Enjoy a day of waterfall exploration in Mad River Valley (and a bit beyond)!

Infographic of waterfalls in the Mad River Valley and beyond

Start: Warren, VT

1) Leave Warren by heading south on Main Street, taking a left onto VT-100 South. Drive approx. 0.8 miles. The Warren Falls parking area will be on right side of road. (There is no fee for parking.) Park and head down the path to beautiful cascades of water and deep pools. In the summer, this is a favorite swim spot so expect company, especially on the weekend. For those more adventurous, there are several cliff jumping spots offering a variety of heights. Don't miss the opportunity to swim and refresh in this unique, beautiful spot. (There are not trash facilities at Warren Falls, please practice Leave No Trace principles and pack all of your items and garbage out with you.)

2) After you have jumped, swam and/or marveled at the beauty of the falls, pack up the car and continue on VT-100 South. This will take you through Granville Gulf, touted as the most beautiful road in Vermont. Granville Gulf is a 1,171 acre reservation popular for hunting, wildlife and scenic viewing. Along this stretch of road, there are plenty of scenic pullovers (including your next falls stop) although just driving through it is a beautiful experience in an of itself. 

3) Just over six miles from Warren Falls, in the heart of Granville Gulf, you will see a parking area on your right. (If you drive past Moss Glen Falls, turn around, you missed the parking area!) A short trail from the parking area will bring you right to the base of Moss Glen Falls, a breathtaking 80-foot cascade of water. (Moss Glen Falls is not a swimming location. Please stay on the trail and do not venture into the rocks or pool below the falls.)

4) After snapping some photos and taking in the beauty of Moss Glen Falls, continue south on VT-100 for about seven miles. You will pass through the town Granville and Hancock. In Hancock, turn right onto Route 125. After three miles, take a right onto Texas Falls Road and you will see the Texas Falls Recreation Area. An easy, meandering one mile loop trail will take you to the waterfall, which is roughly 0.5 miles from the parking area, enjoying creek side scenery and scenic gorges as you hike. Continue on a little further past the falls to the picnic pavilion where you can enjoy your picnic lunch before looping back around to the parking lot.

5) Settle in for a little bit longer car ride. From Texas Falls, head back to Route 125, turning right onto 125 North. After roughly 30 minutes of scenic driving, you will be at Middlebury, a beautiful Vermont town with a spectacular waterfall right at its center! 

6) When you are done exploring Middlebury and its falls, head out of town north on US-7. At approximately three miles, turn right onto River Road. After about five miles, continue/merge onto VT-116N. After about two miles take a right onto Stony Hill Road/VT-116N. Stay on this road all the way through Bristol (if you have the time, stop and explore this beautiful little Vermont town). About 1.4 miles past Bristol, turn right onto Lincoln Gap Road. Shortly after turning you will see a pull off on the right side of the road for Bristol (also known as Bartlett) Falls. Another popular swimming hole, Bristol Falls is a beautiful 14-foot waterfall with trails leading to cliffs for jumping and a rope swing. For stronger swimmers, a small cave behind the falls is a fun adventure (wear shoes, the rocks there are slippery). As with Warren Falls, there are no restroom or trash facilities, so please practice Leave No Trace principles.

Time to return to the Mad River Valley! If enjoying this tour during the summer months, continue on Lincoln Gap Road, enjoying the beautiful scenery along this twisting, slow-paced back road gem. Take a left onto VT-100 North to return to Warren. If touring outside of May-October, take Route 17 over Appalachian Gap, as Lincoln Gap will be closed.