My thanks to the owner of the local Subway shop for recommending it. I have a 3 year old and he often walks the shorter hikes or does a combo of walking and on my back. Please leave a comment! Google it. also, do you have to go down or up the stairs that I see in the pic to actually see the falls? FIND YOUR WAY OUTSIDE is a trademark of AllTrails, LLC. An incredible reward after the somewhat tough little hike (at least for a 60 year OLD man). [4] Additionally, from the Massachusetts parking lot, a short trail leads up to a viewpoint from which one can se all the way across the Hudson Valley to the Catskill Mountains. The message Mr. Rickard wants visitors to get is: stay on the trails, dont go in the stream, dont bring chairs or coolers. Moderate ability, about 1.5 miles round-trip. Mr. Rickard said a permanent fence blocking off the falls will be constructed by Massachusetts officials in July. The snow on the trail was mostly packed down from hikers and footing was good. We parked on the New York parking lot and used that trail to get to the falls. A lock icon ( Lower Bash Bish is closed, but for the short hike down it was worth it. Sorry for not getting back to you sooner on this one Im afraid I dont have any recommendations. We came from NY and it was a short easy hike via Taconic State Park that has nice facilities compared to MA. We will stick with the lower trail. Entering the water is prohibited. Pets are to be supervised at all times and either be crated or on a leash not more than 6-feet in length. Refer toAll Activities - Hikingbelow to park at the appropriate location for your hike. The waterfall was stunning, with all of the snow and ice. Patrick Miller September 26, 2022 Hiking Beautiful. and which is the best side to go in for the easiest hike? One story includes a 15-year-old who, several decades ago, almost fell off the Falls, but was caught by the wrists and pulled to safety. According to Daves comment below, the barricades may be removed after Columbus Day. Restrictions at Bash Bish Falls State Park posted on the www.mass.gov/locations/bash-bish-falls-state-park website include: Pets on leash always. Please remove any contact information or personal data from your feedback. NY side is longer but relatively flat. Restrooms. Copake Falls offers swimming opportunities at a designated swimming area with a dock in Ore Pit Pond and at the adjacent kiddie pool. Pets are not permitted in playgrounds, buildings, golf courses, boardwalks, pools and spray-grounds or guarded beaches (this does not apply to service animals). The falls themselves are in the town of Mount Washington but much of the surrounding area is in New York. Perfect conditionsa few inches of snow cover, no other hikers, lots of critter footprints. Recommended. Very easy to find your way! Out is up hill and back down hill. One video, sent anonymously to The Edge, clearly shows a fire in a pit on July 14: Dorrance also advised parkgoers to consider leaving if the location is crowded, and either visiting a different location or returning at a later date or time. Read our Terms of Use. There were reports of injuries, with one person taken to Fairview Hospital. Great directions! The closure is part of an effort to manage park capacity but the park itself remains open to visitors. We will return in late spring and repeat our walk to enjoy the flora. If you find this free trail guide useful, please provide payment by picking up at least one piece of litter on your hike. From Bach Brandenburg to Appalachian Spring with Manhattan Chamber Players, Crescendo presents In Search of the Bridges, Website by Web Publisher PRO 2022 The Berkshire Edge, LLC. The public can look at the Falls from the outlook point but is not able to go down the stairs to the base of the Falls. View From the summit atop Bash Bish Falls on the Mount Washington side. The state Department of Conservation and Recreation has implemented a parking area closure until further notice at Bash Bish Falls State Park on Falls Road, said DCR spokesperson Olivia K. Dorrance. Beautiful short hike, the falls were beautiful. Super easy one path straight to the waterfall. Thanks for sharing!! took maybe 20 mins and it was fairly easy. of Environmental Conservation including forests, beaches, trails and more. The falls are beautiful, well worth this short little walk in to see them. I imagine this is because people were breaking the the rules that this became a safety issue. The trail was covered in ice with a layer of snow on top of it which made it a bit more difficult but it was still manageable and the falls at the end was the perfect payoff. Nearby? We overheard the rangers saying that Bash Bish will be barricaded until they can fix it up so that it wont be trashed like last year by people. Excellent Trail thoroughly marked! Longer and gradual, but rocky and uneven. No amphibians. Jean Gazis / Flickr Turkey, archery and shotgun: Fall season: 10/17 to 11/1 Spring season: 5/1 to 5/31. Waterfall was beautiful! The stream is on your right all along the trail up to the falls. Beautiful fall day. There are 45 tent sites, 25 tent platforms,36 trailer sites and three cabin areas for a total of 106 campsites and 18 cabins. Fairfield Inn & Suites Great Barrington Lenox/Berkshires, View all hotels near Bash Bish Falls on Tripadvisor, View all restaurants near Bash Bish Falls on Tripadvisor, View all attractions near Bash Bish Falls on Tripadvisor, Hotels near Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), Motels near Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), Boston Seafood Lovers Food & History Walking Tour, Cotswolds Villages and Oxford Full Day Tour from London, Franciacorta Outlet Village Shopping Day Trip from Bergamo, Skip the Line: Springs Preserve in Las Vegas Admission Ticket, Pompeii, Herculaneum And Vesuvius - Group Tour, Tiki Boat - St. Pete Pier - The Only Authentic Floating Tiki Bar, El Yunque Rainforest Guided Hiking with Waterfall Tour, Downtown Los Angeles Architecture Walking Tour. 4. The visitors were not only parking on private property, but unloading their grills and lawn chairs, having picnics and settling increating quality of life issues for residents, he said. Where is the handicap entrance to the falls and is there a bathroom next to the falls? Please carry-in, carry-out all trash and personal items. However, times have changed and now the stairs to the base of the falls are permanently closed, and there is a police officer stationed at the viewing area to deter anyone from venturing down. A list of entry fees and other park use fees is available below. Very much appreciated! Accessible portable toilets available at Massachusetts parking lot and at falls viewing deck. The trail is 3/4 mile to the waterfall. Please limit your input to 500 characters. It also involves clambering over some rocky places. Others walk a short ways down the brook and swim in the pools below. No youth hunts. Horrendous! This was a nice way to get some exercise and enjoy nature. Overall a nice walking trail. Very crowded trail unfortunately but gorgeous none the less. [3], Although Bash Bish Falls are located in Mt. Two developed areas, Copake Falls and Rudd Pond, offer an extensive trail system with terrain that varies from easy to challenging, offering spectacular views. Came here over the weekend 6/26/21 and yes the falls are barricaded with rangers so no one is allowed anywhere close to the falls. The falls are located in Southwestern Massachusetts in the Taconic Mountains of Berkshire County, which neighbors Mount Washington State Forest in Massachusetts and Taconic State Park in New York. According to an interpretive sign, "adventurous" tourists began coming to the falls in the late 18th century. more. Useful 2. They bring food and leave all their trash behind. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, Cambridge Valley Balloon Festival changes Sat. Id have to disagree. A New York State hunting license is required. Enjoy a hike to experience the wonder and beauty of this deep, verdant gorge. We like to consider this waterfall a NY beauty all the same. The group would be six adults and six children. No access to the upper gorge from the Massachusetts parking lot it is dangerous. Its a great looking waterfall. The current message on the phone for the Mount Washington State Forest, of which Bash Bish Falls State Park is a part, says, Bash Bish Falls has a new policy this year where no one is allowed down on the stairs [to the falls] or on the waters edge.. Closed. I just put an update into Step 5 above, linking down to your comment (also put a small update into Step 9). To contact Diane Valden email document.getElementById("wpmt-671600-62565").innerHTML = eval(decodeURIComponent("%27%64%76%61%6c%64%65%6e%40%63%6f%6c%75%6d%62%69%61%70%61%70%65%72%2e%63%6f%6d%27"))*protected email*, Rasmussen returns to New Lebanon Town Board, Hearing helps pick what rises when Bliss falls, www.mass.gov/locations/bash-bish-falls-state-park. No need to talk about the beauty of the falls, its just gorgeous. Want to report conditions for this trail? If youd prefer to do a flatter, slightly longer stroll (1.5 miles instead of 1.0, roundtrip), all you really need is the trailhead for the New York lot (which you can find using the Bash Bish Falls (NY trailhead) entry on the HiketheHudsonValley.com Google map), and its a piece of cake from there. Rules exist for a reason. Nice, mostly flat trail, icy in a few spots. Turn right onto NY 344 (one of several roads also marked as Old Rt. Please be aware that Taconic State Park property encompasses land in both Columbia and Dutchess Counties. The visitors above were at the falls last Saturday, August 22, when the new parking and visitor limits were in place. I hadnt heard that info about Columbus Day thank you for sharing. The falls are right on the MA and NY border. Learn more about our Admission Programs including the Empire Pass. Nice trail. I have my 80yr old parents with me.. they are in great shape, I just can't have them walking on rock scrambles or anything like that. Easy enough for my 2.5 year old to walk the full trail himself! I headed back to Great Barrington and checked into a hotel for the night. Do not swim, do not climb into areas closed to the public. Perfect combo for the falls to myself :) Contact information here: http://nysparks.com/parks/83/details.aspx. The use of handguns are not permitted in any state parks. Hordes of people breaking every single rule. The twin falls cascade into a serene pool. Office hours vary - call ahead. Access is open all the way down to the falls. I wonder if it would be as beautiful as it is in the winter. Pretty amazing to see a mostly completely frozen over waterfall. I would not have noticed the overlook if you hadnt mentioned it. In its heyday, a total of 5,000 tons of iron ore were wheeled into Copake Falls each year from surrounding towns such as Pawling and Amenia. Bash Bish Falls State Park Easy (1206 Bash Bish Falls from Taconic State Park Taconic State Park Moderate (705 Alander Mountain Trail Mount Washington State Forest Moderate 574 Sunset Rock Trail Taconic State Park Hard (167 Alander Mountain Trail via South Taconic Trail Mount Washington State Forest Easy (362 Jug End Road Check out her best picks before buying anything. One of my favorite places to visit plus its a easy hike. It is a moderate hike, with an elevation gain of approximately 200-500 feet, depending on where you start your walk. You can only walk to the view at top of the trail above the falls now, as noted by many others, some of those rudely from a. Classist POV or simply containing an opinion not based on fact. Will Starbucks in downtown Saratoga Springs be reopening? Gorgeous! We are in the process of density reduction of Bash Bish Falls due to the pandemic and overcrowding and abuse of the natural resource. There they are, tumbling past that big rhinoceros rock and falling 60 feet into the crystal pool below. There is a majestic overlook view that you can enjoy the falls without going down to the base of the falls. Map produced by NYSOPRHP GIS Bureau, April 03, 2020. State blocks swimming access at Bash Bish Falls in Mt Washington, New York-New Jersey Trail Conference homepage, http://nysparks.com/parks/83/details.aspx, http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/2013/09/24/hiking-hunting-season-safety-tips/2854437/. So glad we went! Hudson River Sightseeing Cruise from Albany, Hudson River Sightseeing Cruise from Kingston, Central Troy Historic District Walking Food Tour, Hartford Scavenger Hunt: The Riches Of Hartford, Hike/Wineries/Walkway Over the Hudson/1 night Hotel/Hudson Valley, LEGOLAND New York Resort Admission Ticket, Guided Shared Group Forest Bathing Session in Serene Woodland Park, Adventurous Scavenger Hunt in Hartford by Operation City Quest, Museum of the City of New York General Admission Ticket, Copake Iron Works Historic Site at Taconic State Park. You probably wont be alone at this viewing spot, but who cares? This is one of the most beautiful spots in the Berkshires. While he was making my BMT, I asked him what was the one thing he would see in this area if he had limited time, and he quickly replied Bash Bish Falls. This is a very popular area for hiking, so you'll likely encounter other people while exploring. Oh shxt, I'm stuck spinning wheels. Swimming is permitted when lifeguards are on duty-- floatation devices are not allowed. Fresh water fishing enthusiasts will delight in hooking brown trout and other fish in the Bash Bish Brook or rainbow trout in the old iron ore mine pit. Please limit your input to 500 characters. Check availability at ReserveAmerica.com. There were quite a few other people there when I went and I went mid-day on a Friday so I imagine thats its pretty packed on a weekend, but totally worth it. In season deer and bear hunting (rifle/shotgun/bow), turkey hunting (bow/shotgun), squirrel, fox and ruffed grouse huntingare permitted. Some were having catered parties, with tables and chairs, giant speakers like a wedding DJ would use, hookahs (and broken glass from hookahs) playing games with oversized dominoes in the stream. After another difficult hike, I took off to go to NY but turned the wrong way and was actually heading back to Great Barrington. Thank you for doing this!!! Speaking of wellness: I got some great exercise hiking and saw an amazing waterfall yesterday after my visit to Great Barrington. The falls are located in Southwestern Massachusetts in the Taconic Mountains of Berkshire County, which neighbors Mount Washington State Forest in Massachusetts and Taconic State Park in New York. All cabins have electricity, lights, hot and cold running water,a kitchen with a refrigerator and stove, a dining area, a picnic table, and outdoor camp fire ring with grill. The N Washington, theyve been having issues with people partying and leaving trash at the Falls. The path was well maintained and the grade was not challenging. Is playing in the water allowed anywhere in the park? Clean up after your pet and remove waste off site. An official website of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, This page, Bash Bish Falls State Park, is. Respect the dangers without taking risks. The falls are beautiful and well worth the walk. * Copake Iron Works Museum and Heritage Trail, http://www.newyorkstateparks.reserveamerica.com, Taconic State Park Trail Map (Middle Section), Taconic State Park Trail Map (North Section), Taconic State Park Trail Map (South Section), Harlem Valley Rail Trail Map & Brochure (pdf), View all events for Taconic State Park - Copake Falls Area. We drove here on a beautiful but cold day, continuing our COVID Thursday Excursions to see natural beauty in CT,MA, NY area. Where you park determines your hike to the falls. Theres a wide trail with a huge informational display and map kiosk marking the trailhead. 9. Use caution as the stones down around the falls are smooth and slick from years of traffic and it is easy to slip. Bash Bish Falls is a Massachusetts park maintained by the state Department of Conservation and Recreation. 5. Directions to the trailhead: From Millerton, NY, head north on Route 22 for 12 miles. All boundaries and trails are shown as approximate. But thats just a guess.) Pets on leash always. The state Department of Conservation and Recreation has implemented a parking area closure until further notice at Bash Bish Falls State Park on Falls Road, said DCR spokesperson Olivia K. Dorrance. Hi. It is steep and the snow and ice was too risky for us older (60) folks. Easyish incline for about 3/4 mile to the pretty falls viewing area. Most New York State Parks charge a vehicle use fee to enter the facility. What great friendly man with an infectious smile and awesome aura about him. The trailer sites allow trailers up to 30 feet in length, but do not offer hook up facilities. The stream was ice, and snow covered but has pools of water that were so clear you could see the riverbed through several feet of water from 50 ft. A .mass.gov website belongs to an official government organization in Massachusetts. Is parking on the Mass side going to be an issue if there are 10-15 cars? Instead, my lifeless phone just stared back at me, unable to help. (My guess is that the barricades will appear whenever the weather is warm enough for swimming, since people seem to have a hard time obeying the No Swimming signs here. Follow the blue blazes downhill, over a cool little bridge that spans a burbling creek. My girlfriend and I went to check out Bash Bish Falls recently. Massachusetts bathrooms were definitely cleaner than the New York side. This is part of a much larger park system, Taconic State Park. Thank goodness the rangers and police are taking control. i would definitely say that it is not handicap friendly~ my husband wears a brace and walks with a cane and it was fairly difficult for him. Too muddy around this time since we didn't have much snow and we just had rain. I didnt see any white blazes or a wooden bridge. We visited Bash Bish Falls in May. We are actually closing overflow parking lots due to the weekend overcrowding and have reduced parking. Share. Please let us know how we can improve this page. Hi! Bash Bish Falls. FULL DESCRIPTION. For fees not listed or to verify information, please contact the park directly. Dog steps benefit all kinds of dogs, from toy breeds to dogs that shouldnt do a lot of jumping. Generally considered an easy route, it takes an average of 41 min to complete. Swimming is not allowed in the pool. Mt. Man, was it this steep on the way down? **UPDATE posted August 2022**The stairs to the falls have been barricaded to keep people out of the water at Bash Bish Falls. That way, morons like me who didnt read the map at the kiosk wont get lost.). 22), and follow signs to stay on 344, which becomes Falls Road as you get close to Massachusetts. eventually this may lead to shutting down the grounds for us all,depending on the action of the state. Small game season begin November 1st. Photo courtesy Wikipedia The full trail himself Activities - Hikingbelow to park at the appropriate location for hike... 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