1 second for a silky look; 1/500 s or faster freezes individual drops.
  • A circular polarizer cuts glare on wet rocks and leaves and deepens greens — rotate it while watching the rocks, not the sky.
  • Spring snowmelt and the days after heavy rain give the strongest flow; late summer flow can drop to a trickle.
  • Look for a foreground: a mossy boulder, a fallen log or the creek's leading lines make a stronger frame than the falls alone.
  • Keep a microfiber cloth handy — spray drifts onto the lens, especially at the plunge pool.

Season: Peak flow is usually in late spring; autumn adds color around the falls, and winter can bring ice formations at colder locations.