Texas Falls

Texas Falls is one of the most beautiful and visited natural sites in the Green Mountain National Forest — a series of rushing cascades and dramatically sculpted rock potholes carved by Hancock Branch in the heart of the Green Mountains near the town of Hancock. The falls drop in several tiers through a narrow, mossy gorge, with the water swirling through deeply worn potholes and sculpted channels in the bedrock.

A short, well-maintained trail and a picturesque wooden footbridge cross the gorge and offer views of the rushing water from above, making Texas Falls highly accessible for all. The surrounding northern hardwood forest glows with color in autumn, and the cool, shaded gorge is lush and green in summer. A scenic picnic area adds to the appeal. A gem of the Green Mountain National Forest, Texas Falls is a treasured natural icon of Vermont.

Texas Falls is enjoyed on a short loop trail (about a half-mile) that leads through the forest to the falls, crosses a picturesque wooden footbridge over the gorge, and offers views of the cascades and sculpted potholes from the bridge and trail. A picnic area beside the stream makes it a lovely outdoor stop. The surrounding Green Mountain National Forest offers more hiking, camping and exploration, and the nearby Middlebury Gap connects to the Long Trail. Viewing and photographing the sculpted falls and potholes is the signature draw, making Texas Falls a beautiful and accessible stop in the Green Mountains.

Spring brings the fullest, most dramatic flow as snowmelt swells Hancock Branch, with the water roaring through the sculpted potholes, while summer offers a cool, lush, green retreat in the forest gorge, and fall frames the falls in brilliant Vermont foliage. Winter can be beautiful but the trail icy. The falls are most powerful in spring (April and May); foliage peaks in early October. Spring for the fullest flow and fall for the color are the highlights — come after snowmelt or rain for the most dramatic cascade, or in summer for a cool, scenic picnic stop in the Green Mountain National Forest.

The Green Mountains and the Hancock Branch valley are part of the homeland of the Abenaki people. The Texas Falls area was logged in the 19th century along with much of the Green Mountains, and the land was incorporated into the Green Mountain National Forest in the 20th century as conservation efforts restored the forest. The USFS developed the Texas Falls Recreation Area with the footbridge, trail and picnic area, making the falls accessible for generations of visitors. Texas Falls preserves this sculpted gorge and its forest setting, a treasured natural icon of Vermont.

Texas Falls drops through a series of tiers where Hancock Branch has cut down through the schist and other metamorphic bedrock of the Green Mountains, carving a narrow gorge and, most remarkably, a series of deeply sculpted potholes — smooth, bowl-like depressions worn by swirling rocks and sand carried by the rushing water over thousands of years. The powerful mountain stream, the hard but jointed bedrock and the swirling abrasion of the current created the cascades, the gorge and the dramatic sculpted potholes that make Texas Falls so distinctive.

The forested gorge and Hancock Branch at Texas Falls host the wildlife of the Green Mountain National Forest — white-tailed deer, black bears, beavers, and a birdlife of forest songbirds, woodpeckers and the occasional raptor — while the cool, shaded, moist gorge shelters mosses, ferns and amphibians, and the brook holds brook trout. The hemlock and hardwood forest supports varied wildlife. While visited mainly for the falls and gorge, the surrounding national forest offers glimpses of Vermont wildlife in a cool, scenic setting around the cascades.

Texas Falls is set in a cool, moist gorge within the northern hardwood and hemlock forest of the Green Mountain National Forest, where the constant shade and spray nourish lush mosses, ferns and shade-loving plants on the gorge walls, and Hancock Branch and its riparian zone provide habitat for brook trout and stream life. The gorge microclimate and the surrounding forest form a rich, compact natural setting. The gorge and the stream are sensitive to trampling and erosion. Protecting the stream, the gorge and the surrounding national forest sustains both the ecology and the scenic beauty of Texas Falls.

Texas Falls holds a cherished place among the scenic gems of the Green Mountain National Forest — one of Vermont’s most accessible and beautiful waterfall stops, beloved for its sculpted potholes, its footbridge view and its picnic area in the heart of the Green Mountains. Its rushing water, mossy gorge and brilliant autumn surroundings embody the scenic beauty of the Vermont forest. Texas Falls is a treasured natural icon of Vermont and a highlight of the Green Mountain National Forest.

Texas Falls is in the Green Mountain National Forest in central Vermont, near the town of Hancock, reached via Texas Falls Road off State Route 125 between Hancock and Ripton, about 15 minutes east of Middlebury. There is no entrance fee; a small parking area and picnic area serve the site (which fills on busy summer and fall days). The loop trail to the falls is short (about half a mile) and well-maintained. There are no services on-site. Check the Green Mountain National Forest for trail conditions, parking and any closures before visiting.

The Green Mountain National Forest (USFS) protects Texas Falls and its gorge. Visitors help by staying on the designated trail and footbridge (never climbing on the gorge walls or into the streambed, which is dangerous and damages the fragile mossy surfaces), not disturbing the stream or forest, packing out everything, and following all Leave No Trace and national-forest rules. The sculpted potholes, the gorge and the stream are easily damaged by off-trail use. Protecting the stream, the gorge and the surrounding forest sustains both the ecology and the beauty of Texas Falls.

The trail to Texas Falls is short and well-maintained, but the gorge walls are slippery and the rocks at the base of the falls are wet and dangerous — stay on the designated trail and footbridge, never climb into the gorge or on the falls (people have been injured), and keep children back from the edge. The footbridge is the safe viewing point. In spring, the water is high and powerful. In winter, the trail can be icy. Respect the slippery rocks, the gorge walls, the rushing water and the need to stay on the designated path.

There is no entrance fee. Stay on the loop trail and footbridge; do not climb on the gorge walls or into the streambed. Park only in the designated area (do not overflow onto the road). Pets must be leashed/controlled. Drones are restricted. Do not litter; pack out all trash. Fires are not permitted at the site (only in designated forest campgrounds). Swimming in the gorge is dangerous and discouraged. Follow all Green Mountain National Forest rules. Check the USFS for trail and road conditions before visiting.

The towns of Hancock and Ripton, the Middlebury Gap and the Long Trail (crossing Route 125 nearby), the Green Mountain National Forest and its trails, the Robert Frost Interpretive Trail near Ripton, and the city of Middlebury lie near Texas Falls. The Green Mountains and Middlebury define the region. Texas Falls is a scenic gem of the central Green Mountains, easily combined with a drive over the Middlebury Gap, the Robert Frost Trail, the Long Trail and the college town of Middlebury.

Take the short loop trail to the picturesque footbridge over the gorge for the best view of the cascades and sculpted potholes — come in spring (April–May) for the most powerful flow, or fall for spectacular foliage — and enjoy a picnic by the stream afterward. Wear sturdy shoes (the trail can be muddy), stay on the path and footbridge (the gorge walls are slippery and dangerous), and arrive early on busy days when the parking area fills. Combine your visit with a drive over the scenic Middlebury Gap and a stop at the Long Trail crossing nearby.