Maine Waterfall Road Trip Adventure: 2-Days, 17 Waterfalls!

Visit one or take on the challenge!

The Maine Waterfall Road Trip takes place mostly in Western Maine- a great place for waterfall seekers. There are a few waterfalls on this trip that are located in the Kennebec Valley and South & Casco Bay regions, although a majority of them are found in the Western Lakes & Mountains region.  This road trip outlines the 17 waterfalls I visited in two days.  Although it was a lot of driving, it was well worth the trip!  If you love the scenic beauty of waterfalls, you’ll love this adventure too!

Snow Falls.
Snow Falls.

Maine Waterfall Road Trip: Day One

Snow Falls in West Paris is a nice little roadside stop that anyone will enjoy. The falls drop 25 feet and a bridge takes you to the other side of the river.

Kezar Falls in Lovell is off-the-beaten-path and is a bit more challenging to reach. There is some dirt-road driving to get to the falls but it’s worth it to see the 30-foot falls cascading into the gorge.

Frenchmen’s Hole in Riley Township is fun to drive to. It isn’t far from Sunday River and the road in offers incredible views of the mountain. While this waterfall only drops 10 feet, there is a great spot to go swimming just below the falls.

Smalls Falls in Maine.
Smalls Falls.

Step Falls in Newry has always been one of my favorite waterfalls to visit in Maine. There is a short hike that becomes steep at the top to reach the falls and it is certainly worth it to view the falls which drop a combined total of 250 feet.

Screw Auger Falls in Grafton Notch State Park is another fantastic roadside waterfall stop. There are two different waterfalls, with the biggest being 30 feet as they plunge into the gorge below.

Kezar Falls.
Kezar Falls.

Mother Walker Falls also in Grafton Notch State Park aren’t as amazing as other waterfalls but are still worth the stop. The hiking trail is short and winds through a beautiful section of woods to the edges of the gorge where you can see the river and section of the falls below which drop a total of 98 feet.

Moose Cave also in Grafton Notch State Park is another favorite, although it isn’t the waterfall that is the most incredible part of this adventure. This is another beautiful hike, and when you reach Moose Cave you’ll see the small waterfall that runs through the cave as well as be standing at the end of a deep, narrow, and beautiful moss covered gorge.

The Cataracts Waterfall in Maine.
The Cataracts.

The Cataracts in Andover West Surplus are three separate waterfalls visible from a short 20-minute hike. The first falls are 12 feet, the middle (and most amazing) drop 70 feet, and the upper falls drop 20 feet. There is a nice spot at the top of the falls for a picnic, too.

Dunn Falls in Andover is another quick roadside stop as you’re passing through. They aren’t located in a park which means you just pull over on the side of the road, hop out and walk down the embankment to get a great view of the 22-foot falls.

Step Falls in Maine.
Step Falls.

Coos Canyon in Byron is another one of my favorite waterfalls. The 15-foot falls are another great roadside stop with a small park with picnic tables. After lunch, you can go across the street and rent equipment to pan for gold in the river near the falls!

Maine Waterfall Road Trip: Day Two

Angel Falls in Township D is one of the tallest waterfalls in the state, dropping 90 feet. It is a bit more challenging to reach these falls since you have to cross a river which can be deep if the water level is high. Keep in mind the logging road to reach the falls can be closed when the ground is really wet.

Step Falls in Maine.
Step Falls (upper falls).

Smalls Falls in Township E is another one of my favorite falls. They are located in a rest area that includes lots of picnic tables and facilities. The walk to the falls is about 2 minutes and really easy to get to the beautiful falls that drop a total of 54 feet.

Phillips Falls in Phillips is another roadside picnic stop. The falls are located right in town. They have a total drop of just 10 feet but are worth the time since you have a great view of them from the bridge. The river and falls run through some very interesting bedrock.

Screw Auger Falls in Maine.
Screw Auger Falls.

Mosher Hill Falls in Farmington is another one of my favorite waterfall stops. The falls are located down a dirt road and are fairly remote but are worth the short hike in. They are located in a canyon which is where you get your best view of the 45-foot waterfall.

Poplar Stream Falls in Carrabassett Valley is actually two separate waterfalls located really close to one another. The first waterfall is 24 feet high and the second is 51 feet high and absolutely gorgeous. If the dirt road is open the hike to the falls is short, if not, you’ll have to hike a bit further for very rewarding views.

Mosher Hill Falls in Maine.
Mosher Hill Falls.

North Anson Gorge is located right in town and are easily viewed from the bridge. The bedrock surrounding the falls is also very unique and makes for incredible photos.

Last stop- Houston Brook Falls in Pleasant Ridge is another all-time favorite. The falls are great to visit at low water or high water. The 32-foot falls cascade over large boulders that you can climb up at lower water levels, and at higher water levels you can stand on the shore and watch the raging falls plummet into the stream below.

Get the Insider’s Guide to this Maine Waterfall Road Trip Adventure now!

You can get all of the information you need before the trip in my recently published book Maine Waterfall Roadtrip Adventure: 2 Days – 17 Waterfalls.  This interactive book can be downloaded to any device and includes a map of the route and linked Google Maps driving directions from one waterfall to the next for the entire trip!

The Maine Waterfall Road Trip guide gives you insider information about 17 of Western Maine’s most breathtaking waterfalls! Untamed Mainer headed out for an exciting two-day adventure exploring 17 different waterfalls and shares the most accurate and up-to-date information with you. Over 180 full-color pages showing hard to find parking locations, trail terrain, and of course, the waterfalls!

This interactive book comes packed with extra features. View it on your smartphone, tablet or computer and watch exclusive videos not available to the public, and precise GPS coordinates that you can tap on to get instant Google Maps driving directions from your location to every waterfall!

Insider’s Guide Features:

*Precise GPS coordinates linked to Google Maps for instant driving directions from your location to waterfall parking areas (manually entering in the locations on Google Maps brought up incorrect locations for MANY of these waterfalls)
*Exclusive videos of every waterfall only accessible by people who buy this book, all free of those annoying YouTube ads!
*Detailed full-color photos showing what parking areas look like, picnic areas, facilities, trail conditions, incredible views, and various angles of the waterfalls, all with descriptions
*Future updates– buy the book once and receive notifications when updated editions are published and download them for FREE!

Information About Each Waterfall Includes:

  • Location
  • GPS Coordinates
  • Awesomeness Level (wow factor)
  • When to Visit
  • Challenge (how hard it is to reach)
  • Trail Length
  • Hiking Time
  • Waterfall Height
  • Type
  • Altitude Gain/Loss
  • Powered By (water source)
  • Ownership (public or private land)
  • Wheelchair Access (can you see the falls from a wheelchair)
  • Picnic Tables
  • Grills
  • Swimming
  • Dogs
  • Fees
  • Can You Get There With a Car
  • Dirt Roads (how many miles)
  • Parking (ample or limited)
  • Outhouses
  • DeLorme Map Number
  • Overview
  • Driving Directions
  • Trail Description
  • Nearby Adventures

Tap the image below to download the Maine Waterfall Road Trip Adventure book instantly after purchase!

This article was featured in the Summer 2018 issue of UNTAMED Maine Magazine! 

Tap here to download the current issue of the magazine for free!

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