Bash Bish Falls

Top choice


In the very southwest corner of the state, near the New York state line, is Bash Bish Falls, the largest waterfall in Massachusetts. The water feeding the falls runs down a series of gorges before the torrent is sliced in two by a massive boulder perched directly above a pool. There it drops as a picture-perfect double waterfall. These 60ft-high falls are a popular spot for landscape painters to set up their easels.

A short, steep trail leads directly to the falls from the Massachusetts parking lot. For a gentler walk, continue driving 1 mile west across the state border to the New York parking lot, from where a more level path takes you to the water's edge. Hikes from both starting points take about 20 minutes each way.

To get there from Great Barrington, take MA 23 west to South Egremont. Turn onto MA 41 south and then take the immediate right onto Mt Washington Rd (which becomes East St) and continue for 7.5 miles. Turn right onto Cross Rd, then right onto West St and continue 1 mile. Turn left onto Falls Rd and follow that for 1.5 miles. The parking lot and trailhead will be on your left.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Beartown State Forest

12.04 MILES

This lovely state park is centered on Benedict Pond, a perfect spot for swimming, fishing, canoeing and kayaking. There are miles of hiking trails,…

2. Windy Hill Farm

12.82 MILES

If you hop in the car and drive, you're bound to find several farms where you can pick seasonal produce at harvest times. The setting can be…

3. Chesterwood

13.73 MILES

This pastoral 122-acre plot was 'heaven' to its owner Daniel Chester French (1850–1931), the sculptor best known for his great seated statue of Abraham…

4. Norman Rockwell Museum

14.36 MILES

Born in New York City, Norman Rockwell (1894–1978) sold his first magazine cover illustration to the Saturday Evening Post in 1916. In the following half…

5. Mission House

14.71 MILES

Swing by this classic 1739 Colonial home, a National Historic Landmark, if just to view it from the outside. It was home to John Sergeant, the first…

6. Naumkeag

15.05 MILES

Designed by the renowned architect Stanford White in 1885, this 44-room Gilded Age 'cottage' was the summer retreat of Joseph Hodges Choate, a former US…

7. Tyringham Gingerbread House

17.2 MILES

This architectural fantasy was designed at the beginning of the 20th century by sculptor Henry Hudson Kitson, whose best-known work – a statue of Captain…

8. Mount

18.38 MILES

Almost 50 years after Nathaniel Hawthorne left his home in Lenox, another writer found inspiration in the Berkshires. Edith Wharton (1862–1937) came to…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "usa/massachusetts/the-berkshires/attractions/bash-bish-falls/a/poi-sig/1371594/1315434",
      "position": "superzone"
    }