The Deerfield River runs from the Green Mountains of southern Vermont through the hill towns of western Franklin County and empties into the Connecticut River below Greenfield. Its most visited stretch is in Shelburne Falls, where the river drops over a ledge of bedrock pitted with a remarkable concentration of glacial potholes: round, drilled holes scoured into the stone by meltwater-driven rock grinding at the end of the last ice age.
The Bridge of Flowers, a decommissioned 1908 trolley bridge planted with perennials since 1929, crosses the river directly overhead.
What to know
- Glacial potholes are visible when the water is low (typically late summer and fall, occasionally in late winter). The village maintains a viewing area on the Buckland side.
- Bridge of Flowers. The garden reopened April 1, 2026 after repairs, then closed temporarily on April 27 for soil replacement and replanting. Check the bridge site for the current gate status.
- Whitewater. The upper Deerfield (Fife Brook section, between Florida and Charlemont) is a class II-III release-based run popular with guided rafting outfitters in summer.
- Swimming. The river is swimmable in the flat sections upstream and downstream of the falls but dangerous directly at the ledge.