Adirondack Park Waterfalls

The Adirondacks encompass 6.1 million acres, making it the largest state park in the U.S. There are dozens of hamlets and villages to visit, as well as numerous lakes for fishing and camping. The falls are not Niagara-sized, but are beautiful and respectable in their own right.

Austin Falls is a both a geologist and photographer's dream. Pink rock has formed upstream along with potholes. The falls themselves are long and peaceful, with intermittent smaller falls and troughs. Sometimes, when the force of the water is not too great, swimming here is possible.

Beaver Meadow Falls are 60 feet high and require a hike of about 3 miles, taking approximately an hour and forty minutes. Spectacular.

The Boreas River winds through the central region of Adirondack State Park. There are no major waterfalls along this river, but there are several beautiful cascades. It is easily accessible.

The Branch Falls, aka Blue Ridge Falls, is a sequence of cascades visible from Essex County Rt. 2 in the Adirondacks.

Buttermilk Falls is usually pretty crowded, due to its easy accessibility, but it is still a beautiful area for falls viewing.

Death Falls, also known as Secret Falls, is near Raquette Lake. It is approximately fifty feet tall, and easily reached by a short walk. For optimum viewing, visit these falls during times of high water volume. During low water volume, the falls are barely more than a trickle.

Deer Brook - These falls do not offer big fall drama, but they are pleasant enough while hiking through in low volume water. You must hike through a gorge that is at times, rocky and steep, but along the way there a several little cascades.

Gill Brook Flume - The crevasse is somewhat small, but very beautiful. Although it is readily accessible, the flume feels isolated. To get a genuine feel of its beauty and power, visit this waterfall in the spring, otherwise, the Brook comes close to drying up.

Mossy Cascade is about 50 feet high. They are somewhat steeply vertical, as well as being centrally located within a wondrous glen. The water drops into a small pool, then wanders through a shallow ravine then continuing. It only takes a short hike to find this beautiful waterfall.

Rainbow Falls ranks as one of the tallest waterfalls in Adirondack Park, nearly 150 feet. The water flows into a beauteous gorge. It is rather difficult to view the falls head on because they fall inside the gorge walls. It can also be quite slippery due to the copious mist. These falls range in intensity from a trickle to a torrent.

Rockwell Falls can be viewed from your car. It is better, however, for safety reasons to park and walk to the bridge. You can see the falls better from this location. These falls are very powerful in the springtime.

Rocky Falls lacks the drama of the larger falls, and scarcely warrants a name of its own. At its peak, it is barely 10 feet in height, and after that is a progression of cascades, it is however, quite beautiful and peaceful. One can swim here easily, after a quick hike from Heart Lake.

Shelving Rock Falls is rather spectacular. Usually, the falls separate into two individual areas. At its widest, water tumbles over the crest for 50 feet. The two separate areas are individual and stunning on their own.

Split Rock Falls can be quite powerful. There are two drops, both are about 30 feet high. There is a pool at the bottom for swimming, although it can be crowded at times. There isn't much to mar the beauty of the scene, save for a road sign pointing the way to these particular falls.

High Falls, (this particular one is located in the Oswegatchie River), is only fifteen or so feet high. To get to these falls, you'll need to canoe or hike a ways. Not a very powerful waterfall, but beautiful in it's peacefulness and subtlety.