The Greater Rochester region is home to many beautiful waterfalls, making it difficult to pick just one from the extensive options available. Whether you’re a local resident, a college student, or a visitor from out of town, this list is tailored for you. It features five waterfalls worth visiting, especially if you haven’t seen them yet. Consider this list a starting point to help you explore the area’s natural beauty.
1. Letchworth State Park
Castile
Award-winning Letchworth State Park, a little over one hour south of Rochester, covers more than 14,000 acres along the Genesee River in Livingston and Wyoming Counties. Whenever anyone asks about my favorite places, Letchworth is always my first response. Letchworth State Park offers a variety of activities, including hiking on any of the park’s twenty-nine trails, hot-air balloon rides, whitewater rafting on the Genesee River, dining at the historic Glen Iris Inn, picnicking beside a waterfall, and taking a scenic drive through the park. Whatever your interests may be, Letchworth has something for you to enjoy.
2. Niagara Falls, USA
Niagara Falls, NY
Niagara Falls State Park, America’s first state park, was established in 1886 and designed by Frederick Law Olmsted two years before creating Rochester’s Highland Park. Visitors travel far and wide to see Niagara Falls, and we are fortunate to drive there in 90 minutes. The falls are majestic year-round, and I highly recommend going at different times throughout the year to witness the uniqueness of each season.
3. Corbett’s Glen
Brighton
Start your visit at Corbett’s Glen South for an easy walk to the waterfall. You can park along the designated shoulder on Glen Road. Visitors needing accessible parking will find two designated spaces after driving through the tunnel, but all other visitors will need to walk through.
4. Taughannock Falls
Trumansburg
At 215 feet tall, Taughannock Falls, pronounced tuh·GAN·ick, is the tallest single-drop waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains. The 0.75-mile hard-packed gravel gorge trail leads to the base of the falls and is open year-round.
5. Grimes Glen
Naples
Grimes Glen near Rochester offers a unique experience. The glen is open to the public and free to visit, and visitors are welcome to walk in the water. Many enjoy wading through the creek to see the first and second falls, which are 60-foot cascades.
Explore More
Grimes Glen is public, free, and you are encouraged to wade up the creek to the first and second waterfalls, both 60-foot cascades.
On a hot day, you can stand under a waterfall, swim in a lake, or wade through a creek at one of these refreshing natural swimming holes
Not all waterfalls are hidden in dark ravines. Many of the region’s most stunning waterfalls can be viewed from the road or a short walk.
50 New York State Parks Within a Two-Hour Drive of Rochester
Venture into one of these New York State Parks within a two-hour drive of Rochester and discover what makes them unique.
Freshwater Creeks Around Rochester
These beautiful creeks around Rochester impact us in such subtle ways they sometimes disappear into the background of our lives.
Where are your favorite waterfalls near Rochester?
Your insights and experiences are valuable. Please share them in the comments.
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Enjoy the Journey Together!
By some counts, there are at least 3200 waterfalls in New York. There are some waterfalls on private land that are not on anyone’s list. One example is the 10 waterfalls on Little Mill Creek near Dansville. This land was recently acquired by the Genesee Valley Conservancy. I consider myself fortunate to have visited this area for years (with the permission of the owners). The largest waterfall is about 48 feet high and flows over the same rock strata as the highest waterfall in Stony Brook State Park (about 3 miles away). Although parts of this creek have been party sites for high schoolers for years, other parts show no trace of human presence in decades. Viewing these waterfalls requires wading in the creek and climbing up some of the waterfalls. Watch the Genesee Valley Conservancy website (https://www.geneseevalleyconservancy.org/newsblog/wayland-waterfall-becomes-conservancy-preserve) for updates on plans for this land. There are a few photos of the area in this gallery: https://photos.randrews4.com/Landscapes/Little-Mill-Creek-Waterfalls/Little-Mill-Creek/n-B5D62h/
Thank you for sharing this information abut Gully Preserve. I’d love to explore it. It sounds like a wonderful hidden gem and it’s wonderful that the GVC is able to protect it from future development.
The Lower Falls are my local favorite. This waterfall is more accessible than the High Falls. You can see it from the Driving Park Bridge or walk down into Lower falls park and get close to the brink. If you are more adventurous, you can hike down the trail from Maplewood Park into the river gorge. If the river is not too high you can scramble along the rocks along the bank and get up close to the base of the falls. The other side of the gorge is accessible from Seth Green Drive. Since the bottom of the gorge has a hard layer of limestone (as opposed to a deep plunge pool at High Falls) the Lower Falls generates lots of spray. This creates localized ice storms in the winter and rainbows when the sun is shining. There are a few (dozen) photos of the Lower Falls in this gallery. https://photos.randrews4.com/Landscapes/Lower-Falls-of-the-Genesee/20110307-Lower-Falls-Park-Sele/
Ron, this is a wonderful description of the nature of Lower Falls.