Bolton Potholes, The

Take Route 2 into Bolton, Vermont and turn onto the Bolton Valley Access Road. There is a small parking area at the base of the road. Please park here and walk up the side of the road until you reach the falls. The falls are audible and less than 200' away through the woods. The town of Bolton has taken steps to ensure safety and minimize human impact at the Potholes. There is a small new parking area at the base of the road and as a result, parking is no longer allowed on the side of the road adjacent to the falls. The parking restrictions might seem a bit harsh as the falls receive many visitors, but this will cut down on the number of visitors and hopefully those few who CAN visit the falls will be more respectfulJoiner Brook drains a broad valley on the south side of Bolton Mountain. The terrain is steep, it drains quickly, and from time to time, sees considerable water flow. The brook encounters a band of Underhill schist, a relatively soft bedrock formation that is highly susceptible to water sculpture. At this point, Joiner Brook drops over a very small waterfall into a long and shallow trough pool, before making a steep drop of about 20 feet into a deep pothole. The waters exit the first pothole and make a leap of about 14 feet into a large round pothole about 50 feet in diameter. The waters slowly circle in this broad pool to pour out and drop another 18 feet or so in a steep cascade into a third pool before flowing merrily away towards the confluence with the Winooski River about a third of a mile downstream.