We visited this majestic waterfall while camping at Taconic State Park (Copake Falls). Although the Falls are technically located in Massachusetts, a trail connects them to New York State, and they are part of Taconic State Park. You can quite literally hike across the state line here, adding a unique sense of adventure to the visit.
The Trail
-Dogs are Permitted (must be leashed)
– Trail Length from Bash Bish New York Parking lot – 3/4 mile (1.5 miles round trip)
There is a parking area on the Massachusetts side. The trail is slightly shorter, but it is steeper than the New York Trail.
The trail follows alongside the babbling creek, offering breathtaking views of towering boulders strewn along the water’s edge and inviting, crystal-clear pools that beckon you to dip your toes in (swimming is off-limits, but they say nothing about wading). As you continue along the path, the ravine plunges into greater depths, and the dense, wooded surroundings make the creek more inaccessible (not to mention it is restricted at this point forward).
The trail does have a slight incline, but nothing drastic. Even though it’s flat, it’s not handicap accessible; there are large rocks and tree roots across the path. This is a wide trail with lots of room to pass people.
I always emphasize proper footwear on hikes in my posts, and my oldest wore flip-flops on this hike. (Cue giant eye roll.) However, she did fine in them here. The terrain was not bad, and she had the opportunity to brag to us about how easy it was for her to put her feet in the cool water.
The State Border
I think this was the coolest part of the trail. The trail crosses the New York/Massachusetts border, and there is signage that you can take pictures in front of. If there are a lot of people hiking the trail, you might have to wait a minute to take your turn.
The Falls
Bash Bish Falls is the tallest waterfall in Massachusetts, standing 200 feet. The upper sections of the falls are challenging to see from the observation area. However, if you stand all the way to the far left of the viewing area, you can get a good view of the upper portions. The lower part of the falls splits into double falls, which are clearly visible and about 56 feet long.
There is a staircase that leads down to the waterfall pool. However, when we visited in July, the staircase was barricaded off, preventing people from hiking down to the falls. This is to prevent people from swimming under the falls. Obviously, the “no swimming” signs weren’t doing the trick. It’s sad that you can’t get up close to the falls anymore, but the view from the observation area is still amazing.
(From what I have gleaned, the barricade is removed once the park authorities feel that it is too cold to swim and replaced again once the warmer weather arrives.)
Out and About with Nova
I have to say that this was one of the most pleasant outings we’ve had with Nova. Every single person who had a dog with them had them leashed. It was nice to be able to enjoy a hike with her without worrying about strange dogs running up to us. (Nova gets spooked when strange dogs run up to her, so this was a much more pleasant experience.) Also, the trail was wide, so it was quite easy for us to yield to other hikers and keep Nova away from them.
Getting to Bash Bish Falls
New York Parking Area Address: 396 NY-344, Copake, NY
Google Map Link
Massachusetts Parking Area: Falls Rd, Mt Washington, MA