WaterfallNear Me

Smalls falls

Franklin County, Maine

Your visit at a glance

Waterfall height
Not recorded
Location
Franklin County, Maine
Access status
State rest area with a short gorge trail
The walk
About 0.3 mile to the upper end of the falls
Ground & access
Moderate. Stairs, rock ledges along the gorge edge, slippery and steep in places.
Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust: Smalls Falls Rest Area
Smalls falls, ME
Smalls falls, ME
Photo creditPhoto: Tim Pierce, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Smalls Falls is a series of waterfalls, chutes and pools on the Sandy River in a colorful gorge, with a 54-foot total drop. From the Maine DOT rest area on Route 4, walk down stairs and cross a small bridge over the Sandy River. Turn right and follow the river upstream past several viewpoints, using either the rocks near the fence or the interior trails, until you reach a dirt road in about 0.3 mile. Going straight about 50 feet after the bridge instead leads to the Chandler Mill Stream falls.

Plan your visit

Smalls Falls Rest Area on Route 4, Township E, down the stairs and across the footbridge, then upstream along the Sandy River gorge

Maine by Foot gives trail mileage of about 0.3 miles, following the river from the bridge until a dirt road. Return the same way.

Moderate. Stairs, rock ledges along the gorge edge, slippery and steep in places.

Where to start

Smalls Falls Rest Area on Route 4, owned by Maine DOT, signed as a rest stop.

Timing & water

The guidebook suggests May to October. Popular for swimming in summer.

Before you go

No fee was mentioned.

Visitor information
Visit sources

More waterfalls nearby

Within 40 straight-line miles. Road and trail distances will differ.

Explore Maine

Waterfall location

Franklin County, Maine.

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