Burnhams Falls

From Bristol, go about 4 miles north on Route 116. Turn right on Route 17. The parking area for the falls is on the right in roughly 1.6 miles. It is well marked and obvious as you approach, with a sign reading "Bristol Memorial Park." The path leads towards the falls from the uphill end of the parking area, descending a short trail and a steep staircase to the footbridge over the gorge. Continuing across the footbridge, you'll find a somewhat uninspiring loop trail that followed a muddy logging road back to Route 17 above the parking area.Baldwin Brook has scoured a deep gorge in a fissure in the schist bedrock of the area. The stream above the falls has scooped out a short series of shallow pools that lead into the smaller drops above the main falls. Baldwin Brook drops about 12 feet over a jagged ledge of schist, then makes a 90 degree turn towards a deep tight gorge of perhaps 10 feet in width and 40 feet in depth. The stream has carved out a small notch that funnels the water in such a way as to collide with the opposite wall of the gorge, creating a shallow scooped alcove in the bedrock. Below this, the waters collect in a deep slot pool which grows shallower and makes a second right angle turn to continue on its way.We've found information suggesting the falls were named after a mill owner who harnessed the waterpower at the site, but the information was rather vague.