Smalls Falls, near Rangeley (Township E)

This isn’t so much a hiking trail as it is a destination (for its dramatic waterfalls and pools, decent for dipping into, I think), but I’m going to include it anyway. It’s posted off Route 4 as a rest stop. Once you park, you can walk down some stairs to cross a little bridge over Sandy River. Then you can head up the falls — either climbing up the rocks near the fence (slippery and steep) or opting for the slightly less extreme wooded interior trails. The falls drop 54 feet at one point, and the cliffs around them are “sculptured,” according to local tourist guides. Pretty in a gentler sort of way is Chandler Mill Stream, which meets up with Sandy River, and which you can see if you just keep walking straight for 35 feet or so after crossing the bridge. You can follow the river up until you reach a dirt road.

Directions: The Smalls Falls Rest Area is about 12 miles south of Rangeley on Route 4. The entrance is on the right side of the road if you’re coming from Rangeley.

Check out more info and photos from Smalls Falls at Carefree Creative, a Maine-based web company that has helped us with our website!