December, 2020 | US travel with us!

Waterfalls of Watkins Glen and Montour Falls

You have probably heard of or even been to Watkins Glen State Park. It was listed as the 3rd best state park in the United States in a 2015 USA Today poll. It IS a beautiful place to visit, but give yourself a couple of extra hours when in the area to check out some of these lesser-known waterfalls.

Hector Falls

This waterfall, just north of Watkin’s Glen, can be seen from your car as you drive along Rte 414. There are a few parking spots as well for you to get out of the car and admire the falls here.

Hector falls on the east side of Route 414 and where the creek meets Seneca Lake on the west side of 414.

The Falls of Excelsior Glen

This gorge, also just north of Watkin’s Glen, is easy to miss. There is room for one car to park on the grassy shoulder of the northbound side of Route 414 where it crosses the creek, but it is also just a short walk from the parking area at Clute Park. From this parking area, walk north until you get to the creek at the coordinates here.

Excelsior Glen is located along a stretch of the Finger Lakes trail/North Country Trail system. One could combine these waterfalls as part of a longer day hike. There are 5 cascades in the glen, but we only visited the first two. It was a cool November day, not ideal for creek walking. The first two waterfalls however, can be seen with only a short walk that didn’t require getting wet.

The second fall we encountered was so smooth! It was very relaxing just to sit near it for a bit before heading back to the car.

Aunt Sarah’s Falls

Just south of Watkins Glen is the village of Montour Falls. The next fall was another roadside stop along Route 14. Parking is on the left if you are heading south from Watkins Glen and the waterfall is on the right.

Shequaga Falls

Continuing south and veering to the right onto N. Genesee Street, is the village’s namesake falls, also called Chequaga or Shequaga Falls. There is plenty of on-street parking nearby the little Shequaga Falls Park. The park was decorated for Christmas with the waterfall as the centerpiece at the back.

The holiday decorations and the pretty waterfall made this my second favorite stop of the day. The best was still yet to come!

Deckertown Falls

Moving east, the next waterfall was found at the end of a residential street. There was parking and public access but it skirted private land, so if visiting, please be respectful of the neighbors. After a short walk along Catlin Mill Creek, the waterfall comes into view.

Havana Glen Park and Eagle’s Cliff Falls

The last waterfall we stopped at was my favorite. It was not as tall as Shequaga nor did it have as much water flowing over it as Hector, but it did have a serene setting and a nice walk to get to it. The park itself was closed for the season, but there was a playground and picnic areas and a restroom to make this a great summer destination for a nominal fee. It was just a short drive south from Deckertown Falls and not far from Route 14 if you were making this your first stop and viewing the waterfalls in reverse. There was lot’s of parking here.

The short walk to the falls first took you across the lawn of the picnic area, then it began to follow the creek, complete with the riffles seen in the photo above.

The path was a sturdy mix of wooden boardwalks, metal stairs, and stone steps.

I think this was my favorite fall of the day because of how lovely and secluded the short walk to it was. It was such a peaceful setting and we enjoyed it all to ourselves for awhile.

A little calm at the end of another adventure but before the rush of the Holiday season.

Chimney Bluffs State Park

This small New York State Park in Wolcott could be easily overlooked. Depending on when and where you go, one could potentially think they have seen it all in an hour, but I want to persuade you to spend a whole day here. Like with people, first impressions aren’t always accurate. This park might seem like it is just a pretty picnic spot on the edges of Lake Ontario but look deeper with me as I show you the many facets of this park that are revealed as the sun’s position changes across the sky.

There are two entrances to the park. The main entrance featured in the first photo is located off Gardener Road. The image above is at lake level from a lesser-used entrance with its own small parking lot off of East Bay Rd. If you can, arrive at this parking area with the rising sun and you will be treated to an otherworldly landscape. On the morning I first explored this park, the shore was shrouded with fog as I began my walk along the lake.

Early morning on the shore of Lake Ontario

The shoreline is just steps from the small parking area off East Bay Road. To the right, when facing the lake, is private property but by turning left one can enter the park and walk its mile-long stretch of shore.

A first look at the bluffs through the fog.

The most notable features of Chimney Bluffs State Park are the large drumlins along the water. This drumlin field contains large spires made from gravel, sand, and clay deposited after the last glaciers retreated.

A cairn and heron at the water’s edge and then the heron takes flight.

I was alone with the water and the wildlife as I walked along the shore. It was very peaceful. Before long many of the drumlins came into view through the fog.

I walked along for almost a mile before the number of fallen trees influenced my decision to turn around before I reached the opposite park boundary. It was very clear that the shoreline is always changing and eroding. Returning to this spot in another year might yield a very different scene. So I enjoyed this moment of Lake Ontario shore as I made my way back the way I came while the sun slowly burned off the fog.

After my solitary walk, it was time to get my family up so they could see it too. We started at the main entrance off Gardener Road. Here there was a nice overlook of the lake and some trails through the woods. There were also restrooms. The Bluff trail with views of the chimney bluffs has been closed in recent years due to erosion and its impact on safety. So after exploring here awhile we left to access the shoreline from the other parking area off of East Bay Road.

Views of Lake Ontario and some of the nature trails in the park.

Back along the shore, we enjoyed a picnic lunch and strolls along the water’s edge.

The chimney bluffs were much less ominous in full sunlight. It was a gorgeous May day with a bright blue sky and wispy clouds. The shore was a peaceful place to sit and read a book. The rocks were smooth and varied in color. They were perfect for building or skipping or collecting. We stayed all day.

I promised to show you all facets of this park’s personality and the grand finale is definitely revealed at sunset. I know there are plenty of great places to catch a Lake Ontario sunset but this was the perfect icing on a perfect day. I hope you are able to take the time to enjoy this park as throughly as we did.

Emilie Jonas Waterfall

I just received my signed copy of the book Waterfalls of Pennsylvania by Jim Cheney. It is a beautiful compilation of his travels to more than 180 waterfalls in his home state. If you love chasing waterfalls and are traveling through Pennsylvania, I highly recommend you pick up this book. Not only does it have beautiful pictures, but it also contains GPS coordinates, relative websites, waterfall stats, trail distances, and other relavent tips in a consistent and concise manner. You can find a link to purchase this book and follow Jim on his adventures through his popular travel blog and website Uncovering PA.

So after looking over his book and reflecting on my own experiences chasing waterfalls, I decided to write about a beautiful fall I visited this past summer in Lansing, New York. Lansing is located on the southeastern side of Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes region of New York State, not far from Ithaca. There is a very small parking area found off of Route 34, here. Though the trail and base of the waterfall are open to the public, it does pass through private land so be respectful of the landowners and their neighbors.

After a very short distance, a welcome kiosk highlights the trail ahead and gives some history surrounding the waterfall’s namesake. If you turn right from the welcome post you can view the waterfall from above and not have to attempt the steep descent to creek level.

View of Emilie Jonas waterfall from above.

Turning left from the welcome kiosk takes you down a steep and very narrow footpath, first turning away from the falls and then reaching Gulf Creek before winding back up toward the falls. After a very short walk, the waterfall appears in front of you and it is spectacular!

We enjoyed relaxing briefly at the base of the falls before heading back up. I have always enjoyed the feeling of being near moving water whether it be the ocean, a great lake, or a moving stream. There is research that the negative ions given off at sources of colliding water can reduce the symptoms of depression in some people. Perhaps that is true, so I will continue to chase waterfalls, not for risk, but for the calming presence that they bring.