Waterfalls and Swimming Holes Near Rangeley, Maine
Rangeley works best when you mix short waterfall walks with a lake swim day. Cold water is normal even in summer, and parking fills fast on the best weekends.
This is the right regional page when you want western Maine scenery without committing to one single corridor: waterfall classics, roadside pull-offs, and lake beaches all from a Rangeley base. Compare pins on the map, then open each page for approach time and swim rules. For a Grafton Notch–Bethel stack instead, see Bethel & Grafton Notch. For a statewide roadside set, see Best roadside waterfalls in Maine.
Rank 1: 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 2: 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 3: Coos Canyon — Mexico (swim)
A short gorge on the Swift River in Byron, Maine, on Route 17. Pools, low jumps, and a classic rest-area swim and…
- Can you swim?
- Swimming allowed when posted rules and staffing say it is open
- Walk
- 0-5 min
Rank 4: 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 5: Poplar Stream Falls — Carrabassett Valley
Viewing only, not a swim stop
Twin Carrabassett Valley waterfalls on the Maine Huts & Trails system, Franklin County, Maine.
- Can you swim?
- No swimming. View only
- Walk
- 0-5 min
Rank 6: 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 7: Phillips Falls — Phillips
Viewing only, not a swim stop
A Sandy River cascade near Phillips village in Franklin County, Maine. Short roadside scenic stop.
- Can you swim?
- No swimming. View only
- Walk
- 0-5 min
Rank 8: The Cataracts — Andover West Surplus
Cascades, flumes, and pools on Frye Brook in Andover West Surplus, along the Appalachian Trail corridor in the Mahoosucs.
- Walk
- 15-25 min one way
Rank 9: Snow Falls — West Paris
A short Little Androscoggin River gorge on Route 26 at West Paris, Oxford County, Maine.
- Walk
- 0-5 min
Rank 10: Mooselookmeguntic Lake (public access) — Rangeley Lakes
A large lake in the Rangeley chain with limited public access via Haines Landing in Oquossoc, Franklin County, Maine.
- Can you swim?
- Swimming allowed when posted rules and staffing say it is open
- Walk
- 0-5 min
Rank 11: Rangeley Lake State Park — Rangeley
BPL day-use beach and campground on the south shore of Rangeley Lake in Franklin County, Maine.
- Can you swim?
- Swimming allowed when posted rules and staffing say it is open
- Walk
- 5-10 min one way
Rank 12: 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