About this spot
Screw Auger Falls is a well-known, heavily documented swimming and picnic destination in Grafton Notch State Park near Newry, Maine, just off Route 26, with marked parking and a short, easy 0.2-mile path to the falls. The Bear River drops about 23 feet in stacked ledges, an upper 12-foot spill and a lower back-to-back sequence of roughly 5, 18, and 5 feet, carving a granite gorge lined with multiple pools. State park guides, regional magazines, and years of trip reports confirm families swim and picnic here all summer. The main hazards are slick, glacially-polished rock around the gorge and cold water even in July; officials discourage jumping from the ledges since pool depth shifts with water level. Access is legal, staffed, and fee-based, open 9am to sunset May 15 through October 15. Stick to wading, not jumping.