On Wadsworth Brook in Wadsworth Falls State Park, Wadsworth Little Falls drops 45 feet as a steep cascade along the Middlefield–Middletown boundary in Connecticut. It forms the quieter of the park's two waterfalls: taller than Big Falls on the Coginchaug River, but fed by a much smaller stream.
The falls
The brook comes down a staircase of about two dozen small steps, none more than three feet high. Unlike Big Falls, which drops over basalt, Little Falls runs over a sandstone outcrop known as Portland arkose. The cascade drops 45 feet, though other accounts list about 40 feet. The small watershed means the falls look their best only after good rain.
Getting there
The park entrance is at 721 Wadsworth Street and is open daily from 8 a.m. to sunset. Parking is free for Connecticut-registered vehicles; out-of-state vehicles pay $10 on weekdays and $15 on weekends and holidays. The blue trail, west of the orange trail, follows an advanced route that drops into a ravine with views of Little Falls. The park's official map marks Little Falls separately from Big Falls and the swimming area.
When to go
April and May are the best months, when spring runoff keeps the brook flowing.
On site
Leashed dogs are allowed on the trails. Swimming at Little Falls is listed as not possible or prohibited, and the path lacks wheelchair access; the park's designated swimming area is elsewhere on the property.
History and name
The park was established in 1942 on land from Colonel Clarence S. Wadsworth's Long Hill estate, given to the state by the Rockfall Corporation, the conservation foundation he set up.
Nearby
Wadsworth Falls, the park's Big Falls, is about 0.4 miles away, Westfield Falls about 3.8 miles and Spruce Glen Falls about 5.7 miles.
Distances are straight-line.