FBC conserved 600 acres on the east shore of the West Branch of the Union River at Mariaville Falls and holds a conservation easements on 42 acres across the river on the west shore.

In the early 1800’s, William Bingham of Philadelphia established a thriving village at Mariaville Falls. There is no longer any trace of the dam, the two timber mills, the tannery or the boardinghouse and homes that once comprised a village of fifty families.

(The town name is pronounced “muh-RY-uh-vill”.)

Trail Description

To get to the trail, start at the FBC Mariaville Falls Preserve sign on Route 181. Follow the gravel access road that leads to a parking area and kiosk. From there, a trail follows the shoreline and high ground to Mariaville Falls. Mariaville Falls is a dramatic stair falls that can be seen from an overlook along the path. Then the trail runs north along meandering slack water towards Route 9 and ends at a bend in the river. The river is clean and wild as far as you can see.

Directions

From Route 9/Arline Road in Amherst, turn south onto Mariaville Road (Route 181) for 2.9 Miles until you reach the preserve sign on the right.

The trail to the falls runs to the right along the river. In wet weather or high water, the trail can be a bit difficult. The trail leads to an overlook of the Falls.