Bash Bish Falls

Bash Bish Falls is located in Mount Washington, Massachusetts but the most direct access is from Copake, New York. From the junction of Routes 23 and 22 in Hillsdale, New York, follow Route 22 south for four miles and turn left onto Route 344. After one-third of a mile, make a hard left following Route 344 east then stay left at the next fork, following signs pointing to Bash Bish Falls. There are two parking areas, the first in Taconic State Park about one half of a mile before crossing into Massachusetts, and the other about a mile further up the road near the top of the falls on the Mass side of the border. Both are connected to the same trail system. From the lower parking area, the hike to the falls is an easy three-quarters of a mile stroll along an old road bed. From the upper parking area, the hike is about half the distance, but is also much steeper as it loses over 300 feet in elevation descending to the base of the falls.Bash Bish Falls is a chain of falls and cascades found in a deep gorge along Bash Bish Brook in Mount Washington, about a quarter mile from the New York border. The falls consist of a series of flumes, cascades, and punchbowls in a deep, constricted, and highly inaccessible gorge which has claimed the lives of many who have attempted to find a view into the defile. Because of this inaccessibility, it's essentially impossible to accurately survey the falls on the ground. Using one-meter resolution lidar data however we can establish relatively accurately that the total drop of the falls is about 210 feet over a linear run of about 850 feet, in perhaps eight distinct steps. Only the final tier of the falls, which splits around a huge boulder lodged in the canyon and falls 49 feet in parallel streams to a large pool below is clearly visible from the trail system in the area. A second fall of about 45-50 feet occurs near the top of the formation, but no other individual fall appears to be more than perhaps 15 feet tall. Bash Bish Brook is a moderately large stream, draining a basin covering approximately 13 square miles. A handful of small ponds feed into the drainage, but the vast majority of the volume of the stream comes from ephemeral runoff and ground seep throughout the basin. Though the falls are occasionally known to be reduced to very low flow during periods of drought in the summer months, because New England commonly sees heavy precipitation through the summer and fall months, the falls are often flowing well, if not quite powerfully, and should be considered worthy of visitation during just about any time of year.Bash Bish (not Bish Bash, as is commonly mistaken) is said to be the name of an Indian maiden who was tied to a canoe and sent over the top of the falls as punishment for being unfaithful to her betrothed. In a twist of irony (or perhaps destiny), White Swan, the daughter of Bash Bish, is said to have suffered the same fate at the same waterfall. Given the geology of the gorge at the top of the falls, it seems unlikely that a canoe would be able to float downstream over the falls (lots of boulders getting in the way), so this tale is likely more legend than anything else.