Hamilton Falls

The falls can be accessed by hiking upstream from Jamaica State Park.Not only is Hamilton Falls one of Vermont’s most significant waterfalls, it also features some of the most unique and interesting geology to be found at any waterfall throughout all of New England. Cobb Brook is responsible for carving a series of large potholes in various steps along a large exposure of bedrock which was uplifted at about a 50 degree angle. The stream naturally flows in a perpendicular direction to the plane of uplift, and when it reaches a lip in one of the layers of the rock, it ends up effectively sliding sideways down the ramp formed by the rock, usually resulting in a plunge into a pothole which has been scoured into the formation. The falls drop a total of 104 feet in four distinct tiers. The upper two falls both plunge into small potholes at the top of the formation in back-to-back form, dropping 6 and 8 feet respectively. The pool below the second drop has been utilized as a popular swimming hole enough in the past that a metal ladder has been bolted to the side of the cliff to provide a method of egress for those who foolishly jump in from above. Swimming in this pool is exceptionally dangerous because the third drop of the falls follows immediately; a 62 foot fall which begins first as a sliding horsetail, which then chutes out over an undercut ledge and impacts on a sharp rock jutting up from below. The final drop is a sliding cascade type fall where the creek splits into two channels and streams another 28 feet into a final pothole pool at the bottom of the cliff. Cobb Brook drains an area of approximately 5.2 square miles upstream from Hamilton Falls. No lakes or standing water features contribute to the flow of the creek, which results in the volume of water present fluctuating considerably as the seasons progress. During the spring freshet the falls can swell to impressive size, but by mid-summer expect the stream flow to have been reduced to such that only a narrow rivulet of water will be seen streaming down the rocks, and when viewing the falls from the base, such a low streamflow greatly impacts its visual appeal.