Are there fees or permits required for Great Falls?

No, there are no fees required to visit Great Falls.

Is swimming allowed at Great Falls?

No, swimming is not allowed at Great Falls.

Great Falls

Q: Are dogs allowed at Great Falls?

No, dogs are not allowed at Great Falls.

Maine

By Armen Suny · Last verified Oct 2026

LiDAR & 3D terrain

Also For 12 other waterfalls also named Great Falls, see below

Machias River UNKE · PVT

Before you go

Great Falls has no developed trail or viewing area; it is a canoe-trip rapid on the Machias River with a portage on the right bank.

Photo Credits (5)

Me in ME CC BY 2.0 · Flickr

Jody Roberts CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 · Flickr

Me in ME CC BY 2.0 · Flickr

Difficulty

Drive Up

About Great Falls

Great Falls is a rapid on the Machias River in Washington County, Maine, about 6.5 river miles above Whitneyville. Canoe trip reports call it one of the best rapids on the river, and paddlers who do not run it use a portage trail on the right bank. It lies in the Machias River Corridor, where the State of Maine guarantees public recreational access along the shoreline. This is not the Great Falls on the Androscoggin River in Auburn.

The Setting

Great Falls sits at 72 feet within Machias River, in the coastal lowlands of Maine.

Trail & Hike Details

The Approach

No hiking required. Great Falls is accessible by vehicle with a roadside viewing area.

Trail Description

No marked hiking trail to Great Falls is published; the only trail described is the paddlers' portage on the right side of the river.

What to Expect

Expect whitewater over ledges in an undeveloped, forested river corridor, with no developed viewing areas or facilities.

Accessibility

This waterfall is viewable from a vehicle-accessible area. No hiking is required.

Frequently Asked Questions

🐶 Are Dogs Allowed at Great Falls?

❌ Dogs are not allowed

Are There Any Fees or Permits Required?

🆖 No fees required

🏊 Is There Swimming at Great Falls?

❌ Swimming is not allowed

When to Visit

spring summer fall winter

Paddlers run the Machias River in May or early June, when water levels are usually adequate.

Seasonal Access

The best time to visit is Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.

Safety Information

The rapid is powerful at high water and the riverside rocks are slippery. Do not count on a cell phone in an emergency.

7-Day Flow Outlook

Based on the USGS gauge Libby Brook near Northfield, Maine (11 km away).

Moderate confidence

Moderate right now

5 cfs

→ Holding steady

Today

Moderate

5 cfs

6/10

Tomorrow

Moderate

6 cfs

8/10

Thu

Moderate

5 cfs

8/10

Fri

Moderate

6 cfs

5/10

Sat

Moderate

6 cfs

6/10

Sun

Moderate

7 cfs

6/10

Mon

Moderate

7 cfs

8/10

Best window: Tomorrow — moderate flow, partly sunny (trip score 8/10).

Best time of year: this gauge typically runs highest from mid March to early May, peaking in April.

How we calculate this

This is a transparent outlook, not a precise forecast. We take the waterfall's current flow strength (how it ranks against its historical normal for today, from the nearest USGS stream gauge), carry that ranking forward along the gauge's seasonal curve, and nudge it for forecast rain. Confidence is highest for the next day or two and falls further out. Always check official conditions and your own judgment before visiting — high flows can be dangerous.

Know when to go.

Get a free email alert when waterfalls near Jonesport hit peak flow. We only send when conditions are worth the trip — no weekly newsletters, no spam.

Is Great Falls Frozen?

Updated about 8 hours ago

Not frozen highs above freezing lately

Great Falls is not frozen right now; highs have been above freezing. Yesterday ran 51°F to 36°F.

Days below freezing: 0 of the last 14
Current cold streak: 0 days
Freezing days ahead: 0 of the next 7
Flow: 5 ft³/s

Winter safety. Frozen falls are the one waterfall trip with a documented injury pattern: falling ice, and ice-glazed rock and trail. Wear microspikes, keep well back from the base and from overhangs, and never walk out on ice over moving water.

Estimate from Open-Meteo daily temperatures at the falls, the LiDAR-measured facing direction, and the nearest stream gauge. It is a likelihood, not a report from the trail. See every frozen waterfall in Maine.

Weather Forecast

The Terrain, Seen by LiDAR

Aircraft-mounted lasers measured this ground to within inches. Trees and buildings are digitally stripped away, leaving the bare shape of the land the water has carved.

1-meter lidar measures about 19 feet of drop in the ground within a few hundred feet of Great Falls. The ground at the falls is roughly 76 feet above sea level.

Aerial photo of the same ground around Great Falls near Jonesport, Maine, for comparison with the lidar view

LiDAR bare-earth terrain around Great Falls near Jonesport, Maine, showing about 19 feet of drop

Aerial LiDAR bare earth

Drag to compare. The dot marks the waterfall. The frame is about a mile across.

Ground elevation: 76 feet; Measured by 1-meter lidar
Drop at the falls: About 19 feet; Change in ground height within ~250 feet of the falls

Elevation data: USGS 3D Elevation Program. Aerial imagery: USGS The National Map. Public domain.

Location & Access

Getting There

Great Falls is usually reached by canoe on the lower Machias River, about 10 miles of mostly flatwater below Holmes Falls and 6.5 miles above Whitneyville, where many trips end. Below the Route 9 access there are few places to reach the river by logging road until Whitneyville.

Get Directions on Google Maps