Top 10 Waterfalls in Maine
Maine has hundreds of waterfalls, but a small set comes up again and again in search and real trip planning. This page is that short list: strong scenery, clear access notes, and a mix of roadside and hike-in scenic finishes.
Use the map and list to compare stops, then open each guide for parking, approach length, seasonal flow, and swim context where it applies. For swim-first stops, browse Maine swimming holes.
Rank 1: Moxie Falls — Moxie Gore
Viewing only, not a swim stop
A roughly 90-foot single-drop waterfall on Moxie Stream in Moxie Gore near The Forks, Somerset County, Maine.
- Can you swim?
- No swimming. View only
- Walk
- 5-10 min one way
Rank 2: Smalls Falls — Township E
Tiered Sandy River roadside waterfall south of Rangeley on Route 4, Township E, western Maine.
- Can you swim?
- Swimming allowed when posted rules and staffing say it is open
- Walk
- 0-5 min
Rank 3: Angel Falls — Township D
A tall narrow drop on Mountain Brook in Township D, reached by an unpaved approach west of Houghton / Rangeley.
- Walk
- 15-25 min one way
Rank 4: Screw Auger Falls — Newry
Grafton Notch State Park's polished slot-rock waterfall on the Bear River in Newry, Maine.
- Can you swim?
- Swimming allowed when posted rules and staffing say it is open
- Walk
- 0-5 min
Rank 5: Step Falls — Newry
Multi-tiered cascade and ledge pools on Wight Brook in Newry, Maine. Short walk from a preserve lot off Route 26.
- Can you swim?
- Swimming allowed when posted rules and staffing say it is open
- Walk
- 0-5 min
Rank 6: Dunn Falls — Andover
A tall multi-tier waterfall on the West Branch of the Ellis River in Andover, Maine. AT access from East B Hill Road.
- Walk
- 0-5 min
Rank 7: Grand Falls — Township 3
Viewing only, not a swim stop
Lesser-known Maine Highlands cascade in the Wellington / Kingsbury area of Piscataquis County, Maine.
- Can you swim?
- No swimming. View only
- Walk
- 0-5 min
Rank 8: Houston Brook Falls — Pleasant Ridge
A short-trail horsetail waterfall off Route 201 near Bingham, in Pleasant Ridge Plantation.
- Can you swim?
- Swimming allowed when posted rules and staffing say it is open
- Walk
- 0-5 min
Rank 9: Rumford Falls — Rumford
Viewing only, not a swim stop
A major Androscoggin River waterfall through downtown Rumford, Oxford County, Maine.
- Can you swim?
- No swimming. View only
- Walk
- 0-5 min
Rank 10: Gulf Hagas — Bowdoin College Grant East
Viewing only, not a swim stop
Maine's classic slate gorge on the West Branch Pleasant River in the KI Jo-Mary country. 8-mile AT-linked loop.
- Can you swim?
- No swimming. View only
- Walk
- 0-5 min