Texas Falls

Texas Falls Recreation Area sits on Texas Brook off VT 125 between Rochester and Hancock, in the Green Mountain National Forest. The falls drop through a short, fenced flume of exposed metamorphic rock, with overlooks at two levels tied together by a footbridge and a short paved path. An interpretive nature trail runs about 1.2 miles round-trip along the brook past a picnic area and pavilion upstream. Swimming is prohibited at the falls and the flume -- the Forest Service posts the no-swim rule after historic fatalities in the chutes, and fencing runs along the overlooks to keep visitors off the smooth, slick rock around the drop. Some visitors wade in the quieter pools upstream near the picnic area, but the designated swim is not at the falls. Access is free; the recreation area is typically open Memorial Day weekend through late October. From VT 100 south of Hancock village, turn west onto VT 125 and follow it about three miles to the Texas Falls Road entrance on the right.