Bash Bish Falls State Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bash Bish Falls State Park
Bash Bish Falls
Bash Bish Falls State Park Location in Massachusetts
Location	Mount Washington, Berkshire, Massachusetts, United States
Area	424 acres (172 ha)
Elevation	1,132 ft (345 m)
Established	1924
Governing body	Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
Website	Bash Bish Falls State Park

Bash Bish Falls State Park is a Massachusetts state park located in the town of Mount Washington. The park is named after Bash Bish Falls, Massachusetts' highest single-drop waterfall (60 feet (18 m)), which lies within its borders. The park is managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation and is one of several nature preserves in the extreme southwestern corner of Massachusetts noted for their scenery. It is adjacent to the 4,000-acre (1,600 ha) Mount Washington State Forest, as well as New York's 5,000-acre (2,000 ha) Taconic State Park.

Bash Bish State Park consists of numerous gorges and an eastern hemlock ravine forest. The slopes around the waterfall are covered by forests of trees such as maple, oak, and beech. Wildlife includes the timber rattlesnake, the peregrine falcon, bobcats, black bears, and porcupines.

Activities and amenities

The park's recreational opportunities include fishing and hiking – but swimming and climbing near the falls is prohibited. However, swimming is permitted in the rock pools and streams that the falls drain into. Leashed dogs are allowed on the trail and at the falls. The falls can be reached via a moderately strenuous, half-mile, downhill trail. In all, there are three parking areas with trails of different lengths that provide access to the falls. The park is open from dawn to dusk.