High Falls Gorge in Wilmington, New York

I tend to like natural attractions and so when we were first vacationing in the Lake Placid region in the Adirondacks of New York, I wanted to go and see High Falls Gorge. Location in the Town of Wilmington, just to the east of Lake Placid I found High Falls Gorge to be an interesting and fun place to stop and spend a few hours. In the gorge, the Ausable River drops in a series of waterfalls and enters a narrow gorge that you walk along and through via a network of trails.

Getting There!

High Falls Gorge is located on Route 86 in Wilmington Notch. It's about 20 minutes east of downtown Lake Placid and about 10 minutes west of the center of Wilmington. It's only a few miles from the Whiteface Mountain Ski Area. There's plenty of parking at the gorge. The parking area and the visitor center are located near the beginning of the gorge and after you purchase your tickets, you can start walking on the trails that go along, around and through the gorge.

Details

Since High Falls Gorge is a private attraction in the Adirondack Park so you will have to pay for admission. If you don't want to pay for that admission though, there's not all that much to see. The visitor center is home to a small cafeteria along with a gift shop and that's about it and none of that is very exciting.

If you do decide to pay though, you'll be able to go on the self-guided tour along the trails, which totals about a half-mile in length and takes you across, along and through the Ausable River as it cascades down into the High Falls Gorge.

On our visit, my partner and I spent about an hour and a half walking the trails, taking in the views, taking plenty of photographs and reading through the self-guided tour guide. I thought it was an interesting and fun experience and was worth the price of admission. The self-guided tour itself was well done. When you pay your admission, you get a small tour guide that describes the various locations along trail and they do a good job at introducing the various geologic concepts and natural history items to the average visitor. The only disappointment was the visitors center, which wasn't really isn't all that exciting (but when are there). I did find a few interesting books on the Adirondacks and the geology of the gorge and after walking around, it was nice to grab a quick snack at the small cafeteria.

Closing Thoughts

While I wouldn't go to the Adirondacks just to see High Falls Gorge, it's well worth a visit if you are going to be vacationing in the area. Go on a nice day and spend a few hours walking along the Ausable River and its gorge.