Texas Falls

From Hancock village, take Route 125 west for 3 miles and then turn north onto Texas Falls Road (which some maps label as NFR #39) where signs point to Texas Falls Recreation Area. The falls are found less than a half-mile up Road 39, with a large parking area about 200 feet beyond the short trail which leads down to the falls.Texas Falls is a small but scenic series of pothole plunge style waterfalls along the Hancock Branch where the brook rumbles through a very narrow gorge. The falls are made up of three distinct tiers of 12, 9 and 10 feet respectively, below each of which are found deep, glimmering pools of emerald water that are especially vibrant when stricken with sunlight. Unfortunately the Forest Service does not allow swimming in these pools due to injuries and fatalities which have occurred here in the past. In 2008 a huge flood along the Hancock Branch wiped out the footbridge which was used to access viewpoints of the falls along the east rim of the gorge, as well as providing the primary vista of the falls. The volume of water required to destroy this bridge - which formerly sat perched at least 30 feet above the stream - had to be absolutely staggering. A replacement bridge was completed in 2010 but unfortunately because of the necessity to plan for future such floods, the bridge was built considerably higher above the water and now the view of the falls from the bridge is not nearly as nice.