Twin Falls is a 20-foot waterfall on the Saxtons River in Westminster, Windham County, Vermont, about 1.3 miles southwest of Bellows Falls. It falls in two drops in a small gorge, and has a dangerous record as a swimming hole: at least 22 swimmers have died here since the 1940s.
The falls
Tiered plunges drop in two steps totaling about 20 feet, the taller about 14 feet, a figure measured from lidar data. Earlier surveys listed 16 feet; another description has an upper plunge with a lower block-style fall directly below, giving a 30-foot total. A 1983 state survey recorded cascades about 150 feet long between sloping rock walls 8 to 20 feet high, with rock identified as probably a quartz granulite.
Getting there
The falls lie in Bald Hill Reserve, a Vermont Land Trust property open to the public, and are partly visible from the road. The 1983 survey located the site on a side road off Route 121, about a mile west of its junction with Route 5, some 75 feet from a dirt road. Trail distance and current fees are not documented.
When to go
April to November is the recommended season.
On site
In 2013 the Vermont Health Department named Twin Falls among the state's hazardous swimming holes, warning that high, fast water after heavy rain makes such spots especially dangerous. The New England Waterfalls guide rates it one of the five most dangerous waterfalls in New England; signs warn against swimming, and staying well back from the edge is advised. Dogs are allowed. The 1983 state survey found it a popular swimming and party place with some trash along the paths.
History and name
The falls were at times informally called Forest Falls, after nearby Forest Road. Twin Falls became the official name in 2016.
Nearby
Upper Twin Falls is about 0.1 mile away. Saxtons River Falls, on the same river, is about 3.2 miles away, and Drewsville Gorge on the Cold River is about 3.4 miles away in New Hampshire. Brockways Mills on the Williams River is about 7.1 miles away.
Distances are straight-line.