Pikes Falls happens where Ball Mountain Brook butts up against a belly full of Precambrian rock. It’s a huge ledge of quartzite that creates some cool hydraulics. Water descends into a narrow channel and splits into three cascades with the highest being about seven feet. The rock collects the water again into an intermediate tub, then punches it through a narrow chute that spills into the main pool.

The pool measures about 40 feet from the cascade to the discharge and is perhaps 10 feet at its deepest. There’s simply too much cobble clutter to create a hole that’s deep throughout. The water quality is good. Runoff from the eastern flank of Stratton Mountain enters just above the fall. It’s clear and pure. No turbidity when I visited. However, there are lots of cabins and small holdings in the northern part of the watershed.

The best part isn’t the water at all, but the bedrock. It’s several hundred square feet of rock that faces east. You can bring the whole birthday party down here. It’s going to be warm all the time except when it’s overcast and rainy.

Pikes Falls is a community swimming hole administered by the city of West Jamaica. It gets heavy local use, but appears well cared for. It’s open dawn to dusk. No camping. No fires. No motorized vehicles. No littering. No altering natural vegetation.

Copyright Running Water Press 2002