Ready to chase New York waterfalls? Embark on an unforgettable road trip across New York State, where stunning waterfalls await around every corner. There are hidden gems like Eagle Cliff Falls and incredible places to hike like Watkins Glen and throughout the Adirondacks. This epic journey combines natural wonder with scenic drives and charming small towns. Whether you’re a photographer, hiker, or nature lover, New York’s waterfalls offer something for everyone. In this guide, we’ll map out the best waterfalls to visit, travel tips for each stop, and how to make the most of your adventure.
So, let’s cue up the sounds of TLC and let’s get you ready to start chasing waterfalls in New York!
For three weeks, I enjoyed an epic New York waterfalls road trip and I’m going to share all of the places I visited and tips for where you can stay along the way! You can follow my exact trip or include some places I didn’t have a chance to visit. I purposely skipped Niagara Falls because I’d seen it before and quite honestly – it’s become super touristy and I just wasn’t interested in going back. (You should see it at least once, though.)
Most of the places had waterfalls that were relatively easy to get to. Only a few were not easily accessible. I always suggest using good hiking shoes for any waterfall hike and stay off of rocks unless you’re in relatively good shape. Nothing ruins a road trip like broken bones!
We’ll start with an easy to navigate and clickable guide for future reference. Keep in mind that I bounced around a bit so your own route may look a bit different and be more fuel efficient!
Letchworth State Park
This was my first stop of my New York waterfalls road trip and it was amazing! Located in southwest New York, Letchworth State Park has been voted the “best state park in America” and for good reason. It’s absolutely gorgeous! Miles and miles of great trails, a stunning gorge with overlooks around the park, and even hot air balloons passing overhead twice a day!
The park has three main waterfalls – “Lower Falls” requires a bit of a hike and about 127 steps to get a view. Middle Falls is easy to get to from a parking lot behind the Glen Iris Inn with several vantage points. (You can watch the hot air balloons from here, too!)
However, it’s Upper Falls that really steals the show. The view of the water crashing down into the gorge with the Genesee Arch Bridge overhead is an iconic landscape that’s well recognized in this part of the country. If you’re lucky, you’ll even see a train crossing the bridge. Insanely gorgeous!
Home Base: Silver Springs. I found a terrific Airbnb for the night in Silver Springs but you can also find accommodations inside the park itself! Had I known ahead of time, I would have tried to book a cabin. The park is so incredible! I can’t wait to make a return visit.
Rochester
Rochester is known for many great attractions — including the Strong Museum of Play; The George Eastman Museum; and the former home of Susan B. Anthony — but it’s the Genesee River’s High Falls that puts Rochester on our list.
The waterfall, located downtown, is set to be the focal point of a future New York State Park. It drops 96 feet and is currently viewable from two different vantage points: A small overlook and a pedestrian bridge with seating. Both provide a great view of the falls – though at a distance. There’s also a lower falls in Rochester but sadly, it’s nearly impossible to get to or view. Hopefully the city will figure this out and make it more accessible – because it’s massive!
Home Base: Hampton Inn in downtown Rochester. Other things to do in the area: First, the Strong Museum of Play is incredible. (It’s one of my top 10 favorite museums in the entire country!) Other must-see places include the Susan B. Anthony home and the George Eastman Museum. (Eastman was the inventor of Kodak and you can walk through his historic mansion!) Another must-see is the Genesee Country Village – the third largest living history museum in the U.S.
Oswego County
About 45 minutes east of downtown Oswego was one of my favorite New York waterfalls! Behold the beautiful Salmon River Falls.
Getting to the base of Salmon River Falls requires a steep hike down a hill on stone steps and large sections of uneven rock. Be aware that the path can also be wet and slippery at times. You’ll certainly want to have hiking boots or shoes with good traction. If that’s not your thing — you can also see the falls from a viewing platform a short walk from the parking lot and a bit farther down the walking path, a short set of stairs will guide you to the very top of the waterfall.
If you reach the base of the falls – you’re treated to a beautiful scene — watching the water plunge 110 feet over a steep cliff of shale and limestone as it makes its way westward to Lake Ontario.
Home Base: Best Western in downtown Oswego, NY. Other sights to see while in the area: the West Pierhead Lighthouse and Chimney Bluffs State Park. And can I tell you – I found the BEST chicken fingers fast food place in Oswego! It’s called Tully’s Tenders. (It was so good that I ate there twice!)
Finger Lakes
From my “home base” in historic Geneva, New York – I enjoyed a scenic 30 minute drive to the south and found two great waterfalls accessible from the same parking lot. Just beyond Ontario County – in Penn Yan, Cascade Falls and Seneca Mill Falls are easy to find and just as easy to get to on the fully accessible Keuka Outlet Trail about a mile apart from each other.
Both waterfalls sit in what used to be an industrial area that’s been cleaned up in recent years and become a very peaceful and scenic area. After about a mile from the parking lot, just before you reach Cascade Mills Falls – there’s a nice pavilion with picnic tables. I saw a lot of locals out for a run or walking their dogs.
Seneca Mill Falls is the quickest to get to and the larger, more dramatic of the two waterfalls. It’s easy to view from a perch on what seemed to be the remnants of old industrial buildings.
Home Base: Miami Motel in Canandaigua, NY (This place is a super cool, mid-century modern, motor lodge that has been completely renovated with new amenities and bathrooms!) Other things to check out in the area include historic downtowns of Geneva and nearby Canandaigua – where Susan B. Anthony was tried after being arrested for voting. The Finger Lakes Welcome Center in Geneva is also a great stop upon arrival!
Taughannock Falls State Park
Taughannock Falls State Park is about 45 minutes from Geneva and one of the most raved about waterfalls in the Finger Lakes! Unfortunately for me, it was dry as a bone and I didn’t see anything. However, assuming New York isn’t in a drought when you visit – this should be on your list as the photos look amazing and nearly everyone suggested it. I just had bad timing. Plus the people that worked there were SO nice!
Watkins Glen
For years I had heard about Watkins Glen State Park and was happy to finally have it on my itinerary for a New York waterfalls road trip! Unfortunately for me – much of New York was in a drought during my visit and most of the waterfalls were seriously lacking water.
Now the good news! Watkins Glen is absolutely beautiful! Even without the roaring waterfalls (there are normally 19 of them) I loved hiking through the gorge. You’ll get quite a workout, too – there are at least 1,000 stairs to tackle if you conquer the entire loop.
Even though I didn’t personally see much water, this shouldn’t discourage you from adding it to your road trip. This is still an incredible park and it will be busy! Go super early and try to avoid weekends.
Home Base: Hotel Laurel in Watkins Glen. It’s similar to an old-school motor lodge but the rooms are freshly renovated and include beautiful views of the lake. There’s also an on-site restaurant and you’re super close to the park and downtown.
Montour Falls
Neighboring Watkins Glen is the town of Montour, New York. During my brief string of bad luck, the town’s most notable waterfall, Montour Falls was completely dry. But thankfully – it led me to a super cool discovery that had not been on my radar!
I found Eagle Cliff Falls – located in a small, unassuming town park. There’s a short trail that takes you along a bit of a narrow gorge with lots of small, cascading falls. Once you reach the top, there’s a really great waterfall that you can actually walk behind. Of course, on this day, it wasn’t pouring down like a firehose but the atmosphere and surrounding rock formations made it a great find.
A gorgeous waterfall, Deckertown Falls is only a few minutes away from Eagle Cliff Falls. There’s a small area to park for just a few cars. If you have good hiking shoes with solid grip, you can navigate down into the gorge and get a nice, though distant view. It’s really pretty, especially as the fall colors were starting to pop. The hike up to the top of the trail isn’t worth the effort.
Ithaca
My bad luck with New York waterfalls started to change a bit by the time I made it to Ithaca. Rain had started to move into the region and it certainly helped improve the waterfalls!
There were a few I visited in the area that should be on your radar. Ithaca Falls is right in the middle of town and easy to get to from a parking lot. It’s 150 feet high and 175 feet wide.
Others in the area include Wells Falls and Buttermilk Falls.
Triphammer Falls is worth a look but can be tough to get to. It’s located on the Cornell University campus and parking can be difficult. Try visiting after 5:00pm when there are fewer parking restrictions or during the weekend.
Home Base: The Hotel Ithaca is located right in the middle of downtown Ithaca, NY. It’s a great location for being able to easily walk around downtown and within minutes of Cornell University and most of the area’s waterfalls.
Robert H. Treman State Park
This was a really great place to hike and enjoy two great New York waterfalls! Both are very accessible and require almost no effort. The first is Enfield Falls (or Lower Falls) and up the road at a separate parking area is Lucifer Falls which drops 110 feet!
If you enjoy hiking there’s a moderate trail that you can follow through a gorge for roughly two miles. If you venture down closer to the water be aware that the stones are incredibly slick! Even with good hiking shoes I nearly wiped out a few times.
Robert H. Treman State Park is about ten miles from downtown Ithaca which can serve as a home base for exploring.
Syracuse
While Syracuse itself is not home to any major New York waterfalls, you’ll be in close proximity catch a few good ones while heading that direction. One New York waterfall that was under the radar is Carpenter Falls. It’s located in the small town of Niles and has a great parking lot and boardwalk for visitors. You’ll find a viewing platform to see the water but if you’re feeling adventurous – you can find a natural path that’s not maintained to get down to the base. (Lots of tree roots and rocks – use caution!)
Bucktail Falls isn’t too far off with parking for just one car. It’s not a huge waterfall but I still really enjoyed it.
Several bigger waterfalls are in nearby Madison County like Chittenango Falls and Delphi Falls.
Home Base: Best Western in downtown Syracuse. You’ll be able to easily walk around and discover downtown Syracuse from this location and you’re a short walk from Salt City Market which is an amazing place to grab lunch or dinner! Lots of great food options!
Madison County
Madison County has some great waterfalls as well as some really cool small charming towns to enjoy along the way! Chittenango Falls State Park (pictured above) is a must-see with its beautiful 167 foot waterfall and easily accessible walking trails.
Also in the area is Delphi Falls which is located within a county park. They’ve done a great job of making this fully accessible for everyone! While there are stairs that get you to overlooks, an easy walkway can get anyone right to the base of the falls which were so beautiful!
Don’t skip out on the All Things Oz Museum in Chittenango and spend some time exploring the charming town of Cazenovia.
Home Base: DeRuyter Lake Cottages – awesome lakeside cottages with multiple rooms, lots of space and a kitchen! I stayed in the Bass Cottage and loved the screened in front porch. The location is rural but only about 20 minutes or so from town. Seeing the incredible clear sky at night and looking at the stars is worth being a bit out of town.
Lyons Falls
This was a minor detour on my way to the Adirondacks region of New York but well worth it! Lyons Falls is a gigantic series of waterfalls that sit next to an abandoned power plant. I went by on a Saturday morning and no one was around. There’s a small parking lot if you travel over the bridge and turn left. (Your GPS will take you to the wrong spot and you won’t even see or hear the waterfall.) I almost gave up!
I wound up spending about an hour here just because it was so awesome. No real trails but the amount of water was incredible. Got some great photos, too!
Blue Mountain Lake
Buttermilk Falls is a short walk from the parking lot and was one of my favorite New York waterfalls during the trip! I’d suggest going early in the morning because it’s also a popular stop for tourists. OK Sip Falls was suggested and one of the highest waterfalls in the region. (I arrived late and was too lazy to do the 9 mile hike.)
Home Base: Steamboat Landing – Old school lodging right on the waterfront and close to town. The room had a kitchen and a back deck for watching the sunset.
Lake Placid
There were lots of waterfalls in this region of the Adirondacks! They include Roaring Brook Falls; Rainbow Falls; Flume Falls, and Split Rock Falls. There are also a few spots that are privately owned where you can view waterfalls for an admission fee. There were several spots that I was invited to (I didn’t pay admission) and stopped by to check them out.
One was High Falls Gorge just down the road from the Whiteface Mountain resort. It’s a 30 minute walk that gets you close to four large, roaring waterfalls. This might be a good option if you’re traveling with someone that can’t do the long outdoor hikes or if you’re on a time crunch. The trails were super easy.
While not a waterfall, the best part of my experience in Lake Placid was visiting Whiteface Mountain and doing the famous 27 staircase climb to the top! If you’re fortunate enough to be in the area on a beautiful, clear day, you must check this out! (There’s actually an elevator to the top if you can’t physically do all the steps.)
Home Base: Golden Arrow Hotel & Resort – located right in the middle of downtown Lake Placid right on the water and perfect for walking around the historic shopping and dining district.