The best waterfalls near Augusta, Maine are Smalls Falls, Houston Brook Falls, Screw Auger Falls and 7 more, ranked by visitor ratings and distance from the city. The closest is Great Falls, about 26 miles southwest of Augusta.
For more waterfalls around Augusta, browse the nearest towns: Lewiston, Topsham, Buckfield, Madison, Paris, Harpswell Center, Norway, Yarmouth. You can also see every waterfall on the Maine waterfalls page.
How we picked: We looked at the 31 publicly accessible Maine waterfalls within 100 straight-line miles of Augusta that have at least five Google reviews, then ranked them by a weighted rating with a small penalty for distance, so a great waterfall close to town edges out an equally rated one far away.
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1. Smalls Falls
52 miles northwest of Augusta. Our top pick near the city 4.9 out of 5 from 154 reviews.
West Central Franklin, ME 04970
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Smalls Falls is about 52 miles northwest of Augusta, near Phillips. Visitors rate it 4.9 stars across 154 Google reviews, and 88% of them give it five stars. Older records also call it Small's Falls.
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2. Houston Brook Falls
53 miles north of Augusta. Rated 4.8 out of 5 from 80 reviews.
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Houston Brook Falls is about 53 miles north of Augusta, near Kingfield. Visitors rate it 4.8 stars across 80 Google reviews, and 89% of them give it five stars.
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3. Screw Auger Falls
59 miles west of Augusta. Rated 4.8 out of 5 from 106 reviews.
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Screw Auger Falls is about 59 miles west of Augusta, near Bethel. Visitors rate it 4.8 stars across 106 Google reviews, and 87% of them give it five stars. In short: "Small waterfall accessed by multiple trails, popular for swimming, picnics & nature exploration."
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4. Kezar Falls
52 miles west of Augusta. Rated 4.8 out of 5 from 18 reviews.
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Kezar Falls is about 52 miles west of Augusta, near Lovell. Visitors rate it 4.8 stars across 18 Google reviews.
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5. Little Wilson Falls
75 miles north of Augusta. Rated 4.9 out of 5 from 30 reviews.
Northeast Piscataquis, ME 04441
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Little Wilson Falls is about 75 miles north of Augusta, near Greenville. Visitors rate it 4.9 stars across 30 Google reviews, and 87% of them give it five stars.
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6. Great Falls
26 miles southwest of Augusta. Rated 4.5 out of 5 from 12 reviews.
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Great Falls is about 26 miles southwest of Augusta, in Lewiston. Visitors rate it 4.5 stars across 12 Google reviews. The USGS gazetteer describes it as: Located in the Androscoggin River, between the cities of Lewiston and Auburn, just S of Fox Island. (US-T121).
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7. The Cataracts
58 miles northwest of Augusta. Rated 4.8 out of 5 from 20 reviews.
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The Cataracts is about 58 miles northwest of Augusta, near Mexico. Visitors rate it 4.8 stars across 20 Google reviews, and 90% of them give it five stars.
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8. Austin Stream Falls
57 miles north of Augusta. Rated 5.0 out of 5 from 7 reviews.
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Austin Stream Falls is about 57 miles north of Augusta, near Kingfield. Visitors rate it 5.0 stars across 7 Google reviews.
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9. Goose Falls
48 miles east of Augusta. Rated 4.7 out of 5 from 7 reviews.
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Goose Falls is about 48 miles east of Augusta, near Castine. Visitors rate it 4.7 stars across 7 Google reviews.
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10. Poplar Stream Falls
58 miles north of Augusta. Rated 4.8 out of 5 from 6 reviews.
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Poplar Stream Falls is about 58 miles north of Augusta, near Kingfield. Visitors rate it 4.8 stars across 6 Google reviews.
Waterfall Day Trips From Augusta
| Waterfall | Distance | Nearest town | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Falls | 26 mi southwest | Lewiston | 4.5 |
| Goose Falls | 48 mi east | Castine | 4.7 |
| Kezar Falls | 52 mi west | Lovell | 4.8 |
| Smalls Falls | 52 mi northwest | Phillips | 4.9 |
| Houston Brook Falls | 53 mi north | Kingfield | 4.8 |
| Austin Stream Falls | 57 mi north | Kingfield | 5.0 |
| The Cataracts | 58 mi northwest | Mexico | 4.8 |
| Poplar Stream Falls | 58 mi north | Kingfield | 4.8 |
| Screw Auger Falls | 59 mi west | Bethel | 4.8 |
| Little Wilson Falls | 75 mi north | Greenville | 4.9 |
Straight-line distances from downtown Augusta. Driving distances are longer, especially in the mountains.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best waterfall near Augusta?
Smalls Falls tops our 2026 list. It is about 52 miles northwest of Augusta and rated 4.9 stars from 154 Google reviews.
What is the closest waterfall to Augusta?
Of the waterfalls on this list, Great Falls is the closest, about 26 straight-line miles southwest of the city, near Lewiston.
How many waterfalls are near Augusta?
We track 31 publicly accessible, reviewed waterfalls in Maine within 100 miles of Augusta, 2 of this list's picks within 50 miles. See every waterfall in the state on the Maine waterfalls page.
How was this list made?
We looked at the 31 publicly accessible Maine waterfalls within 100 straight-line miles of Augusta that have at least five Google reviews, then ranked them by a weighted rating with a small penalty for distance, so a great waterfall close to town edges out an equally rated one far away.
Which Maine county has the most waterfalls?
Piscataquis County, in the Moosehead Lake and North Woods region, holds 32 of the 119 named waterfalls in our directory, more than any other county in the state.
Summary
Smalls Falls is our top waterfall pick near Augusta, rated 4.9 out of 5 and about 52 miles from the city. Ratings and review counts reflect public data at the time of writing and can change, and trail access and water levels vary through the year, so confirm conditions before you go.
Maine's waterfalls peak with snowmelt, which typically runs from April into late May, earlier along the coast and later in the high country of the western mountains and North Woods. Many logging roads are soft and muddy during this mud season, and some trailheads are not reachable until roads dry out. Late May through June is black fly season in the interior, so bring head nets and repellent. Summer flows drop but remain decent in wet years, and swimming holes like Smalls Falls and Screw Auger Falls are busiest in July and August. Fall color peaks from late September in the north to mid-October in the south, and autumn rains often restore flow. Winter is long and cold, with many falls frozen and many access roads unplowed.
For more Maine waterfalls, see the full Maine waterfalls page, or read 15 Best Waterfalls in Maine, 10 Most Beautiful Waterfalls in Maine and 5 Must-See Waterfalls in Maine.