Waterfalls in Connecticut

Overview of waterfalls in Connecticut

Kent Falls drops about 250 feet through a series of cascades in Litchfield County, with a main fall of about 70 feet, according to Connecticut State Parks.

Wadsworth Falls in Middlefield and Middletown has two falls. Wikipedia puts Big Falls on the Coginchaug River at about 30 feet and Little Falls on Wadsworth Brook at about 40 feet. CT Trail Finder gives about 20 feet for Big Falls. Southford Falls in Southbury and Oxford is a tiered waterfall on Eight Mile Brook, at the site of an old match factory. Southford's trail status after the 2024 flood is unconfirmed.

All three parks are open daily from 8am to sunset and allow dogs on a leash, according to CT DEEP. Kent limits them to picnic areas and hiking trails, and Wadsworth bars them from the beach. What differs is the parking fee, the swimming rule and how far you walk to the falls.

Connecticut state park parking fees for out-of-state cars

Connecticut-registered cars park free at all three waterfall state parks, and out-of-state cars pay only at Kent Falls and Wadsworth Falls, from April 1 to October 31.

Connecticut-registered vehicles enter state parks free all year under Passport to the Parks. Out-of-state drivers can pay online through Reserve America, which adds a $2 reservation fee, or at a staffed booth when one is open. Payment is due by 10pm on the day of the visit, and CT DEEP says unpaid parking can bring a $75 infraction.

The 2026 out-of-state season pass costs $112 (plus $2.50 shipping online), covers one vehicle and is valid for calendar year 2026. At Kent Falls and Wadsworth Falls, buses seating 30 or more need a bus permit.

Connecticut state parks with waterfalls

All three Connecticut waterfalls on this site are in state parks run by CT DEEP. Each park is open daily from 8am to sunset and allows dogs on a leash.

Kent Falls is on US-7 at 462 Kent Cornwall Road. Wadsworth's main lot is at 721 Wadsworth Street (Route 157), and Southford's is at 175 Quaker Farms Road (Route 188), per Connecticut State Parks.

Waterfalls you can see without a long hike

Kent Falls is the easiest of the three to see, with an ADA-accessible path to the base. Wadsworth takes a longer walk, and we found no official distance for Southford.

• Kent Falls: a paved, ADA-accessible path reaches the base of the falls. The Steps Trail beside the cascades is about 0.84 mile round trip, with steep stone stairs.
• Southford Falls: the park has a two-mile trail network that CT Trail Finder rates easy to moderate. We found no official distance to the falls viewpoint.
• Wadsworth Falls: Big Falls is about 3 miles round trip on the Orange Trail, per CT Trail Finder. Connecticut State Parks says all-terrain wheelchairs can be reserved in advance.

Swimming rules at Connecticut waterfall parks

Connecticut State Parks bans swimming at Kent Falls and at Big Falls in Wadsworth Falls State Park, and we found no swimming rule for Southford Falls.

Kent Falls: Connecticut State Parks prohibits entering the water and swimming.

Wadsworth Falls: swimming and picnicking are prohibited at Big Falls. Swimming is allowed only at the park's designated swimming area, which gets a weekly water-quality report from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Southford Falls: we found no swimming rule on its park page, so watch from the trails.

Alcohol is banned at Kent and Wadsworth; the Southford page does not mention an alcohol rule. Drones are prohibited at all Connecticut State Parks, according to the Kent Falls park page.

Waterfall hikes in Connecticut: Kent, Wadsworth and Southford

Kent Falls has the shortest Connecticut waterfall walk on this site. Big Falls at Wadsworth is the longest, at about 3 miles round trip per CT Trail Finder.

Kent Falls: the Steps Trail is about 0.84 mile round trip, with about a quarter mile of steep stone stairs beside the cascades. An ADA-accessible path reaches the base.

Wadsworth Falls: CT Trail Finder says the easy Orange (Main) Trail runs about 1.5 miles one way to Cherry Hill Road. From there you walk along the road and cross active train tracks to Big Falls, about 3 miles round trip. The Blue trail to Little Falls is rated advanced because it drops into a ravine.

Southford Falls: a two-mile trail network that CT Trail Finder rates easy to moderate. The Red Trail loops back to Paper Mill Pond, with a 0.1-mile spur to the observation tower.

Connecticut waterfall closures and conditions (as of Oct 2026)

On October 25, 2026, Connecticut State Parks listed no alerts for Wadsworth Falls or Southford Falls, and Kent Falls is open year-round, 8am to sunset. Southford's status is unconfirmed, because CT Trail Finder still shows its trails as partially open. Out-of-state parking fees ended October 31, 2026, so parking at Kent Falls and Wadsworth Falls is free for all vehicles until April 1.

Southford is the one to check before you go. In September 2024, WTNH reported that the August 2024 flood pushed the park's covered bridge off its foundation. We found no report of repairs, so call the park at (203) 264-5169.

Connecticut waterfalls FAQ