We’ve been out touring the waterfalls of Massachusetts and the sublime Chapel Falls, my previous favorite, has just been displaced by Race Brook Falls.
Chapel Falls is easily accessible, literally a few steps off the road, but Race Brook requires about a mile and a half of hiking and then you need scrambling skills to fully access it. Let’s have a look around Massachusetts’ prettiest waterfall.
This is the very first cascade and this shot should give you some sense of the size of the place. Look close – there I am, just to the right of the stream. If you could see a super high resolution version of this you’d detect a great deal of annoyance on my face; my little Olympus 720 SW camera has just clattered fifteen feet down the face of the falls and ended up in a three foot deep pool of icy water right where the water stops going to the right and turns back to the left. I gave it up for lost with the idea I’d come back to search for it in a week when the water levels were lower, but a brave companion plunged in and searched by hand, promptly finding it, much to my amazement. I’ll plug the Olympus SW line right here – I have a two year old all metal 720SW while her camera is a metal and composite 850SW. The newer 850SW has many improved features, in particular an LED lit supermacro mode for close in work outdoors without needing a flash light. Today was the most impressive tumble mine has taken, I’ve not been particularly kind to it, and it just keeps on taking pictures. I’m lusting after an Olympus 1030SW ... but not until some bills get paid.
The second cascade is much more accessible – a little set of ‘stairs’ with a nice pool at the bottom, easily reached from the trail. Easily here means no rock climbing required, but the trail itself is very steep. I wouldn’t approach terrain like this without my Asolo Fugitives.
This waterfall is a huge complex, with five major cascades and almost three hundred feet of drop.. The third cascade would rate ooohhs and aaahhs found on it’s own, but in this collection it’s just another pretty bit of water.
This innocent looking flow is the end of the upper falls ...
And it leads to a marvelous vista looking out over the surrounding forest ...
Leading to the final treat – Lower Race Brook Falls. The above photos were shot on August 2nd literally minutes after thundershowers moved through, while this was the scene ten days prior when the water levels were low. This is the upper half of the lower falls – there is another cascade and set of pools below this ... and we have not one decent photo of that area :-(
Oh, and for the sake of reference this particular one is four miles east southeast of Bash Bish Falls, but you'll cover twelve road miles getting there.