The 10 Best Cliff Jumping Spots in Vermont
Vermont has 30 documented cliff jumping spots on CliffScout, 21 of them community-verified. These are the standouts — ranked by verification, documentation, and community activity, not hype. Every listing links to a full page with photos, heights, and access notes.
Vermont packs more classic swimming holes per mile than almost anywhere in New England, and several double as jump spots. The Dorset Marble Quarry — America's first commercial marble quarry, now a deep spring-fed pool — is the icon (privately managed in season: paid parking on Kelly Road, waiver required, follow posted rules). Clarendon Gorge's rope swing and pools sit under the Long Trail's swinging suspension bridge off Route 103, and the New Haven River at Bristol Falls, the Bolton Potholes, and Warren Falls on the Mad River round out the classics. Green Mountain water is cold even in August, and many holes sit on private or conservation land — parking rules are enforced, so read the signs.
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Dorset Quarry Verified
Dorset · jumps 10–30 ft
The oldest marble quarry in the US (opened 1785), now a beloved swimming hole right along Route 30 in Dorset, marked by marble sculptures carved into the walls. It draws large crowds on summer days. Access requires a mandatory… Full guide →
- 2
Bingham Falls Verified
Stowe
Bingham Falls is a well-documented cliff-jumping and swimming destination on Vermont Route 108 between Stowe and Jeffersonville, inside Mt. Mansfield State Forest (also reachable via the Stowe Land Trust's Mill Trail). A short… Full guide →
- 3
Bartlett Falls Verified
Bristol
Bartlett Falls (also called Bristol Falls) sits on the New Haven River just off Lincoln Gap Road, about a mile north of Bristol via VT-116, with free roadside parking on the gorge rim. A bedrock shelf plunges roughly 14 feet into… Full guide →
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Bartlett Falls (Bristol Falls) Verified
Bristol · jumps ~5 ft
Locally known as Bartlett Falls (also called Bristol Falls), this swimming hole sits on the New Haven River along Lincoln Road about a mile outside Bristol, VT. Roadside parking is on Lincoln Road roughly 0.2 miles from its… Full guide →
- 5
Bomoseen Quarry (Green Dump) Verified
Fair Haven
An old slate quarry pit within Bomoseen State Park, locally called the 'Green Dump' for the slate rubble lining the shore, near the park's Route 30 boat-launch access. A dirt clearing at the top of a short wooded trail leads down… Full guide →
- 6
Glen Falls Verified
Fairlee
Glen Falls (also called Glen's Falls or Glenn Falls) is a well-documented Upper Valley swimming hole on Fairlee's town forest land, reached by an easy 0.6-mile round-trip trail from a marked trailhead on Lake Morey Road, just… Full guide →
- 7
Dog Head Falls Verified
Johnson
Dog Head Falls is a compact but powerful 6-foot drop on the Lamoille River in Johnson, named for a boulder below the falls shaped like a dog's profile. It's reached by a short, easy walk from a pull-off on East River Road, and is… Full guide →
- 8
Buttermilk Upper Falls Verified
Ludlow
Buttermilk Falls sits in Okemo State Forest, reached via an easy roughly one-mile trail off Buttermilk Falls Road with free trailside parking; footing has roots, stones, and short scrambles. Branch Brook drops through lower,… Full guide →
- 9
Buttermilk Middle Falls Verified
Ludlow
Three-tier Buttermilk Falls on Branch Brook, Okemo State Forest, off Buttermilk Falls Road near Ludlow, VT; park along the road or at the lot near the Okemo State Park sign, then an easy 0.3-0.5-mile trail. This middle tier… Full guide →
- 10
Buttermilk Lower Falls Verified
Ludlow
Lowest of the three Buttermilk Falls tiers on Branch Brook, Okemo State Forest near Ludlow, VT, reached first (about 0.3 miles in, ~20 feet of elevation) on the Buttermilk Falls Trail off Buttermilk Falls Road; park roadside or… Full guide →
Exact coordinates, water depths, and community clips for every spot above:
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Cliff jumping in Vermont: common questions
Where is the best cliff jumping in Vermont?
The Dorset Marble Quarry is the best known, with ledges at multiple heights over deep quarry water. Clarendon Gorge (rope swing, pools under the Long Trail suspension bridge), Bristol Falls on the New Haven River, and the Bolton Potholes are the other favorites.
Is the Dorset Quarry free?
Swimming is managed by the private owners in season — parking at the Kelly Road lot runs about $15 per car with a required waiver/wristband, and parking on Route 30 itself is prohibited and patrolled. Posted rules about jumping change, so follow current signage.
How cold are Vermont swimming holes?
Cold — most are fed by mountain streams and stay bracing even in high summer. Quarries like Dorset warm up more at the surface but stay cold below. Water levels and currents also rise fast after rain in the gorges.
Browse the full list: all 30 spots in Vermont