Hamilton Falls Trail

In spite of the threat of severe thunderstorms, the four of us hikers all decided to risk cancellation and drove through dry weather to Jamaica, Vermont. Just as we were about to begin the hike, the rain began. We checked the weather radar on our cell phones. Heavy rain was moving into the area, but was forecast to end in about 105 minutes. So we decided to venture out in the rain with the understanding that if it got too bad, we would turn back.

After hiking for about 5 minutes or so, we met another group of hikers headed back to the parking area. They yelled at us, "You're headed the wrong way!" Nonetheless, we pressed on in the rain. The first two miles were relatively flat and over an old railroad bed, which held up very well in the rain-almost no mud or puddles. The steeper mile-long trail up to the top of Hamilton Falls was not as good, but still better than one would normally expect in a heavy rain: Very few really large puddles or really muddy sections. About halfway up, I took off my shirt and hiked only in shorts and hiking boots. One of the other men stripped down to the equivalent of a modest Speedo, and that was our attire for the remainder of the hike.

Once we got started, it was really quite pleasant hiking in the cooling rain with no bugs to bother us.

Just as we got to the top of the Falls, the skies cleared, and it never rained again for the rest of the hike. There were very interesting carvings in the granite created over thousands of years by the water. We decided to hike back down to the bottom of the Falls to have our lunch, where we could get a better view of the 125 foot cascades. An old man came by and asked us if we minded if he swam naked. I said 'No,' and joined him for a few quick skinny dips in the very cool water. (Note: The rain had kept the family hikers away, so my lack of attire was not an issue. On a normal Saturday, skinny dipping would be very inappropriate in my opinion.)

We hiked down the trail and met many hikers of all ages going up. Some of them complained that they were too hot, and I was glad we had decided to hike up in the rain. (The heat did not bother us going down.)

When we got to the bottom, we decided to take an unscheduled side-trip to Bolt Mountain Dam. I was going to skip that side-trip but decided in the end to join the others, as I hoped to get in a real swim on the other side of the dam. As we approached the dam, we realized that it was unexpectedly large. According to Wikipedia, it is 247 feet high and 913 feet long and composed of earth and gravel. There were several switch-backs up the face of the dam. I climbed the dam in the heat of the sun with the expectation that I could take a cool swim in the lake behind the dam once I got to the top. However, I was very disappointed to find that there was no more water behind the dam than in front of it-and there were no good paths to get to the bottom behind the dam. 

I found out from Wikipedia, that because of seepage problems, the dam is an urgent safety hazard, and can no longer safely hold all the water it was designed to hold.

Nonetheless, I think we all felt we had a very successful and enjoyable hike. According to my calculations, we hiked a little more than 9 miles in total (although we originally expected to hike only 6.8 miles). In my opinion, our leader was excellent, and I would not hesitate to hike with him again.

Nakedswimmer 

Hamilton Falls Trail is a 6.8 mile out and back trail located near Jamaica, Vermont that features a waterfall and is rated as moderate. It is 3 miles into the park, 2 of them are flat along the West River and the last mile is all up on a very steep incline ending at the Hamilton Falls. It is a beautiful natural waterfall that cuts 125 down sheer granite. If you aren't interested in going uphill, you can stay on the flat path for another mile and you would end up at the base of Ball Mountain Dam, also very beautiful.  Please don't forget to bring water, lunch and a bug spray.