Buttermilk Falls

Born in the south of Plymouth and nourished by waters draining off the broad slopes of Fall Mountain, Hancock Brook descends nearly 60 feet over Buttermilk Falls, frothing with sheets of whitewater as it furiously races through a hemlock-shaded ravine.

That earlier generations likened these falls to buttermilk is no surprise; the white wisps of this exquisite horsetail truly do bear some measure of similarity to milk overflowing its vessel. After clearing the falls, though, Hancock Brook assumes a more relaxed demeanor, winding through shallow woodland valleys before emptying into the Naugatuck River in northern Waterbury.