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New England

Glacial Potholes, Shelburne Falls

  • Address
    • Deerfield Ave Shelburne Falls

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Lonely Planet review for Glacial Potholes, Shelburne Falls

The Native Americans called this area Salmon Falls, and the fishing here was so fine that warring tribes made an agreement that they wouldn’t fight each other within one day’s walk of the falls. These days, the geologically fascinating glacial potholes are drawing visitors. Ever since the end of the last Ice Age, stones trapped swirling in the riverbed have been grinding into the rock bed below, creating more than 50 near-perfect circles. The largest known glacial pothole in the world is here, with a diameter of 39ft. These days, a hydroelectric dam controls the flow of the Deerfield River over the potholes, so it’s possible that on your visit the water will be completely obscuring the holes. Either way it’s worth a look – if the flow is a trickle, you see the circles; if it’s raging, you’ll feel like you’re at Niagara Falls. The potholes are at the end of Deerfield Ave.