About Doane's Falls |
46 acres |
Descend a short streamside trail and get an up-close experience with a raucous series of plunging falls.
What makes Doane’s Falls a special place?
We think it’s the pastoral quality of a reservation that showcases a quiet country stream as it turns turbulent. The waterfalls on Lawrence Brook just before it enters Tully Lake indeed grab one’s attention, both visually and audibly. The falls treat visitors to a bit of nature’s frothy frenzy, if not fury.
As Lawrence Brook drops and swirls, its water continually shapes mid-stream boulders, flat granite slabs and small islands. A half-mile trail leads down both sides of the stream, offering great vantage points.
Just upstream awaits Coddings Meadow, a quiet clearing amid surrounding woodlands which offers fine views of the brook in its quiet-water state, pre-plunge. The meadow also serves as an easy launch site for canoeists and kayakers looking to explore the upper stretches of the intimate river. Paddlers will also pass the occasional beaver dam as the river wends through a red maple swamp.
Trails
A half-mile trail leads down one side 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.
When to Visit
Year-round, daily, sunrise to sunset. Allow a minimum of 1 hour, 2 hours if also visiting Coddings Meadow.
Regulations & Advisories
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. Learn more about hunting on Trustees land.
Other Regulations
Dogs must be kept on a leash at all times.
Directions
Athol Road
Royalston, MA 01368
Telephone: 978.248.9455
Tully Lake Campground: 978.249.4957 (seasonal)
Email: central@ttor.org
Latitude: 42.649
Longitude: -72.200
Get directions on Google Maps.
From Rt. 2, Exit 18, follow Rt. 2A West into Athol. At intersection with Rt. 32, cross Miller’s River Bridge and bear right onto Chestnut Hill Rd. (becomes Athol Rd.) north toward Royalston. Proceed 4 mi. to entrance and parking (3 cars) on left. To Coddings Meadow at Lawrence Brook, walk 0.5 mi. down gated woods road off Athol Rd. on right just before stone bridge.
Admission
When to Visit
Year-round, daily, sunrise to sunset. Allow a minimum of 1 hour, 2 hours if also visiting Coddings Meadow.
Admission
FREE to all
Property History
The Reservation is named for Amos Doane who, in the early 19th century, owned land in the then-thriving manufacturing center of Royalston. He built a mill – L-shaped and 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.
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 Massachusetts Land Conservation Trust.
Volunteer Opportunities
There are no volunteer positions at this reservation at this time; please check again later or click here to find other opportunities near you.
Work Parties
There are no work parties at this reservation at this time; please check again later or click here to find other work parties near you.
Maps and Resources
You can download a map (6MB) of the entire 22-mile Tully Trail.
Planning Your Visit
Before You Go
We encourage you to visit as many Trustees properties as you can.
Wherever your travels take you, please observe all posted regulations, follow special instructions from property staff, and keep in mind the Stewardship Code:
- Protect wildlife and plants.
- Guard against all risk of fire.
- Help keep air and water clean.
- Carry out what you carry in.
- Use marked footpaths and bridle paths.
- Leave livestock, crops, and machinery alone.
- Respect the privacy of neighboring land.
- Enjoy and share the landscape with others.
Click on links below for further visitor information:
Tell Us What You Think
We’d love to hear about your visit. Click here to take our visitor survey. If you have a question for us about this reservation, you can use this form to send it to us, too.
Share your experiences with other visitors! Simply fill out the form below and we’ll post your comment here on this page.
Announcements & Alerts
Swimming, diving, and wading are not allowed at Doane’s Falls.
Upcoming Things To Do
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