Little Wadsworth Falls

A Little Dicey When Icy
Little Wadsworth Falls, Middlefield
January 2026

Seeing these falls requires a little hike of a half mile or more, depending on your route choice. You have several options, but if there’s snow or ice, or if it has just rained appreciably, or if you are not confident in your balance, or if you’re wearing high heels… you might want to skip these falls and just stick to the larger, more accessible, and more well known falls at the southwestern corner of the park.

The main entrance to Wadsworth Falls State Park is along Route 157 in Middletown. There is also a parking area along Cherry Hill Road in Middlefield just above the larger Wadsworth Falls. You can walk to Little Falls from either end, with the distance from Cherry Hill Road being slightly shorter.

I walked to Little Falls during a walk around the entirety of the state park and must admit some mild shock at the approach trail from above. The blue-blazed trail is called, aptly, Little Falls Trail. You get here via the orange-blazed Main Trail. That’s not just my description of it, as it’s officially called Main Trail.

Granted, conditions during my hike were a mix of ice, snow, slush, and wet making things a dicey but even so, I’m sure that even on a lovely summer’s day some people have difficulty. The trail is steep and has a sheer drop off the falls side. So, you know, be careful.

These falls a stepped. There must be two dozens steps down these falls, and the effect is really cool. To my mind, Little Falls are arguably cooler than the main falls at the park. And check this out: Wadsworth Little Falls is nearly twice as tall as Wadsworth “Big” Falls. The volume of water is certainly less and that’s especially so during seasonal dry spells I’m sure. For structure, this waterfall is composed of about two-dozen small-step plunges, none larger than three feet in height.

I bet these falls are pretty awesome after heavy rains.

But you know what isn’t awesome after heavy rains? The other way into and out of the falls’ viewpoint. The same blue-blazed trail continues along the stream beneath the falls and requires you cross the stream without a bridge. Hopping across icy rocks was even more concerning to me than the walk down the steep trail earlier. (I just didn’t feel like getting wet.)

Alas, I survived dry and unscathed and continued on my journey around the park.

I certainly don’t want to scare you away from these falls; just be smart.