Pikes Falls (Natural Area)

Pikes Falls is a small cascade with a deep swim pool on the North Branch of Ball Mountain Brook, inside the Pikes Falls Natural Area in Jamaica, Windham County. From the junction of VT 100 and VT 30 in Jamaica, turn west onto Pikes Falls Road and follow it about 4.7 miles; the pull-off is unmarked, on the shoulder, and easy to miss. A short worn path drops about three hundred feet to the falls. Upper and lower drops stack together, and the pool below the lower drop is what people swim. The site sits inside a conservation parcel surrounded by private land, so stay on the path and do not cross fences. There are no lifeguards, no bathrooms, and no signs. The water runs cold most of the summer, and the rocks around the drops stay slick even when dry; water shoes help, and the brook reacts fast to upstream storms.