Waterfalls

I have heard that in the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York there are a
number of areas that have some very nice waterfalls. Can anyone give me some
information on where they are and the best time of year to photograph them?
Regards,
Gary

"Waterfalls and Gorges of the Finger Lakes" by Derek Doffinger, 1997

This is a fairly extensive and accurate compilation, but no book can catalog
all of the waterfalls in this region. There are far more nice gorges and
waterfalls in the region that can be found by word-of-mouth or by examining
the topographic maps. Generally the falls occur where the streams break
over the rim of the hills that surround the Finger Lakes.

There is really no one best time though the low water of summer is often
poor. Fall is great if you watch the rainfall amounts and react
accordingly. Winter conditions are frequently hazardous and require some
sort of ice cleats and maybe even insulated waders. You should not go into
a lot of these gorges alone or without someone knowing where you are. Some
good sites are posted so you need to get permission.

Generally you can photograph anytime there is water running with the one
caution that some of the best waterfalls are in NY State Parks that keep the
gorge trails closed in spring until they are cleared of any dangerous loose
rocks and ice. The State Parks typically have rules against going off trail
and I strongly advise you to obey. We had one fatality last year in Watkins
Glen, and typically serious or fatal incidents occur annually as a result of
off trail violations. They patrol and issue tickets. You should obey the
rules not only for your well being but to set an example for the many kids
you see around the gorges. Several years ago some Cornell students fell
from an icy trail at Buttermilk Falls, and the rescue effort took the life
of one firemen. The risks are serious and real. You may find landowners
unwilling to give permission because of the risk and liability.

My favorite locations include:

Watkins Glen SP- trail likely closed until mid May; dozens of waterfalls
Fillmore Glen SP- ditto; quite beautiful and often overlooked little park
Taughannock SP- trail open all winter; highest single drop falls in eastern
US
Treman SP- several falls, trails closed until mid May ?
Havana Glen near Montour Falls
Keuka Outlet at Seneca Mills ruins near Dresden
Letchworth SP on Genesee River- multiple falls
Ithaca Falls, Cascadilla Creek, 8 mile Creek - These pass thru Cornell
Campus and on to the lake

There are so many falls in this region that no one really attempts to count
them all.

Keep safe.

PSsquare

"Paddleman" wrote in message
...
I have heard that in the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York there are
a
number of areas that have some very nice waterfalls. Can anyone give me
some
information on where they are and the best time of year to photograph
them?
Regards,
Gary

"Paddleman" wrote

I have heard that in the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York there are a
number of areas that have some very nice waterfalls. Can anyone give me some
information on where they are and the best time of year to photograph them?

Try entering "finger lakes" waterfall into google.

--
Nicholas O. Lindan, Cleveland, Ohio
Consulting Engineer: Electronics; Informatics; Photonics.
psst.. want to buy an f-stop timer? nolindan.com/da/fstop/

Paddleman wrote:

I have heard that in the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York there are a
number of areas that have some very nice waterfalls. Can anyone give me
some information on where they are and the best time of year to photograph
them? Regards,

Considering I live in the region, I might know a tad bit about the area. There
are a number of falls in Central and Upstate NY - the NICE parts of the
State.

You can spend quite a bit of time just outside of Ithaca and Senaca Falls with
camera in hand........much fun.

Fred

--
"...Linux, MS-DOS, and Windows XP (also known as the Good, the Bad, and
the Ugly)."

PSsquare wrote:

"Waterfalls and Gorges of the Finger Lakes" by Derek Doffinger, 1997

This is a fairly extensive and accurate compilation, but no book can catalog
all of the waterfalls in this region. There are far more nice gorges and
waterfalls in the region that can be found by word-of-mouth or by examining
the topographic maps. Generally the falls occur where the streams break
over the rim of the hills that surround the Finger Lakes.

There is really no one best time though the low water of summer is often
poor. Fall is great if you watch the rainfall amounts and react
accordingly. Winter conditions are frequently hazardous and require some
sort of ice cleats and maybe even insulated waders. You should not go into
a lot of these gorges alone or without someone knowing where you are. Some
good sites are posted so you need to get permission.

In normal years, late June - Augest provides what I consider the best
opportunites.

Generally you can photograph anytime there is water running with the one
caution that some of the best waterfalls are in NY State Parks that keep the
gorge trails closed in spring until they are cleared of any dangerous loose
rocks and ice. The State Parks typically have rules against going off trail
and I strongly advise you to obey. We had one fatality last year in Watkins
Glen, and typically serious or fatal incidents occur annually as a result of
off trail violations. They patrol and issue tickets. You should obey the
rules not only for your well being but to set an example for the many kids
you see around the gorges. Several years ago some Cornell students fell
from an icy trail at Buttermilk Falls, and the rescue effort took the life
of one firemen. The risks are serious and real. You may find landowners
unwilling to give permission because of the risk and liability.

My favorite locations include:

Watkins Glen SP- trail likely closed until mid May; dozens of waterfalls
Fillmore Glen SP- ditto; quite beautiful and often overlooked little park
Taughannock SP- trail open all winter; highest single drop falls in eastern
US
Treman SP- several falls, trails closed until mid May ?
Havana Glen near Montour Falls
Keuka Outlet at Seneca Mills ruins near Dresden
Letchworth SP on Genesee River- multiple falls
Ithaca Falls, Cascadilla Creek, 8 mile Creek - These pass thru Cornell
Campus and on to the lake
There are so many falls in this region that no one really attempts to count
them all.

More than that, there are many I've noted that only some close by locals might
know about. Exploring is half the fun - in the country that is.

Fred

--
"...Linux, MS-DOS, and Windows XP (also known as the Good, the Bad, and
the Ugly)."

ospam (Paddleman) wrote:

I have heard that in the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York there are a
number of areas that have some very nice waterfalls. Can anyone give me some
information on where they are and the best time of year to photograph them?

Some of the largest falls in upstate NY are not directly in the Finger
Lakes region, but just west of them, in Letchworth State Park, on the
Genesee river. Fall is the prettiest time of the year in Letchworth,
usually the first or second week of October (but the foliage varies
each year--check with a local).

"Fred A. Miller" wrote in message

In normal years, late June - Augest provides what I consider the best
opportunites.


Fred,

I guess that depends upon whether or not it is a wet summer and whether you
want a lot of water in the image. Four of the last five years were pretty
dry after mid-June in most of the Finger Lakes region. I prefer before
mid-June since I can get some wildflowers in the foreground and still have
fairly full stream flow. It can be a real trickle in August unless we get
some heavy rain. For example, Watkins Glen Gorge and Fillmore Glen would be
nearly dead dry in August if there wasn't a dam upstream metering our
minimal flow.

PSsquare

PSsquare wrote:


"Fred A. Miller" wrote in message

In normal years, late June - Augest provides what I consider the best
opportunites.


Fred,

I guess that depends upon whether or not it is a wet summer and whether you
want a lot of water in the image. Four of the last five years were pretty
dry after mid-June in most of the Finger Lakes region. I prefer before
mid-June since I can get some wildflowers in the foreground and still have
fairly full stream flow. It can be a real trickle in August unless we get
some heavy rain. For example, Watkins Glen Gorge and Fillmore Glen would be
nearly dead dry in August if there wasn't a dam upstream metering our
minimal flow.

True for some years. I frequent some unknown areas, to photogs anyway, on
private land where I'm not bothered. Most of the falls are not all that high,
but offer a great abundance of wild flowers and wildlife. It helps to be a
bow hunter, as I find these little "gems" while hunting, and revist them at a
latter date. Where are you located?

Fred

--
"...Linux, MS-DOS, and Windows XP (also known as the Good, the Bad, and
the Ugly)."