Vaughan Woods (AKA Hobbit Land) is a small nature preserve in Hallowell, ME, just outside of Augusta. I’ve wanting to visit here for a while after seeing pictures of its waterfalls on Instagram. It’s a beautiful, peaceful to visit and the waterfalls certainly did not disappoint!
Finding The Trail Head
In Hallowell, find limited parking at the corner of Litchfield Road and Middle Street – this trailhead is listed as 2.5 Litchfield Road on Google Maps. This parking location is marked on at the top of the above map.
In Farmingdale, find ample parking afternoons and summers and year-round weekends behind Hall-Dale High School at 97 Maple Street. This parking location is marked at the bottom of the above map.
Trails and Waterfalls
Corniche Trail & The Loop: 2 Miles Total
From Hallowell to the Driving Bridge: 1/2 Mile RT. Loop 1.5 Miles
I parked on Litchfield Road and took the Corniche Trail down to the waterfalls on Vaughn Brook. I took pictures from the driving bridge and from each side of it and walked along the Brook Trail to twelve foot falls. The trail was muddy because of the time of year and the water was roaring.
I will definitely go again and enjoy more of Vaughan Woods’ trails! There are several different loop trails to take. I look forward to seeing the waterfalls with more foliage this summer and especially in the fall! I’ll update this post with more pictures and trail info after another visit to Vaughan Woods.
The pictures above were taken at 40mm with a 22 aperture and 1/8 second shutter on my Lumix GX85 Micro-Four-Thirds camera. I didn’t need an ND filter to capture the silky waterfalls because it was a cloudy, dreary day, which is perfect for photographing waterfalls.
Downtown Hallowell
When visiting the area, don’t miss downtown Hallowell! It’s a great spot for lunch, dinner or just grabbing a beer at one of the restaurants like The Liberal Cup, which is also a small brewery!