Shin Brook Falls

Shin Brook’s 44-foot falls, cascading over dark ragged bedrock, is a magnet for those who love natural splendors! A waterfall expert describes it like this: “Three drops can be found here, but the final spectacular drop of 30 feet is, without a doubt, the highlight. This horsetail spreads diagonally as it bobbles over row after row of rock shelves. Above the main drop is a pair of seven- or eight-foot plunges which cannot be seen from the base of the main falls.”

The trailhead is marked with hand-made signs and is easy to follow. The path begins as an easy stroll through woods until it begins to approach the falls, in about 0.4 miles, where it becomes moderately steeper. You can remain on a bluff overlooking the main falls, or head down to the base. To do this, carefully make your way down the steep, eroded path marked with flagging tape. Hopefully there will be ropes slung up as handrails to hold onto, as there were during my visit, to make it slightly less dicey.

I also made the mistake of trying to make a loop, based on a map I saw on AllTrails. Don’t do that unless you want to scramble up a sandy, eroded bank! It’s almost impossible. Make your way back the same way you came in, and if you made it to the base of the falls, make use of those ropes!

Directions: Follow Grand Lake Road 4.5 miles west from Shin Pond Village. The turnoff onto a dirt road will be on the left, it’s marked with a handmade sign. The 0.25-mile entry road can be quite rough and bumpy — best to have high clearance. Park at the large area at the end and look for the trail heading into the woods on the southwest corner of the clearing. It was marked with a wooden sign when I visited.