Doane's Falls - The Trustees of Reservations

Property Description	46 acres \| Established 1959
When the tranquil waters of Lawrence Brook reach Doane's Falls, they tumble in a sequence of dramatic waterfalls. Along the way, large boulders in the stream bed, small forested islands, and flat rock slabs divide the fast-rushing stream before it empties into Tully Lake. On the southern bank of Lawrence Brook, just upstream from the falls, is Coddings Meadow, a little-known clearing in the wood that offers views of the quiet waters of Lawrence Brook and is an excellent launch site for exploring the brook by canoe or kayak. Further upstream, beaver dams dot the brook as it meanders through a wide red maple swamp. The Reservation is named for Amos Doane who, in the early nineteenth century, owned land in the then-thriving manufacturing center of Royalston. He built a mill—an L-shaped structure, fifty feet long and more than four stories tall—above the falls for the manufacture of doors, sashes, and blinds. Though Doane's venture eventually failed, a series of previous mills—grist, saw, pail, and fulling—had successfully operated on the falls.

Trails
A half-mile trail leads down both sides of the stream. Moderate walking, strenuous in places. A three-quarter-mile woods road leads to the 14-acre Coddings Meadow along side of Lawrence Brook. Doane's Falls is a link in the Tully Trail.

Facilities
An emergency telephone is located at the reservation's main entrance next to the upper falls. The Trustees of Reservations manages the Tully Lake Campground on Doane Hill Road just west of Doane's Falls. Camping is not permitted at Doane's Falls itself.

Swimming, Diving, and Wading Ban
Swimming, diving, and wading at Doane's Falls have led to fatalities and serious injuries over the years. Following the latest fatality in August 2002, The Trustees of Reservations placed a temporary ban on all swimming, diving, and wading and began an immediate policy review. To balance the fullest and safest use of our properties, we generally rely on a range of measures, from the display of informational and cautionary signs to the placement of physical barriers to prevent access to certain areas. However, we have concluded that neither the measures now in place nor additional reasonable measures would sufficiently reduce the inherent risk of serious injury or death that is likely to result from continued swimming, diving, and wading at Doane's Falls. For your protection, The Trustees now prohibits these inherently risky activities at this property. We hope you will understand our decision.

Hunting Advisory
Seasonal hunting is permitted on the Coddings Meadow parcel associated with this property subject to all state and town laws. Click here for further information.

Property Acquisition History
Original acreage acquired in 1959. Additional land purchased in 1975 with funds given by Richard Bullock in memory of Brigham Newton Bullock, Flora Bullock Poore, Benjamin Andrew Poore, and Nancy B. Bullock. Additional land purchased in 1984 from the Army Corps of Engineers, and in 1992 through MLCT.