This is a portion of a waterfall with a rainbow.

The Waterfall Record

Spirit Falls, Massachusetts

This is one portion of Spirit Falls in Massachusetts. This cascade is about 10 feet / 3 meters tall. — One portion of Spirit Falls in July 2015

This is one portion of Spirit Falls in Massachusetts. This cascade is about 15 feet / 5 meters tall. — One portion of Spirit Falls in July 2015

Quick Facts

Accessibility: 7/10 (easy/moderate)
Height: Multiple drops of 10′-15′ / 3-5 m
Length of Hike: 2 miles / 3.2 km round-trip

The Record

I don’t have distinct memories of Spirit Falls. In July 2015, I flew into Boston and took a road trip to visit some Massachusetts waterfalls (and a few other states, most likely). Along a 6-mile stretch near Royalston, you’ll find three waterfalls: Royalston Falls (furthest north), Spirit Falls in the middle, and Doane’s Falls (Lower, Middle, and Upper), closest to Athol. Royalston and Doane’s are perceived to be the better attractions, and I would agree.

I’m updating some posts now that there is more information about falls across the world, and I can often get a better height estimate than my poor judgment. With Spirit Falls, I’ve seen a range from 10 to 200 feet tall…so here’s my interpretation and how that connects to the appeal of the falls. The total drop along this creek seems to be 150 feet. But the total drop is stretched out so that you can view 10-to 15-foot drops at any stop along the way. You can’t see the whole 150-foot drop, so that might make it less appealing. But this also means that if you reach the first drop, there are more uphill/upstream.

Spirit Falls is seasonal, from what I understand. The photographs I took in July show a much smaller waterfall than you’d see in spring. The falls are accessible year-round, though I would recommend caution in spring if there is still snow and ice along the trail.

Directions

Royalston is a small village in north-central Massachusetts. The nearest larger town/city is Athol to the south. In Athol, you can take Chestnut Hill Ave north. The road changes names a few times along the way.
Another name for the road is Athol Road. Athol Road intersects or connects with MA-68 in Royalston.
Veer right or turn left to continue onto MA-68 (heading west instead of north).
After half a mile, you’ll find the Jacobs Hill trailhead parking on your left. There aren’t many spots, but there probably won’t be many people.

Where in the World is Spirit Falls?

Response

Mike

May 18, 2026 at 3:03 am

I would say mid April to mid May is the best time to visit Spirit Falls. Wear good hiking boots. The ground is uneven and actually can be loose in some spots. There is also some mud and the ground can be somewhat soggy, I fell down a small hill do to this and wearing good strong hiking boots saved me from suffering an injury. If you go in the spring its possible to hike somewhat up the rocks once you get to the falls so you can get a better vantage point to photograph the falls but those rocks but it can be quite slippery especially in the spring. I did like what I was able to get for photos and wanted to venture up further but I did not feel it was safe enough to do so. Also factor in your about 1 3/4 miles from a road and will have virtually no cell phone service so take great care if you decide to do this. I can’t over emphasize how slippery those rocks can be and how desolate of an area the falls are in. Nobody is going to hear you calling for help if you get hurt.

In the summer the Spirit Falls are nothing more than a trickle unless there is significant rainfall for 2 or 3 days in a row. The bugs are about as bad as you can get in the summer so big lots and I do mean lots of bug spray. If you can get a hat with netting on it to cover your face I highly recommend doing so. Therefore unless you go after a really good rainstorm I would not recommend visiting Spirit Falls in the summertime.

I have always wanted to visit Spirit Falls in the winter but some of the roads are not plowed in the area are not plowed in the winter and I think the hike could be treacherous if there’s a lot of snow on the ground.

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