Doane Falls is a 145-foot run of tiered plunges on Lawrence Brook in Royalston, Massachusetts, where the brook cascades into the Tully River valley on its way to Tully Lake. It sits on a free 46-acre reservation of The Trustees, reached by a half-mile trail from Athol Road.
The falls
A field survey counts six drops in three sections over about a quarter mile of stream, the tallest 25 feet. At the top, the brook spills from under a stone bridge in three small tiers of about 6 feet each. The middle section is a 10-foot slide into a 15-foot vertical drop. The lower section is the largest: a 23-foot horsetail followed by a broad 20-foot plunge. Between the drops the water runs over granite slabs, boulders and small islands, and the trail passes several overlooks along a narrow chasm. Earlier surveys listed 157 feet in seven drops; other guides give 175 to 200 feet.
Getting there
The Trustees list the address as Athol Road, Royalston. The upper lot on Athol Road holds about three cars; a lower lot on Doane Hill Road, near Tully Lake Campground, serves the bottom of the falls. From the top, a yellow-blazed trail runs a half mile down the stream; the Trustees call it moderate and strenuous in places, 0.5 miles with 104 feet of gain. From Doane Hill Road an easy 0.7-mile walk with 85 feet of gain reaches the lower falls. Admission is free, and the reservation is open daily from sunrise to sunset.
When to go
The brook runs year-round. About 35 cubic feet per second runs for eight months and 5 for the other four, and flow is visibly heavier in April than in October. New England Waterfalls recommends April to November.
On site
Swimming, diving and wading are prohibited. They were banned in 2002 after a series of diving injuries and deaths; stay on the marked trails and out of the pools. Dogs are allowed on a leash. An accessible trail of about 0.15 mile leads from the lower lot to the lower falls. Hunting is permitted on the Coddings Meadow parcel upstream, so wear orange in season.
History and name
The falls take their name from Amos Doane, who ran a door, sash and blind mill here in the 19th century. His was one of several mills on the falls; only their foundations remain. The Trustees acquired the land in 1959. The official name is Doane Falls, though the Trustees and most guides write Doane's Falls.
Nearby
The 22-mile Tully Trail passes through the reservation, and a 4.3-mile loop with 633 feet of gain links it with Spirit Falls, about 1.4 miles away. Cascade Falls is about 5.1 miles away, and Wilson Falls, across the state line in New Hampshire, about 7.7 miles.
Distances are straight-line.