Waterfalls in New York
New York is one of the best states for waterfalls, and I'm saying that after only visiting the state a few times. Keep in mind that there are many, many waterfalls in New York not listed on this site (yet), and a great resource for finding falls here is the book New York Waterfalls: A Guide for Hikers & Photographers by Scott E. Brown. Even if you don't visit any of these falls, this is a great picture book, and from time to time I enjoy just looking through the wonderful pictures even when I know I won't be going there anytime soon. There are many more waterfalls that are off the beaten path in New York that aren't featured in that book, and I will hopefully have them all documented right here, but that will take many years, maybe even a lifetime, so we'll see. There are waterfalls in every part of this massive state, and the ironic thing is that the area with the fewest waterfalls is far-western New York, where Niagara Falls is. Another great thing about New York waterfalls is that many of them are in very nice parks that make the otherwise treacherous landscape easy to traverse. Subregions are listed generally west to east. Enjoy this wonderful state!
Western New York
Western New York includes all the waterfalls in the far western side of the state, bordered by Canada and Lake Erie to the west, and the Genesee Valley region to the east. This area of the state does not have very many waterfalls, but there are some nice ones. This is also where Niagara Falls is located (not documented yet), and that's plenty large.
Glen Falls
NEW!
Description: Glen Falls is a large waterfall in a town park that has consistent flow, but isn't terribly scenic. I'm not sure what it was about this place, but I wasn't impressed.
Hiking Description: Park in a large lot here (42.965718, -78.744626). From here, walk south a short distance to Glen Avenue. Turn right (west), following the sidewalk of the street. Cross over Elicott Creek on Glen Av., and then turn left and cross the street in a crosswalk. You've now entered Glen Park, and a paved trail wraps around a pond and over to the falls after 0.2 miles from where you started. The trail goes up some stairs to get to the top of the falls.
Total Mileage: 0.4 total
Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)
Date First Visited: October 15, 2024
Date Last Visited: October 15, 2024
Rank: B-
Hobuck Flats
NEW!
Description: Hobuck Flasts is a public fishing area and park, and it holds a very nice waterfall that is somewhat off the radar. The only catch is that the drainage feeding the falls is very small, and will only flow well during the spring and after rain. The hike is short, but still very scenic.
Hiking Description: Park here (42.699388, -78.940668). Head across the large bridge over Eighteen Mile Creek. The creek is very beautiful here, but on my visit, it was not flowing very heavily, and I was honestly expecting the falls to be a bust. I continued on however. The trail stays near the large creek, and after 0.15, there will be a trail split marked by a red, white, and blue colored post. Keep right, staying level with the creek. The trail narrows, and there is a drop-off towards the creek, so be careful. Just a few hundred feet further, there is another trail split. This time, go left, following a small tributary. This is the stream the falls is on, and you will come to the falls at around 0.2. I was baffled to see it actually flowing! The trail turns hard right, and crosses over the stream on a small bridge. From here, you can go left to a large, open viewing area to enjoy the falls.
Total Mileage: 0.4 total
Difficulty: 2/10 (Easy)
Date First Visited: October 15, 2024
Date Last Visited: October 15, 2024
Rank: A-
Indian Falls
NEW!
Description: Indian Falls is a large waterfall that you can only partially view, but it is roadside, and I still enjoyed it. The viewing area is from the patio of the Indian Falls Log Cabin which is a restaurant. I'm not sure if they expect you to be a customer to use this deck, because when I was here, the place was closed. It looked like a fun place to eat though, if it was open.
Hiking Description: Park in the large parking lot for the restauraunt, located here (43.026425, -78.399217). Walk over to the building, and the patio is right there, in front of the place.
Total Mileage: N/A
Difficulty: 0/10 (Roadside)
Date First Visited: October 15, 2024
Date Last Visited: October 15, 2024
Rank: B+
Medina Falls
NEW!
Description: Medina Falls is a large and powerful waterfall in the city of the same name. It has consistent flow year-round, so visit anytime. The falls is a bit of an engineering marvel, because Oak Orchard Creek flows under the Erie Canal, tumbling over the 40 foot falls very near to the canal itself. You can view the falls from the Erie Canal Heritage Trail, which is very easy. The trouble with this is that in recent years, the view of the falls has been obstructed by foliage, and it's hard to fully appriciate from the canal now. However there is another way, but it's a bit tricky. More information below:
Hiking Description: Start at this unmarked dirt lot here (43.222659, -78.382267). Walk down the small grassy hill to the Erie Canal and trail. Turn right (west), following the canal. Immediately, you will cross over Oak Orchard Creek, and you can see the top of the falls a short distance to your right. Continue a short distance further, and there will be a view of the falls through the trees. It's very obscured, as mentioned previously, but there is a way to get to the base. Keep walking to these coordinates: (43.2218929, -78.3839844). Once you get here, it will look completely unremarkable, but look to your right, over the guardrail of the trail. There is a ladder down there! This is your route to the base, so hop the rail, and descend down the short ladder. From here, a rough, but easily followed path heads rather steeply downhill. Quickly, it splits-keep left, going downhill still. You're getting close to the falls now, but you still have one more hurtle. The trail starts to get really steep, but luckily, someone has tied a yellow rope down this final descent. I cannot tell you how much easier this was made because of that rope. At the end of the rope, you're at the creekside, and the falls is just to your right. You can follow the rocky bank up closer to the falls, where there is plenty of mist. It's very beautiful down there, but it's hard to ignore this odd smell. This is likely from waste that gets dumped out of the Erie Canal and into Oak Orchard Creek, so I wouldn't wade here if I was you.
Total Mileage: 0.2 total
Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy) to the top, 7/10 (Moderate) to the base
Date First Visited: October 15, 2024
Date Last Visited: October 15, 2024
Rank: A
Genesee Valley
The Genesee Valley region of New York includes all falls in the Genesee River watershed, and this is where things start to get really awesome, really fast. There are some truly massive waterfalls here, including the five behemoths on the Genesee River. Furthermore, many waterfalls exist on tributaries, including some real giants. This region is bordered by the Western New York region to the west, and the Finger Lakes region to the east.
High and Lower Falls, Rochester
Description: This entry includes the two massive waterfalls on the Genesee River in Rochester. High Falls, the uppermost falls, is located right in the center of downtown, and you can see much of ths city from the park the falls is in. They illuminate the falls at night, which is pretty fun to look at (see picture below). Lower Falls is further downstream, and is even bigger than High Falls, but not as publicized. The best view of Lower Falls is from the bridge over the river on Driving Park Avenue, but a massive fence makes it hard to see it from here. Lower Falls Park offers decent views, but the trail stays so far from the edge that you can't see the whole falls from one spot. I remedied this by hopping the fence and getting a closer look, which was a pretty stupid idea, but the photo is nice. You can decide, just don't fall off the edge because you'd be so dead.
High Falls:
Park at the small lot here (43.163285, -77.613022). Head out on the paved trail heading towards the river. Quickly, this will end at a sidewalk paralleling the river. I would recomend going left first, which will lead to some fantastic views. After you've had your fill here, backtrack to the split and continue straight and this will quickly lead to a massive pedestrian bridge over the river, which leads to more great views of the falls. There are benches all along the bridge, making this a great place to relax.
Total Mileage: 0.1 total
Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)
Lower Falls:
Park here (43.181979, -77.630267). This is the parking area for Maplewood Park, but this is also the closest parking lot for Lower Falls Park. From here, backtrack to Driving Park Avenue on the sidewalk. Once you get there, use the crosswalk and cross to the south side of Driving Park Avenue. Turn left once across, and follow Driving Park Avenue's sidewalk for just about 100 feet, and immediately past the driveway for the YMCA, turn right, following the paved trail into the woods. This is where you'll enter into Lower Falls Park. After about 250 feet, another trail will head off hard to the left. Follow this trail to the clearest views.
Total Mileage: 0.25 total
Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)
Date First Visited: October 24, 2021 (High Falls) and October 25, 2021 for Lower Falls
Date Last Visited: October 25, 2021 (both)
A+
High Falls
High Falls at Night
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Lower Falls
Hume Falls
NEW!
Description: Hume Falls is a beautful waterfall that is significantly off the radar. Very few people have been here, but it is a pretty straightforward hike there. It is almost directly under a road bridge, but there's no way to get to the base from there (believe me, I've tried). The proper way to access this falls is from parking at the Hume Highway Garage. I parked at the lot above the hill, but later found out that you can drive down this hill very near to Cold Creek (the falls is on this creek). The nearest you can park to the start of the hike is here (42.468241, -78.131388). From here, you will follow the creek upstream all the way to the falls, half a mile upstream.
Hiking Description: From the aforementioned coordinates, begin following the creek upstream, headed north. There's a large open plain on the right side of the creek here for a bit, but there are a lot of prickly plants here, so make sure you bring long pants, or you'll be hurtin' for certain. After about 500 feet, the plain will end, and there won't be much space left on the right side of the creek, so cross the creek here to the left side. It's an easy crossing, and on the other side of the creek, there's an overgrown path that follows the creek slightly inland. It's easy walking here. After a bit, the trail meanders closer to the stream, and you may have to enter it on occasion, but it's easy wading here too. Near 0.28 miles, the stream will begin a long left turn. When you're here, it looks like two left turns, but after looking at a map, it's more of one, long turn. Near this point, there won't be much of a trail to follow anymore, so just pick your way up the creek. I stayed on the left side, which got pretty rocky and slippery, and it may be better to cross over to the other side of the creek sometime after 0.35. This is also where you'll finally get to see the falls, but it is still pretty far upstream. Continuing up the creek, you will pass some 'Posted' signs on the left, and I believe these are here for the houses that are near the creek here. If you could get the falls from here, it'd be so much easier! But alas, this is someone's home, so stick to the creek and continue on. The going is pretty slow here, but once you eventually reach 0.45, you will be getting very close to the falls, but there is a large, deep pool blocking your way. If you haven't crossed to the right side yet, you'll have to now. This is another easy crossing. Once across, continue upstream into a very sloppy section. You'll have to do some mild boulder scrambling, but the "sloppy" part is that they're covered in slick mud. It's not too hard, but just make sure you don't slip off into the creek. At 0.5, you'll arrive at the view pictured below, and it's very nice. You can climb up the lower section of the falls to get very close to the main upper drop if you'd like. If you do, you'll be right under a bridge, but there is no way to get up there! I was really hoping to find a shortcut back to the car, but no go. Check out the map below for more detailed information. Last thing I'll mention is that Cold Creek has a large watershed, and this picture was taken after just a bit of rain in a dry period, so it should be flowing most of the time.
Total Mileage: 1.0 total
Difficulty: 7/10 (Moderate)
Date First Visited: October 14, 2024
Date Last Visited: October 14, 2024
Rank: A+
Hume Falls
Letchworth State Park Waterfalls (3+)
#4
Description: There are three massive waterfalls in Letchworth State Park, as well as numerous smaller waterfalls that I have not been to. I will provide description for the three that I have been to, which includes Upper, Middle, and Lower Falls, all on the Genesee River. Upper and Middle Falls are encountered very close together, while the Lower Falls is a few miles away and requires a drive from the other two. Also worth mentioning is Inspiration Point, which has clear views of the Genesee Gorge and Middle Falls in the distance.
Upper and Middle Falls:
The closest parking lot is located here (42.581438, -78.045580), but if that's full, there are more parking areas a bit further away. From the previously mentioned location, head out on the paved trail going southwest. After you've crossed the road, the trail will come to the river's edge high above, and you will arrive at the Upper Falls after only 0.1 mile. Quite the view here, especially with the railroad trestle as a backdrop. Once you're done here, backtrack to the parking lot, but continue on the trail, which parallels the parking lot and road. You will soon distance yourself from the road, but you will still be next to the river. Notice how calm it is here. After about .25 miles from Upper Falls, you will come to Middle Falls, and it is massive! The trail wraps around the side of the falls, offering fantastic views. Some stairs will take you down a bit lower and closer to the falls, but the best views are from before the stairs. Thouroughly enjoy Middle Falls, and when you're finished, backtrack to the parking lot, clocking in 0.6 total miles.
Total Mileage: 0.6 total
Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)
Lower Falls:
Park here (42.588170, -78.015995). The dirt trail heads west from here, passing the octagon shaped gift shop. After 0.1 mile, you will come to a trail split. The trail to the left leads down 127 stairs to the best views of the falls and the footbridge over the river. The right trail leads to an obstructed view of the falls without any stairs. I would reccomend going left and descending the stairs to get the view pictured below.
Total Mileage: 0.5 total
Difficulty: 4/10 (Moderate)
Date First Visited: October 24, 2021
Date Last Visited: October 24, 2021
Rank: A++
Upper Falls
Middle Falls
Lower Falls
Papermill Falls
Description: Papermill Falls is a small but interesting waterfall that is easy to get to. It's in a small county park located here (42.871327, -77.761180).
Hiking Description: From the parking area (coordinates above), you are right next to the falls. You are currently on the west side of the falls, but the best views are from the east side. Go up to the road and cross the bridge to get over there easily. Some bootpaths lead down to the falls on the east side. The photo provided was taken from the east side, with the road in the background.
Total Mileage: <0.1 total
Difficulty: 3/10 (Easy)
Date First Visited: October 24, 2021
Date Last Visited: October 24, 2021
Rank: A-
Stony Brook State Park Waterfalls (3+)
Description: Stony Brook State Park is an amazing park that is definately worth a visit. There are three big waterfalls (two pictured), as well as many smaller waterfalls along the way. The entire hike is right along the creekside, and the scenery could not be better.
Hiking Description: Park here (42.520874, -77.695009). From here, head east on the wide trail. Quickly you will come to the creek where it is dammed to create a swimming area. Turn right here, and the creek will soon become naturally flowing again. After about .25 miles, you will cross a footbridge over the creek. You will follow the creek as it goes around some turns. Notice it getting more turbulent as some small falls and cascades come upon you. Around .4 miles, you will come to a second footbridge, but before you cross, enjoy the small but very scenic unnamed waterfall here. If you continue across the bridge, you will see that the gorge walls are getting tall. Near .5 you will come to the stunning lower falls. Perfect views await you here. Continue up the stairs to the top of the falls past more great views. There's a nice small waterfall just above the lower falls. If you continue on just a short bit further, you will come to the middle falls, which is as wonderful as the lower falls. You can get very close to both falls and appriciate just how big they really are. This is as far as I went on the trail, but there is one more major waterfall upstream. I didn't visit because there is no developed access to it, and from what I've read online, it's pretty dangerous to get there.
Total Mileage: 1.1 total to Middle Falls and back
Difficulty: 4/10 (Moderate)
Date First Visited: October 25, 2021
Date Last Visited: October 25, 2021
Rank: A++
Lower Falls
Middle Falls
Warsaw Falls
NEW!
Description: Warsaw Falls is a massive waterfall that most people only see in lower water. That is because you have to walk up the creekbed for much of the trip. Most of the time, this is said to be pretty easy, but while I was here, the creek was running high and it was not easy. It was pretty mild until the end, and then it started getting really tough due to the high water. With all that being said however, having the privilege to view this falls in such high water was spectacular, and the photo I got of it is one of the best I've ever taken. Get ready for a massive book.
Hiking Description: Park at the end of Jefferson Street in Warsaw here (42.733767, -78.140635). Head out on a wide, woodsy path headed due south from the road. The trail will veer right, and you will near Stony Creek, which is the stream you will be following all the way to the waterfall. The trail goes down to cross a very small tributary (likely dry), and then rises up a short, steep spot. From here, it's just a few more feet to the first unnamed waterfall, which I have dubbed the "Warsaw Slide". You are about 0.1 miles from the start now, and this is where you're going to have to enter the stream. Duck under a massive log that fell on the trail, and walk up the side of the slide. This is easier than it sounds, and you may even be able to stay dry doing it. This is a good time to mention that my directions are based off my experience in high water. I've heard it's pretty easy in low water. Anyways, once atop the slide, you're going to have to enter the creek. Stick to the right side of the stream for now, which is shallow and flat, making for easy wading. You'll be curving around to the left, and after a very short distance, you'll come to an area where the creek splits into two around a small island. The majority of the water flows on the left side, and during low water, I would assume that all the flow sticks to the left side. Either way, stay right on the side of the stream with less water (and the side you're already on), and quickly pick up a well trodden path to your right. This will lead slightly inland, and is easy walking. Near 0.18, the path will bring you back to the creek. It is flowing in two streams here again, with another island in between. There is a small trail marker on the other side of the creek, so you may think to cross here, but DON'T! It will be much easier if you instead just pick your way up the right side of the creek. So what I'm saying is continue following the creek from in the creek, but do not cross-not yet. Walk just 100 feet or maybe less, and the trail will resume on your right. Head inland again, following another easy trail. At about 0.25, this trail will dump you off at the creek, and you can see that it continues on the other side of the creek. This will be your first creek crossing. It can be a bit deep here (as much as 18"), but nothing terrible. Once across, the trail continues on the left side of the creek, and is more easy walking. It's a bit overgorwn in some spots, but it's not bad. You'll rise above the creek a bit, and pass a very short, but wide ledge on the creek, and right after this, you'll come to an interesting area with a bunch of flag markers. Very colorful here, and they will lead you on the right path. You'll have to cross a large fallen tree, and it won't be far after this that you reach 0.5 miles from the trailhead. Also near this point, the trail will head down a short, but steep section to get back down to creek level. There is a blue rope to help you down (it's no more than 10 feet). If you're hiking this in high water, this is where things are about to get REAL. Everything so far has been about a 4/10 difficulty, but that's about to bump up to an 8/10. Follow along the creek, staying on the left side. There will be an area shortly where you can get out of the water on your left, still following the creek. There's not much of a trail, but it's open enough, and it's better than walking the creek itself. At about 0.55, you'll come to a small cascade (photo below; listed as Warsaw Cascade #1). STARTS GETTING BAD now! Just before you get to the falls, the creek gets a solid 3 feet deep! This wasn't much fun, and I soaked my pants, so yeah, make of it what you will. If you make it through that deep spot, you can easily get above the falls on the left side. Not far beyond that, you'll come to Warsaw Cascade #2 (pictured below). You can get above it by picking up a short bootpath on your left, and then continuing up the creek from there. Once you get up Cascade #2, the creek takes on a rather straight line for a while, and you may be able to see Cascade #3 ahead of you. It will probably take you a bit to actually reach it though, as the going is getting really slow by now. You will eventually reach Warsaw Cascade #3 at about 0.7. Through the trees, you can finally catch a glimpse of Warsaw Falls in the distance from here, but the worst is still to come. To get around Cascade #3, you'll have to go through the deepest section of the whole hike, and it's about 3 feet again. I stuck to the left side, where it gets really deep, but it may actually be better to cross the stream here to the right side and ascend Cascade #3 that way. I'll let you deicide. Once atop Cascade #3, it doesn't really matter which side of the creek you're on, it's going to be rough either way. Continue picking your way up the creek, and as you're nearing the final right turn before the falls come into full view, you'll come to the worst part of the whole way. In high water, the following area is a 10/10 difficulty. It's difficult, dangerous, and exhausting, and it would be easy to hurt yourself here. Near 0.75, I was still on the left side of the creek. It begins to get really deep again, and walls close in on the left side, so you'll have to cross over to the right if you haven't already. This was a very difficult crossing because the creek was flowing so fast, and parts were over 3 feet deep again. It took me a while just to get across, but that's not all. There literally is no good way to get to the falls from here, so I just made my way slowly up the right side of the creek. I resorted to sitting down and scooting myself towards the falls. I was unwilling to enter the creek here, as it was unlevel and very slippery, so this seemed like my best option. So what I'm saying is that I sat down on the creekside, with my feet still in the creek because there was so little room, and hoisted myself inch by inch through this spot in the direction of the falls. It was really bad, and it got even worse when the current knocked off my swim shoe! I kid you not, it came off, and quickly floated down the creek. So now I'm just a few feet away from the falls with just one shoe! Luckily I had some other shoes in my backpack, or I really would've been in trouble. After this really tight spot, it opens up slightly, and I returned to my feet. Round the right turn, and the falls will be upon you. I literally arrived to this falls with one shoe on. I cannot explain to you how incredible it was seeing this falls, finally. You can climb up some rocks to get within mere inches of it, and it was the loudest thing I have ever heard. It was louder than any other waterfall I've even been to. The noise paired with the raging winds near the falls made for a setting that can only be described as resembling a hurricane.
Total Mileage: 1.6 total
Difficulty: 7/10+ (Moderate)(if visiting during high water, it will be more difficult than a 7, particularly near the end)
Date First Visited: October 14, 2024
Date Last Visited: October 14, 2024
Rank: A+
Warsaw Slide @ 0.1
Warsaw Cascade #1 @ 0.55
Warsaw Cascade #2 @ 0.6
Warsaw Cascade #3 @ 0.7
Warsaw Falls @ 0.8
Wiscoy Falls
NEW!
Description: Wiscoy Falls is a scenic roadside falls that has good flow year-round. Nearby to famous Letchworth State Park and seldom-visited Hume Falls, so plan a visit. Park here (42.504911, -78.082331). Walk just a few feet south to the road bridge over the creek, and look to your right to see the falls. A short trail leads to closer views of part of the falls.
Hiking Description: N/A
Total Mileage: N/A
Difficulty: 0/10 (Roadside)
Date First Visited: October 14, 2024
Date Last Visited: October 14, 2024
Rank: A-
Finger Lakes
Ah, the Finger Lakes, a truly remarkable area as far as waterfalling, anywhere in the USA. There is an absolutely massive number of waterfalls here, many of which I have not been to yet. However, the few that I have been to have really set the stage for what is to come. Most of these are pretty easy to get too, or at least have well constructed trails to get to them. The heart of the Finger Lakes is the city of Ithaca, which might have more waterfalls per square mile than anywhere else in the US. I have only spent an afternoon in Ithaca thus far, but I'm sure you could spend a lifetime exploring all the falls there. The Finger Lakes are bordered by the Genesee Valley to the west, and Central NY to the east.
Aunt Sarah's Falls
Description: Here's an easy one. Park here (42.352372, -76.855560) and look west. The falls is across the street, and be careful crossing the busy highway, but other than that, it's just right there.
Hiking Description: Roadside access.
Total Mileage: N/A
Difficulty: 0/10 (Roadside)
Date First Visited: October 25, 2021
Date Last Visited: October 25, 2021
Rank: A
Havana Glen
Description: Havana Glen holds a beautiful waterfall that is easy to get to. There is a fee to enter the park in the summer, but it was free when I visited in October. The box-shaped glen that the waterfall feeds into is unlike anything I've ever seen before, and is truly amazing.
Hiking Description: Park here (42.335666, -76.829350). Head to the south end of the lot and pick up the trail which immediately heads into the tight gorge. You will notice a nice waterfall just as you enter the gorge. It is unnamed, but real nice. Continuing on, the trail will go up some stairs, and it will get very tight, but it's not too bad because there is a rope to keep you from falling over the edge (maybe). It doesn't look terribly secure, but it's there nevertheless. You'll come to another small waterfall in an incredibly narrow section of the creek. Just beyond, the creek turns 90 degrees, and you will come to the massive falls and box canyon. The bluffs here are of particular interest, as they look like nothing I've ever seen. All this is after only walking 0.1 miles from the parking lot.
Total Mileage: 0.2 total
Difficulty: 2/10 (Easy)
Date First Visited: October 25, 2021
Date Last Visited: October 25, 2021
Rank: A+
Hector Falls
Description: There's a reason this picture is on the home page. It's one of the best I've ever taken, and you could take it from inside your car. This is the view from the bridge, and it is the best view, but if you're up for a bit of scrambling, you can go down either side of the creek for more great views, but watch out for slick spots. There is actually much more to this falls downstream, but it can only be legally viewed by boat from Seneca Lake.
Hiking Description: Park roadside on NY-414 near here (42.417776, -76.866689). Walk the few feet over to the bridge, and look east. That's it.
Total Mileage: N/A
Difficulty: 0/10 (Roadside)
Date First Visited: October 25, 2021
Date Last Visited: October 25, 2021
Rank: A+
Ithaca Falls
Description: Ithaca Falls is a fantastic waterfall that is absolutely massive and easy to get to. You can get very close to it, which is a bit scary, really.
Hiking Description: Park in this lot here (42.452385, -76.494262). Drive slow as this lot is pretty rough. Head out on the trail going east from the parking lot. You will come to the falls within 0.1 miles.
Total Mileage: 0.2 total
Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)
Date First Visited: October 25, 2021
Date Last Visited: October 25, 2021
Rank: A+
She-Qua-Ga Falls
Description: The scene that greets you at She-Qua-Ga Falls is one of the most shocking you could find anywhere. On an otherwise ordinary residential block of houses, there is one open space where there is no house. Instead, it is the small She-Qua-Ga Falls Park, the same size as one house and lawn. From the street, you can see the falls, and it is really something. You really have to see it to believe it. If you don't know what I mean, just look at the Google Street View for this place. s
Hiking Description: Park roadside on Genesee Street here (42.345069, -76.849847). Walk across the lawn of the small park to get closer to the falls.
Total Mileage: <0.1 total
Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)
Date First Visited: October 25, 2021
Date Last Visited: October 25, 2021
Rank: A+
Central NY
The Central New York Region is a very nice area that is most similar to the Finger Lakes as far as geography, but there are no more lakes. I still have many, many falls left to visit here, including some real giants such as Chittenango Falls and Salmon River Falls. The Central NY region is bordered by the Finger Lakes to the west, the Adirondacks to the north, and the Catskills to the east.
Whitaker Park (3)
NEW!
Description: Whitaker Park is a wild park that serves as a campground and day use area. The season only runs through the late spring to early fall, and seems to vary wildly based on the year. When I visited in 2024, it was closing on October 15, but the sign said it would close September 16 in 2025, so who knows. The good news is that this falls flows year round, and you'll actually want to visit in lower water for the best experience. You'll have to follow the creek to the falls, and it won't be possible in high water. The trail to the falls is fascinating, and you'll see why in the hiking description:
Hiking Description: Park near the sign that says "Waterfalls -->" in Whitaker Park in Lowville. You can't miss it when you drive in on the main road. From here, head down a steep hill on a wide path that quickly leads to the river and a nice viewing deck and staircase to creek level. The only issue is that part of the staircase was busted off, rendering the whole thing useless. I found a way down by walking under the deck, which was rough, but short. You aren't at the falls yet, just the river. Turn left, following Roaring Brook downstream. The creek is very pretty and flat here. Follow the river for about five minutes, and you'll arrive near the top of the falls at 0.2 miles from the parking lot. This is where things get tricky. There is very little space to maneuver here, but you can pick your way downstream if you go slow. This tight spot is only a few feet, so it shouldn't be too bad. If the weather is warm, it may be easier to just enter the creek briefly. Once through this spot, you're at the top of the trio of falls, but you can't see much falling water from here. However, you may see your route to the base, and it's gonna take some work. Basically, on your left of the falls, there is a massive expanse of glacially carved rock that you can walk/climb down like stairs all the way to the base of the upper falls, and beyond to the base of the middle falls. There is no way to get to the bottom of the lower falls, but it is the least interesting of the three anyway. I would reccomend just coming here in the summer, so the flow will be perfect, and it will be warm enough to wade in the scenic creek. I will include a picture of what I have began calling "The Whitaker Climb", which is the large rocky area you can climb down to see the upper and middle falls from up close. I'm standing part of the way up. This entry is dangerous because the large rock you have to climb down is rugged and sketchy, and it would be easy to hurt yourself here.
Total Mileage: ~0.5 total
Difficulty: 8/10 (Difficult)
Date First Visited: October 13, 2024
Date Last Visited: October 13, 2024
Rank: A+
Upper Falls
Middle Falls
Me ascending the 'Whitaker Climb', with Middle Falls visible
Adirondacks
The Adirondack region is a sprawling region that encompasses most of northern New York, save for the eastern shore of Lake Ontario. Despite often being labled as a massive park, it is more of a large collective of public and private attractions, with towns and settlements intersperced within. Either way, there are some massive waterfalls here, most of which I haven't gotten to yet. The falls up here look quite a bit different than the falls in southern New York, and many are much wilder, but that's part of the appeal. Enjoy the solitude of this remote area! The Adirondacks are bordered by Central New York to the southwest, and the Catskills to the southeast.
Grass River Waterfalls (4+)
NEW!
Description: There are many waterfalls on the poweful and wild Grass River, and I visited the most popular four. From west to east they are Basford, Sinclair, Twin, and Rainbow Falls'. The only other publicly accessible waterfall that I know of is Copper Rock Falls, which I did not visit. Each of the four have short and mostly easy hikes to get to them, with four different parking areas. I reccomend visiting from west to east, as the falls just get better as you go.
Basford Falls:
Park roadside here (44.342958, -75.053279). There is room for a few cars on the south side of the road here, near the trailhead sign. Walk under the wooden sign, which says 0.3 miles to the falls. The trail is wide and easy to follow, going up and down some hills, rolling with the land. Near the end, you'll begin to hear the falls, and the trail steepens considerably to reach river level. This is the most difficult part of any of the hikes on the Grass River, and still it's not too bad. Once at the bottom of the hill, the trail fades, but the woods is very open here, covered with pine needles. It's very pretty. The falls is rather small, but the setting is very nice, so visit if you wish.
Total Mileage: 0.6 total
Difficulty: 4/10 (Moderate)
Sinclair Falls:
Of the four falls here, this one has the shortest hike, and it's almost roadside. Park in a small lot here (44.337760, -75.045437). Another wooden sign points towards Sinclair Falls, heading into the woods going north. It will lead quickly to the falls, and wrap around to some more views. Won't take more than two minutes to get there.
Total Mileage: 0.1 total
Difficulty: 2/10 (Easy)
Twin Falls:
Twin Falls is a large waterfall that cannot be fully appriciated because the viewpoint is from so far away. Still worth seeing though. Park in a large dirt pullout here (44.334268, -75.026306). Follow an old road down to a gate, heading towards the river. Pass around the gate, and the trail will narrow. It gets very thin through some weeds, but after just a minute or two it will let you out at the river's edge. The first thing you'll notice is that it's hundreds of feet wide, and the waterfall is way, way on the other side of a massive pool. You're not going to be getting any closer though, so just use a long lens. It's called Twin Falls because a small portion of the river splits and is falling to the left of the main drop. You're much closer to this small falls, but it's not easy to get up near to it either. It's not worth the time anyway.
Total Mileage: 0.1 total
Difficulty: 2/10 (Easy)
Rainbow Falls:
The largest and most impressive of the Grass River Waterfalls, Rainbow Falls is a must-see. It will be flooded through much of the year, and actually looks best in dry weather. I visited in October after a dry summer and fall, and it was still running powerfully. The trail is short and scenic, and begins here (44.307334, -74.994158). After parking on the west side of the road, pick up the easy trail headed west into a beautiful forest. After about a quarter mile, the terrain will get much rockier, but the trail remains easy. You'll come to a small footbridge over a small portion of the Grass River that has branched off. On the other side, you're technically on an island now, and the falls is just ahead. The trail will split into many bootpaths, and it's really just easiest to explore them all. You'll end up at some fantastic viewpoints above the river of the falls, some of which will be getting sprayed with heavy mist. If you move a bit further downstream, it'll get dryer. After the trail splits, it gets a bit slick, but it's not too bad if you go slow. It's a bit tricky to get a good photo of Rainbow Falls due to the heavy mist and minimal places to view the falls, but it really is something to experience.
Total Mileage: 0.6 total
Difficulty: 3/10 (Easy)
Date First Visited: October 13, 2024
Date Last Visited: October 13, 2024
Rank: A+
Basford Falls
Sinclair Falls
Twin Falls
Rainbow Falls
