Waterfalls and Swimming Holes in the Berkshires
If you are planning around the Berkshires and western Massachusetts hill towns, this page keeps the main waterfall classics up front, then adds a couple of river swims that make sense on the same kind of day trip.
Use the map to see how tightly the waterfall stops group together, then open each page for footing, parking, and posted swim rules. For a wider Pioneer Valley mix, see Shelburne Falls & Pioneer Valley. For a single-day Berkshire loop, see 1-day Berkshire waterfall itinerary.
Rank 1: Bash Bish Falls — Great Barrington / Copake Falls area
State's signature twin waterfall on the MA / NY line in Mount Washington. DCR Bash Bish Falls State Park; no swimming, no… (Mount Washington,…
- Walk
- 20 min down, 30 min up
Rank 2: Race Brook Falls — Sheffield
Viewing only, not a swim stop
Multi-tiered Race Brook cascade in Mount Everett Reservation, Sheffield. Route 41 trailhead; ~0.5 mi to lower falls, ~2 mi…
- Can you swim?
- No swimming. View only
- Walk
- 60 min
Rank 3: Wahconah Falls — Dalton
Viewing only, not a swim stop
DCR day-use park in Dalton with a strong single-drop cascade. Short walk from the lot to the overlook and base pool —…
- Can you swim?
- No swimming. View only
- Walk
- 5 min
Rank 4: Glendale Falls — Pittsfield area
Viewing only, not a swim stop
~160-ft multi-tier cascade on Glendale Brook in Middlefield. Trustees reservation, ~7-car lot on Clark Wright Road (Middlefield, Massachusetts).
- Can you swim?
- No swimming. View only
- Walk
- 15 min
Rank 5: Umpachene Falls — New Marlborough
Town-owned falls park in New Marlborough with a river-pool swim above the tiered cascade. Day-use hours; non-resident fee in…
- Can you swim?
- Swimming allowed when posted rules and staffing say it is open
- Walk
- 2 min
Rank 6: Sanderson Brook Falls — Chester
Viewing only, not a swim stop
~80-foot tiered falls in Chester-Blandford State Forest. ~1-mile walk in on the gated Sanderson Brook Road off Route 20.
- Can you swim?
- No swimming. View only
- Walk
- 25 min
Rank 7: Chapel Falls (Chapel Brook Reservation) — Ashfield
Viewing only, not a swim stop
Short Trustees trail in Ashfield to a tiered hemlock-shaded cascade. Half-mile round trip; no swim.
- Can you swim?
- No swimming. View only
- Walk
- 10 min
Rank 8: Tannery Falls — Savoy
Viewing only, not a swim stop
~50-foot ribbon drop on Ross Brook in Savoy Mountain State Forest. Short steep trail from Tannery Road; paired with Parker….
- Can you swim?
- No swimming. View only
- Walk
- 25 min
Rank 9: Stevens Glen — Richmond
Viewing only, not a swim stop
BNRC preserve in Richmond. 1.5-mile trail to a fenced overlook above a Lenox Mountain Brook cascade.
- Can you swim?
- No swimming. View only
- Walk
- 45 min
Rank 10: Campbell Falls — New Marlborough
Viewing only, not a swim stop
50-ft cross-border cascade on the Whiting River in New Marlborough, MA / Norfolk, CT. Short trail to overlook.
- Can you swim?
- No swimming. View only
- Walk
- 30 min round trip
Rank 11: Whirley Baths — Charlemont area
Deerfield River pothole swim off Route 2 in Charlemont. Shallow 'baths' in bedrock and a deeper pool below.
- Can you swim?
- Swimming allowed when posted rules and staffing say it is open
- Walk
- 3 min
Rank 12: Goldmine Brook Potholes — Huntington area
Rock-sculpted potholes on Goldmine Brook in Chester-Blandford State Forest. Not a designated swim; viewing and wading (Chester, Massachusetts).
- Walk
- 5 min