The best historic waterfalls in Massachusetts are Bash Bish Falls, Pawtucket Falls, Wallamanumps Falls and 7 more. Falls with a written record: a USGS naming history, a gazetteer description or older recorded names.
See every waterfall on the Massachusetts waterfalls page or the Massachusetts waterfall map, or browse by town: Sheffield, Lowell, Ludlow, Holyoke, Turners Falls, Royalston.
How we picked: We took the 24 publicly accessible Massachusetts waterfalls that have a written record in the USGS Geographic Names Information System (a naming history, a gazetteer description, or older variant names) and ranked them by how much of that record exists, then by Google review volume.
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1. Bash Bish Falls
Bash Bish Falls near Sheffield takes the top spot, rated 4.6 out of 5 from 551 reviews.
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The USGS gazetteer describes it as: On Bash Bish Brook, 4.7 km (2.9 mi) W of Guilder Pond and 5.6 km (3.5 mi) SW of South Egremont; Town of Mount Washington (US-T121). Name history: By an Act of the Massachusetts Legislature, approved March 28, 1924, the spelling form Bash Bish was adopted in connection with the establishment of Bash Bish Falls State Forest. Older records also call it Bashapish and Bashapish Falls. Visitors rate it 4.6 stars across 551 Google reviews. The nearest town is Sheffield, about 7.1 miles to the east. The nearest other named waterfall is Race Brook Falls, about 4.0 miles to the southeast.
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2. Pawtucket Falls
Pawtucket Falls, near Lowell, is next up, rated 4.8 out of 5 from 17 reviews. Visitors come here for memories.
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The USGS gazetteer describes it as: On the Merrimack River 0.7 mi NW of Lowell C.H.; City of Lowell. The falls have a vertical drop of 32 feet. Name history: "Indian name meaning ""at the falls"". (Douglas-Lithgow 1909)". Older records also call it Pantukkett Great Falls and Pantukket Great Falls. Visitors rate it 4.8 stars across 17 Google reviews. The nearest town is Lowell, about 1.3 miles to the south. The nearest other named waterfall is Wicassic Falls, about 3.2 miles to the west.
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3. Wallamanumps Falls
Wallamanumps Falls, in Ludlow, is next up, rated 4.0 out of 5 from 4 reviews.
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The USGS gazetteer describes it as: On the Chicopee River just S of Ludlow; Towns of Ludlow and Wilbraham. Name history: "The feature was reported and described as ""water here descends 42 ft in a distance of 100 rods"" (Nason 1874). Indian name meaning ""Red standing-rocks"" (Douglas-Lithgow 1909)." Visitors rate it 4.0 stars across 4 Google reviews. It is right in Ludlow. The nearest other named waterfall is South Hadley Falls, about 7.2 miles to the northwest.
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4. South Hadley Falls
Head to South Hadley Falls near Holyoke, rated 5.0 out of 5 from 2 reviews.
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The USGS gazetteer describes it as: On the Connecticut River between South Hadley Falls and Holyoke; Town of South Hadley and City of Holyoke. Name history: The power provided by construction of a dam on this site in 1849 by the Hadley-Falls Company is responsible for the present day location of the City of Holyoke (Nason 1874). Visitors rate it 5.0 stars across 2 Google reviews. The nearest town is Holyoke, about 0.9 miles to the southwest. The nearest other named waterfall is Wallamanumps Falls, about 7.2 miles to the southeast.
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5. Turners Falls
Turners Falls near Turners Falls rounds out this stretch of the list, rated 3.0 out of 5 from 2 reviews.
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The USGS gazetteer describes it as: On the Connecticut River at Turners Falls; Towns of Gill and Montague. Older records also call it Millers Falls and The Falls. Visitors rate it 3.0 stars across 2 Google reviews. The nearest town is Turners Falls, about 0.5 miles to the south. The nearest other named waterfall is The Cascades, about 0.7 miles to the northeast.
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6. Doane Falls
Doane Falls near Royalston is another strong option, rated 4.8 out of 5 from 191 reviews.
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The USGS gazetteer describes it as: In the course of Lawrence Brook 2 mi SSW of Royalston; Town of Royalston. Older records also call it Doanes Falls. Visitors rate it 4.8 stars across 191 Google reviews. The nearest town is Royalston, about 2.1 miles to the north. The nearest other named waterfall is Spirit Falls, about 1.4 miles to the north.
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7. Windsor Jambs
Windsor Jambs near Hinsdale rounds out this stretch of the list, rated 4.4 out of 5 from 8 reviews.
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The USGS gazetteer describes it as: Along course of Windsor Jambs Brook, 3.8 mi WNW of Plainfield; Town of Windsor. Older records also call it Windsor Jams. Visitors rate it 4.4 stars across 8 Google reviews. The nearest town is Hinsdale, about 8.9 miles to the southwest. The nearest other named waterfall is Wahconah Falls, about 6.7 miles to the west.
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8. The Cascades
Head to The Cascades near Turners Falls, rated 2.8 out of 5 from 5 reviews.
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The USGS gazetteer describes it as: On an unnamed tributary of the Fall River 0.6 mi N of Riverside; Town of Gill. Older records also call it The Cascade. Visitors rate it 2.8 stars across 5 Google reviews. The nearest town is Turners Falls, about 1.2 miles to the southwest. The nearest other named waterfall is Turners Falls, about 0.7 miles to the southwest.
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9. Chapel Falls
Chapel Falls near Ashfield rounds out this stretch of the list, rated 4.7 out of 5 from 84 reviews.
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The USGS gazetteer describes it as: On Chapel Brook 2.1 mi SE of South Ashfield; Town of Ashfield. Visitors rate it 4.7 stars across 84 Google reviews. The nearest town is Ashfield, about 3.4 miles to the northwest. The nearest other named waterfall is Windsor Jambs, about 12.2 miles to the west.
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10. Royalston Falls
Head to Royalston Falls near Royalston, rated 4.5 out of 5 from 60 reviews.
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The USGS gazetteer describes it as: Located on Falls Brook, 3.6 mi NW of Royalston. Visitors rate it 4.5 stars across 60 Google reviews. The nearest town is Royalston, about 3.9 miles to the southeast. The nearest other named waterfall is Spirit Falls, about 3.8 miles to the southeast.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best historic waterfall in Massachusetts?
Bash Bish Falls tops our 2026 list. The USGS gazetteer describes it as: On Bash Bish Brook, 4.7 km (2.9 mi) W of Guilder Pond and 5.6 km (3.5 mi) SW of South Egremont; Town of Mount Washington (US-T121). It is near Sheffield in Berkshire County.
How many historic waterfalls are in Massachusetts?
24 of the 27 waterfalls we track in Massachusetts qualify. This page ranks the top 10; every waterfall in the state is on the Massachusetts waterfalls page.
How was this list made?
We took the 24 publicly accessible Massachusetts waterfalls that have a written record in the USGS Geographic Names Information System (a naming history, a gazetteer description, or older variant names) and ranked them by how much of that record exists, then by Google review volume.
Which counties are they in?
The 10 on this list are in Berkshire County, Middlesex County, Hampden County, Franklin County, and Worcester County.
More Massachusetts Waterfalls by Type
- 9 Best Hidden Gem Waterfalls in Massachusetts 2026
- 5 Best Waterfall Hiking Locations in Massachusetts
- 10 Most Beautiful Waterfalls in Massachusetts
- 5 Most Visited Waterfalls in Massachusetts
- 5 Must-See Waterfalls in Massachusetts
Or browse every type on the historic waterfalls by state page and the waterfall types hub.