Grafton Notch State Park
1941 Bear River Road, Route 26
Newry, ME
A string of easy-to-reach wonders along one scenic road: Screw Auger Falls, Mother Walker Falls, Moose Cave, and trailheads for Old Speck and the Appalachian Trail.
Grafton Notch State Park protects a dramatic mountain pass in the western Maine highlands, where the Bear River tumbles down through granite gorges and over waterfalls beside a scenic road. It is a rare park that offers both effortless roadside wonders and some of the most demanding hiking in the Northeast, all within a few miles.
The easy highlights come one after another along Route 26: Screw Auger Falls, where the river has carved a twisting slot through solid granite, then Mother Walker Falls and Moose Cave, each a short walk from a pullout. For the ambitious, the same notch gives access to Old Speck Mountain, one of Maine's highest peaks, and to the Appalachian Trail as it climbs into the rugged Mahoosuc Range.
What Guests Love
- Screw Auger Falls, where the Bear River drops through a sculpted granite gorge right beside the road
- A cluster of waterfalls, gorges, and caves reachable by short walks
- Serious hiking on Old Speck and the Appalachian Trail through the Mahoosuc Range
- A dramatic mountain pass that stays quiet compared with New England's busier ranges
Worth Knowing
- The roadside sights like Screw Auger Falls are short easy walks, great for all ages
- Old Speck and the Mahoosucs are strenuous; Mahoosuc Notch is famous as one of the toughest miles on the Appalachian Trail
- Stay behind railings at the gorges; the wet rock is slippery and the drops are real
- The park is remote, so fuel up and pack food and water before you go
Details
Newry, ME
Learn about Grafton Notch State Park
The roadside wonders
The star is Screw Auger Falls, where the Bear River drops through a narrow, corkscrewing gorge it has cut into granite, with smooth potholes and ledges around it. It is right beside the road, with an easy path, making it one of the most accessible beautiful spots in Maine.
Just up the road, Mother Walker Falls tumbles through a mossy, forested gorge spanned by a natural rock bridge, and nearby Moose Cave is a slot where the river disappears under a jumble of huge boulders.
Each of these can be seen on a short walk from a parking area, so a drive through the notch can deliver a series of waterfalls and gorges in an easy afternoon.
Serious mountains
Grafton Notch is also a gateway to hard hiking. Old Speck Mountain, at over 4,000 feet one of Maine's highest peaks, rises on the west side of the notch, with a steep trail to a summit and observation tower.
The Appalachian Trail crosses the notch and climbs into the Mahoosuc Range. Just beyond the park lies Mahoosuc Notch, a boulder-choked ravine widely called the hardest or slowest mile on the entire 2,000-mile trail, where hikers scramble over and under car-sized rocks.
This combination, gentle waterfalls and brutal ridge hiking side by side, makes the notch a place where casual sightseers and hardcore backpackers share the same trailheads.
How the notch was carved
Grafton Notch is a classic glacially carved mountain pass, a deep valley between high ridges scoured out and steepened by the ice sheets that once covered Maine.
The gorges and potholes at Screw Auger Falls show a different kind of carving: the patient work of the Bear River, swirling sand and stones to drill the granite into smooth curves and holes over thousands of years.
The surrounding forest is northern hardwood and spruce-fir, home to moose, black bear, and peregrine falcons that nest on the cliffs, giving the notch a genuinely wild character.
Season by season
Spring sends snowmelt roaring through the gorges, when Screw Auger Falls is at its most powerful and the water thunders through the granite.
Summer is warm and green, ideal for both the easy waterfall walks and the long climbs up Old Speck and into the Mahoosucs.
Fall lights the notch with foliage and is a favorite time for the scenic drive, while winter closes facilities and turns the pass into a snowbound landscape for well-prepared backcountry travelers only.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Profile Motel & Cottages
Honorable Mention391 Styles Bridges Highway, Lincoln, NH
50 miles away|Learn More ›
Things to Do Near Newry
Bethel
About 15 miles, a 25 minute drive
A classic western Maine mountain town with an inn-lined common, restaurants, and access to the Sunday River ski area.
Screw Auger Falls
Within the park
The signature granite gorge and waterfall on the Bear River, just steps from the road.
Rangeley Lakes
About 50 miles, an hour drive
A high, remote lake country to the north, known for fishing, moose, and dark night skies.