Anne and Floki’s Favorites
On August 27th of 2020, Floki and I finished the NYS Waterfalls:100+ Challenge sponsored by Dig The Falls by visiting 101 designated falls in upstate NY over the last year. We began the challenge in September 2019 and I figured it would take me a few years to complete, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, I had a lot of unexpected free time this year! Once the quarantine restrictions began to lift, we plowed ahead, traveling all over upstate NY. Many of the falls are roadsides or short nature walks. Others require some significant hiking. I am sure we did more mileage in the car than on our legs. A lot of it we did alone, just the two of us, and we had varying family and friends join us for others. My family thinks my obsession is insane, but for me it’s the opposite. These trips have been very centering and peaceful; the falls are inspiring.
These are my top 20 waterfalls from this challenge, chosen for their natural beauty or the memories of the experience, the company … or because I actually managed to snag a decent shot of me and the dog. I took all of these photos with an iPhone 11 Pro.
Salmon River Falls, Orwell, 7/3/2020
At the time of our visit, the trail to the base of the falls was closed for maintenance. We only had obstructed views through the trees and I was disappointed to not see this monstrous waterfall in its entirety. We were able to go out onto the riverbed at the top of the falls though. This view of the sunset over the gorge still leaves me speechless.
Beaver Meadow Falls, Adirondack Mountain Reserve, 8/23/2020
It seems no matter where we are in life, a real rainbow is always exciting to see. We noticed this one immediately as we approached. The falls are spectacular in their own right and the AMR hike is a favorite overall. I enjoyed watching this rainbow move and change in the light as we lingered. From what I can tell from other pics on the internet, it is frequently present in this spot.
Russell Brook Falls, Catskill, 8/16/2020
This location seems way out in the middle of nowhere and we had been warned to take caution traveling to this isolated region. So I was surprised to see so many people in the parking areas. It’s obvious why. The lower falls are gorgeous- larger and wider, and easily accessible on a short trail. I chose this picture of us at the upper falls because I love Floki’s smile.
Artist Falls, Cairo, 3/22/2020
What a sweet spot! Aptly named, this beautiful little covered footbridge is easily accessible and you can see the falls from multiple angles. Floki took a swim. It was a little too cold for my taste.
Agawamuck Falls, Claverack, 1/3/2020
Certainly not one of the biggest and grandest falls out there, but there’s something about how this narrow stream splays out at the bottom around the tree. Like a full skirt or a witch’s broom. I don’t know…I just love it.
Bash Bish Falls, Copake, 1/3/2020
This waterfall is a special one. My first visit was in the summer of 1979, when I was just shy of my 5th birthday. My most recent visit in October 2020 was my 5th. I’m sure I will go back many more times. Easily accessible and never disappointing, I am drawn to it in all seasons. That ice blue water is the real deal and can be seen all the way down the stream.
Rainbow Falls, Watkins Glen, 8/1/2020
This is a major tourist attraction at the southern tip of Seneca Lake and it’s easy to see why. I planned my vacation to the region for over a year, obsessed with seeing this one place. It was AMAZING. The gorge trail took about 2 hours round trip and there are multiple falls along the way. This is probably the most famous and I’ve seen tons of this same pic on the internet. It’s also on the cover of the original NYS 100+ challenge book. I was thrilled to snag this slow shutter speed capture without any other people in it.
Cohoes Falls, Cohoes, 10/20/2019
Team EML before that idea was even conceived! I convinced everyone to spend a full day fall hopping with the promise of refreshments at a local distillery at the end. There are several worthy vantage points from which to see Cohoes Falls. Often referred to as the Niagara of the East, we are lucky to have this tremendous site practically in our own backyard.
Plattekill Falls, Hunter, 3/22/2020
We visited this spot in the early days of the pandemic. While NYS was in varying stages of shutdown, opting outside was being encouraged. I had just begun the brand new Hudson Valley Waterfall Challenge and this location would count towards that as well. It’s a short hike to the base. I loved the ice and snow on the rock walls, but it was the rainbow that grabbed me. I somehow allowed myself to believe it was a sign that the pandemic and quarantine really sucked but that it would be short lived. Boy, was I wrong.
Lampson’s Falls, Clare, 9/22/2019
We planned an epic waterfall weekend in the Northwest region of the Adirondack Park. Christy, Floki and I set out on our own visiting 19 waterfalls and hiking about 30 miles. Our families met us up there to camp overnight. Lampson’s is one of several falls along Tooley Pond Road. It’s huge and dumps into a large swimming hole before traveling downstream. This is the upper section of the falls. Usually I’m looking for bold colors in my pics, but I love the downed tree, smooth rocks and shades of grey in this.
Creamery Falls, Van Hornesville, 5/14/2020
This is one of several falls along the Owen D. Young Nature Trail. It’s about 1 ½ miles of easy, family friendly woods walks. The place is kind of magical- all of the falls, trees, various plants and flowers. Just above this fall, is a cave system to explore. Since we were still under quarantine and there was nothing else to do, spending the day waterfalling was my kids’ Mother’s Day Gift to me. It’s not their thing and they are teenagers now, so quality time with them is all I care about. I have other great pictures with them and Floki in this spot.
Yatesville Falls, Root, 5/14/2020
This fall is deep in the woods but you can drive right up to it. It would be a great place to hang all day in hot summer. There are places to wade and the falls are really big. This was our last of many stops on Mother’s Day. My family was cooked and the dog was tired of being in the car. I could have gone on for hours more.
Mine Kill Falls, Gilboa, 1/1/2020
Christy, Floki and I had not done a hike together since October, so by New Years Day we were desperate for fresh air and exercise. We took the 3 mile hike from the east side of the park to see these incredible falls. You can also access them from the road on the west side. There are several sections of falls to see. Gentle snow fell the whole time. I have several pics of Floki like this. He is looking at Christy, who is standing at the other side of the pool. He loves her so much, and true to his shepherd nature, he checks for her, watches her, and wants us to stick together.
Rensselaerville Falls, Rensselaerville, 12/16/2019
This picture only shows half of the falls. It’s a short walk to the bridge we are standing on here, but there are a few miles of trails and you can make the steep climb to the top of the falls. This was a special day because my parents joined Floki and me. They had been following our journey all year on social media and wanted to be a part of our adventures. The ice and snow on the trail was all the more challenging for seniors with mobility impairment. But it also made the accomplishment and the time together just that much sweeter.
Partridge Run, Berne, 3/15/2020
My kids’ school had just shut down on Friday the 13th. We were all in a haze of “what is happening here”. A sunny March Sunday sent us into the woods to see 5 different falls. The rainbow here didn’t actually exist. It’s one of those things that happens when the sun hits the camera lens at just the right angle. The way it circled the falls captured me. If only I could step inside that bubble.
Cascadilla Gorge, Ithaca, 7/31/2020
The tourism industry will tell you that “Ithaca is Gorges!” It’s no lie. Ithaca has several state parks centered around the gorges and the waterfalls. Some are right smack in the middle of town. The water level was so low in late July, that many of them were a bit disappointing. Cascadilla was not. I have no idea how many stone steps we climbed, but it seemed like the falls just went on and on the whole way up. Everything about Cascadilla and Ithaca is ‘gorgeous’.
Talcottville Falls, Talcottville, 8/27/2020
I love this pic because it’s one of the better slow shutter speed captures I’ve gotten with an iPhone app. The falls are actually much wider- the left side somewhat hidden behind the cavern wall. It’s a short walk down from the road to the base of the falls. It’s really beautiful but the rotten fishy smell is unpleasant. I don’t know if that’s typical or a result of the rainy day, but it didn’t spoil my appreciation of the place.
Eagle Cliffs at Havana Glen, Montour, 7/29/2020
This is a very popular spot, especially in summer, so it’s unusual that we had it all to ourselves. Floki took a nice long swim in the pool while I took a moment of meditation in this cathedral like place. The whole space is just so beautiful. I love this picture with Floki because he tucked his nose under my chin. He does this with his dad ALL THE TIME, but never with me. I’m just grateful that I had this moment of bonding. It’s bonus that I caught it on camera.
High Falls, Chateaugay, 6/20/2020
Located north of the boundaries of the Adirondack park, following the river for 12 miles will take you right to the Canadian border. Access to the falls is through a privately owned campground. There are some trails at the top and 200+ winding stairs will take you to the base. There’s no way this picture can show the tremendous power of this waterfall. My face and my camera were wet with the mist created by the crashing waters.
DONE!!! Pixley Falls, Boonville, 8/27/2020
Waterfall #101. This was our 6th and last stop of that day. I wore my brand new Dig The Falls shirt because I knew if all went as planned, we would complete the challenge on this trip. Pixley is one of those popular spots that I see posted about on social media a lot, so I wanted to make it my exclamation point for the challenge. We celebrated a bit before making the 3 hour trip home.
Indian Kill, Schenectady, 9/2/2020
Whenever feasible, Ed Smathers, founder of Dig the Falls, will meet with challenge finishers to present patches and certificates in person, and hike to a fall. We had an awesome time with him and his adorable kids. We shared stories about the various falls, how the challenges came together, and life in general. He’s super cool and I have tons of respect and appreciation for the work he and his team do. I’m grateful to have found the site and the journey that it has launched us on.
The patch for this challenge is really one of the more beautiful ones out there. We were so eager to get it and it looks great on Floki’s harness
#10 Finishers! Boom!
This challenge requires you to visit 100 designated falls in NYS. The original book and its updated version offer many more to choose from. We will go to them all eventually just because we want to. As I finish writing this, I realize that a top 20 list is not nearly sufficient. I love so many more and it would have been faster to just make a short list of the few that weren’t really so great. There are something like 3000+ waterfalls in New York State alone. This challenge may be complete, but it is still just the beginning for us.
~Anne
To see the other 80 falls and how I tracked the entirety of our journey in real time, visit my Instagram @ annie_bat95.
For details on the challenge, visit https://digthefalls.com/waterfalls-of-new-york-state-100-challenge