You know how you often drive by signs or markers on the side of the road and make a mental note to check it out sometime? Well we actually went back and checked out one of those places on my mental bucket list and you should too!
Sanderson Brook Falls on Route 20 in Chester is a perfect family-friendly hike. The wide, clear trail is part of the Chester-Blandford State Forest and follows Sanderson Brook for about one mile up to a 60-foot waterfall. The kids in our group were ages 4 through 11 and everyone could handle the trail with no problems.
The only section of the trail where you need to be careful is the one section where an open sided bridge crosses the brook. It's about halfway up the trail and you definitely want to keep little hands in yours while crossing this section:
Other than that it's easy peasy hiking right up to the waterfall trail. You'll notice a narrow trail to the right of the main trail -- this takes you to the falls. Make sure you look for this sign (we almost missed it) and follow the path to the waterfall access. It's very kid friendly -- get ready to take off your shoes and cool your hot dogs. Definitely plan to bring a change of clothes for the kids if it's a hot day. The water is irresistible.
The main path is so clear I'd almost say you could use a jogging stroller -- although you're not able to take it on the waterfall access trail. A carrier is probably your best bet for hiking with the littles. We had a pretty solitary hike. We only encountered a few folks fishing in the brook and a few folks walking their dogs. We spent about two hours hiking and playing in the water. The nice thing about this trail is that when you tell the kids the walk back is all downhill you're not fibbing. The entire walk up to the falls is a gentle sloping hill and the return trip is literally all downhill. It was a perfect quick trip.
The parking lot is easy to find on Route 20 (across from the Bannish Lumber sign). The park is open from Dawn to Dusk. Visiting Sanderson Brook Falls is FREE. There is no charge to park or enter the trail. There are no facilities at this state park -- not even a porta-potty so plan accordingly. Of course if you want to see the waterfall at its peak plan to take this hike in the early spring after the winter melt off.
See you on the trail!
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