Waterfalls can be challenging.
By their very nature waterfalls embody a change in elevation, which means that to reach a waterfall you often have to climb a lot, either on the way to or the way from. Tough for many people.
How about enjoying spectacular views at not one, not two, but four majestic waterfalls after just a short hike?
Sounds great? Welcome to High falls gorge.
Where is High falls gorge?
Located off the route 86 in Wilmington, New York, and just a short drive from Lake Placid, is this 22-acre nature park in Adirondacks.
There are strong walkways securely suspended over the falls, and robust paths (including stretches of glass flooring) leading to some great look-out points.
It is a relaxed one-hour circular walk around the falls with views from different perspectives. For those who want a longer walk, there is a beautiful nature trail to walk through.
Highlights of the trail at High Falls Gorge
You do not need to climb over rocks or boulders to view the falls.
When you come in, enter the gift shop, pay for the ticket and go into the trail area.
Begin the trail by crossing a bridge above the Ausable River. A good place to take photos of the river and the surrounding landscape.
Now, walk through a wooded area alongside the river. Seating is provided alongside the path for those who want to take a breather or just pause to admire the view.
Next, you will cross another bridge passing through a lookout with views of the Rainbow falls, Climax falls and the Master Pothole. There are two potholes – Master pothole near the Mini falls and Porridge pothole near the Main Falls.
There is plenty of educational and interpretive signage that will tell you about the history of the falls, and how the power of water created them over millions of years. There are interesting facts about this place such as formation of the waterfalls, potholes carved out of rock and why you often see tan coloured foam in the water.
The whole area is full of wooden bridges with some steep climbs and descents, and others with flat walks across the gorge. It is definitely the perfect place for waterfall photography!
Two sections of this trail have glass floors. It is a great experience to walk on them and see the gorge beneath you.
There is also a shorter wheel chair accessible path without stairs!
Nature Trail at High Falls Gorge
After you have walked the circular path and admired the falls and gorge, you have the option of doing an additional nature trail here. It is an intermediate trail through the surrounding forest with some uneven surfaces and steep inclines. There are no boardwalks here. Look out for the many hemlock trees!
River View Café at High Falls Gorge
Enjoy a coffee, beer and also some delicious meals with inside and outside seating at the River View Cafe. The gift shop has good options for souvenirs, caps, clothes and books on the Adirondacks.
There are special rates available for groups. It’s a great place for senior groups with moderate fitness who are seeking easy walks and gentle climbs, ending with good food at the cafeteria after working up an appetite. School groups can learn about the history and geology such as glaciers, volcanic history, rock strata and large potholes.
If you are driving between Lake Placid and Whiteface Mountain in the Adirondacks, this is the perfect place to spend a pleasant hour or two of hiking and feasting your eyes!
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We do love chasing waterfalls. And will often plan our road trip stops around them. We would love to do a driving trip in New York State. So this stop at High Falls Gorge looks perfect for our plan. I love the there are many different viewpoints with great sights.
The High Falls Gorge area looks so beautiful! Those waterfall photos are incredible. Wow!
What a beautiful and fun leisurely hike! I will definitely check it out if I am ever in the area.
We’ve never been out of state when visiting NYC, but this hike makes me want to reconsider. The waterfalls are so pretty and I would like to photograph them! It’s nice there is also a cafe here to recharge after the hike.
I enjoy going on hikes, but even more when there are waterfalls involved! It’s great that this is an easy hike too.
I think I will like this place. The waterfalls look amazing, and I like the circular walk they built around them. Walking on the glass floors with the gorge below sounds like a great experience. I will do it even though with trembling thighs. lol.
The High Falls gorge in the Adirondacks is such a peaceful nature trail to explore. And the fact that it’s entire area has securely suspended wooden bridges and walkways with different views of the falls makes it so much easier to explore.
I can imagine the gorgeous vistas of the falls and the potholes from the glass floors. And a seating area and a cafeteria with snacks and drinks to relax and recharge your experience is a bonus.Definitely this place is great for seniors who are seeking gentle hikes and school groups who want to learn about geology of rock formations, potholes, volcanic eruptions.
That looks beautiful! I’ve only been to upstate NY once, it’s a great and peaceful getaway from NYC. I live in the West Coast and am going to visit Portland in March, they have a lot of beautiful waterfalls and gorges I plan to go to.
The four waterfalls at High Falls Gorge are a perfect destination for people who cannot or do not want to do a longer hike. Circular walks are the best anyway, because you do not have to backtrack and walk the same path twice. And of course a cafe for some refreshaments is always welcome, be it on a short or a longer hike.
The short hike is well worth it when you get to see four spectacular waterfalls. There is no denying the stunningness of High Falls Gorge. If I ever visit this location, I will definitely take a ton of photos of it. However, the rickety-looking narrow bridge stairs on the side rocks appear frightening. Thus, enjoying some delicious meals and beverages at the River View Café is a necessity to cap off the day!
Ace post ! I love hikes such as these, where there is a circular route and plenty to see. I will save this for a future visit to the area. Many thanks for sharing.
I love chasing waterfalls, so these would be ideal. And 4 of them!
Your first sentence reminds me of the many hikes I been on, a decade ago, to reach such spectacular waterfalls. Visiting High Falls Gorge with an easy hike sounds nice. You got me at the robust paths with glass flooring. Good to know that you’ll get to see 3 potholes and 4 waterfalls within the length of this short hike.
High Falls Gorge seems just the ideal hike for me that I can really enjoy. Short and plenty to see. Viewing four waterfalls one after the other is a rare opportunity in a short hike. Love the feel of the place through your photos. Very inviting.
I like that the walk to the High Falls Gorge is on a wooden boardwalk , I find these much easier to climb and descent on than directly on the terrain. The falls looks very impressive and definitely worth the hike. It’s great there there are plaques along the way with information about the area and how the water carved the stones to create the gorge. I would be interested in continuing the hike through the woods and see some other type of scenery after I see the waterfalls.
This looks like a beautiful hike! I love hiking to waterfalls and this part of New York has so many.. I’ve explored a lot of the ones around the Finger Lakes but not this one. Thanks for sharing!
Beautiful hike and great photos!
Thanks for sharing your experience at High Falls Gorge! It sounds like a great place to enjoy the beauty of nature without having to endure a difficult hike. I appreciate the detailed description of the trails, bridges, and viewing points, and the fact that there are options for those with different levels of fitness and mobility. The River View Cafe seems like a perfect spot to refuel after the walk.
I’ve never hiked in this area but it looks absolutely beautiful. Definitely adding to my list, thanks for sharing
As I love waterfalls, I would love to make this hike to High Falls Gorge. It offers incredible scenery! It’s great to know that the difficulty level is easy, as I would love to take my tripod for pictures.
I like the circular walking path because it is practical. Gorge discovery is perfect in the high summer because it is cool over there.
These wooden bridges look so super cool! This would be one of the hikes that I would dread and totally freak out about beforehand. But once it’s over, I’d be so proud and happy that I overcame my fear. Very inspiring – thanks for introducing this wonderful place!
The wooden pathway all the way up to the waterfall looks absolutely incredible! Even better that it’s so easy accessible, although it’s such a stunning place that I would even hike there for many hours to see it 😀 But this way, more people can enjoy it, which is really nice!