Maine Stories

There’s another stop worth making before travelers reach Grafton Notch State Park’s string of natural attractions on Route 26 in North Newry.

The entrance to Step Falls Preserve is just before the spot where Wright Brook passes under Route 26. A marked, half-mile wooded trail begins at the parking area and leads to the top of the brook which falls 200 feet over large granite slabs and boulders created at the end of the last ice age.

Multiple cascades, pools and natural slides make this hidden retreat the perfect spot for keeping cool on a hot August day. There is room to sit, lay out or have a picnic around the largest pools. Half a mile up the road, 3,000-acre Grafton Notch State Park offers more views of waterfalls, picnic areas and multiple hiking trails.