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    High Falls Gorge

    3.8 (72 reviews)
    Closed 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
    Updated 3 weeks ago

    Services - High Falls Gorge

    Gift shops

    High Falls Gorge Photos

    HIGH FALLS GORGE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

    Recommended Reviews - High Falls Gorge

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    Erica O.

    This is an amazing short walk in the Adirondack. This is a deep crevice formed from the Ausable River with several waterfalls. You walk on wood and steel walkways and bridges and there are a few spots with glass for the brave. You can also do the nature trail which is a bit longer walk. The gift shop was very cute with all the usual clothing, stickers, toys, rocks and souvenirs. They had a small cafe with appetizers, salads, burgers and sweets and they had a milk shake bar as well. Our hamburgers were delicious, juicy and cooked perfectly with very fresh toppings.

    Map of High Fall Gorge

    While state trails offer the charm of free access, paying for admission at High Falls Gorge grants you a curated high-quality experience that you simply won't find on most state trails. From safety, scenic views and family-friendly amenities, accessibility and preservation efforts, a visit to High Falls Gorge is more than just a hike- it's an experienced design for those who want to enjoy nature and its finest form, with the added benefit of excellent service and comfort.

    Wrist band you get after paying entrance free
    Hwal L.

    My first reaction upon getting out of the car was pretty much 'they really charge FIFTEEN dollars?!?' My thought upon leaving was 'I see why they charge for admission,' and this is to say that it met our expectations. Parking is aplenty and it's an easy walk across a gravelly parking lot to the main lodge/gift shop which is where you pay the admission fee and get a wrist band (pictured). At the time of our visit the nature trail was closed, but we were told that we weren't missing much. There's an "easy path" and "waterfall walk," but unless you're accompanying a person in a wheelchair, I would say the waterfall walk would be the reason for visiting this thrilling site. Basically there are a literal cascade of four falls - main falls, mini falls, rainbow falls, and climax falls. The waterfall walk, a 1/2-mile loop, takes you around the rocky edges of the massive falls through steps, bridges, and jaw-dropping platforms that caused me bladder cramps simply looking over from a distance. I don't believe an adjective would be enough to describe the force and size of these falls, but suffice to say that I was thoroughly amazed and thrilled! Apparently they're closed for some time during winter months and it changes every year, so I would check their website or social media before planning a winter visit. Would definitely go back.

    Joshua C.

    Really cool place. You have to pay to walk the trail but definitely worth it if you've never done it before. The gorge has breath taking views and cool trails around the falls.

    The gorge is beautiful, but so is this view up river from the gorge
    Andrea O.

    Highly commercialized and very busy. There's a short hike, down to the gorge, plus an optional hike through the woods. They offer a nice picnic area, fire pit, a restaurant (limited hours). Beautiful view. Clean, safe, well done. Nice gift shop.

    Kellie R.

    High Falls Gorge is absolutely beautiful and fun to visit. At $13/pp, this is totally worth a stop! There is plenty of parking and it's easy to find. The entrance is also the exit/gift shop with a bar and restrooms inside. In the hot summer months, get yourself something cold to drink and wear sunscreen. It's not completely covered in shade throughout the walk. The walk is about 30 minutes total and there's an extra nature trail that is more of a real hike than the stairs on the gorge. The stairway trail is pretty neat with picture perfect areas. It's cliffside and has glass floors in some areas of the walk (although, very dirty so you can see much). There are also plenty of benches throughout so you can take it all in and not feel rushed by the other visitors. This is a great stop on your trip up to the mountains and worth the quick visit!

    a river flowing through a forested area
    Brandon E.

    This is 4 stars if you have small kids, if you don't I don't know if it's worth the price tag. We came when they first opened to avoid crowds and heat. I think for two adults it was $25, that is a bit pricey for maybe a 1/2 mile jaunt. If you do the optional mile long trail perhaps it's worth it, but we had a 3 and 2 year old in tow. The falls are beautiful, no doubt there and there are placards explaining a bit about how they were formed and other nature tid-bits. It was overall nice and the trails and bridges seemed well maintained. Admittedly I am scared of bridges but didn't feel unsafe on these. It does get crowded and so it was a bit of a pain when you wanted to get to certain observation points and wait for people to take their photos, etc. So I suggest coming early. Overall without kids, 3 stars, with toddlers 4 stars.

    Lourdes M.

    The first stop during our fall foliage tour package. I enjoyed the view, the short walk to the falls and the ambiance of the place. I found though the admission price a bit much comparing to other places I have visited that has the same amenities. It has cute restaurant / café / gift shop and recommended as hang out places while waiting for the rest of our company. I heard that they are open all year long except of course during holiday. A good place to stop by when you are in the area.

    Thu L.

    Great place to check out. The waterfalls are so beautiful. Easy and simple trail!

    Brian F.

    For a 45 minute walk around the gorge it's a bit overpriced. That being said, my children thought it was very cool so I'm glad we went. It's inferior to the Ausable Chasm, but still fun to do with the family as a morning activity.

    Walk way over the falls
    Michael A.

    Beautiful walk along the falls. Nice gift shop and sitting area on your way out. Only a half mile down And back trail currently.

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    2 years ago

    Was very pretty and got very nice pictures. Area was under construction and we received a discount for it but it really wasn't worth it.

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    3 years ago

    Views are nice but not worth the money. Go hike Owens pond or other nature trails in the area.

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    4 years ago

    We stopped here on a whim a few years ago. Beautiful easy hike. The falls were gorgeous.

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    4 years ago

    October 6, 2022. Great outdoors. Nice walk, clean, beautiful viewing and photos. Nice gift shop and things to purchase. Staff was great.

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    4 years ago

    Enjoyed our visit! Trails were well maintained, we did the waterfall trail and the more rigorous trail.

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    Ask the Community - High Falls Gorge

    Review Highlights - High Falls Gorge

    ed). At the time of our visit the nature trail was closed, but we were told that we weren't missing m

    Mentioned in 7 reviews

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    Whiteface Mountain

    Whiteface Mountain

    3.9(93 reviews)
    1.0 mi

    What a beautiful mountain!…read more As an adult first learning to ski, I found Whiteface fairly intimidating. Just the drive in with its sweeping views of the east slope landscape is awe-inspiring. As an Olympic mountain with the greatest continuous vertical drop in the eastern US, this ski mountain has so much to offer for all levels of outdoor enthusiast. The Bear's Den area is the perfect launching point for little ones, new skiers, or those who prefer to warm up with an easy slope. If you're ready to jump in, there's a series of greens, blues, blacks, and more that can be accessed from their main lodge area by a gondola and several chairlifts to the mid and upper mountain. Even on busy days there's so many miles of trails that it keeps the crowds spread out to a degree. Can the lift lines get excessive? Sure. But if you're not picky, you can ski around (or stick to the upper mountain) and you can get a decent amount of runs in. Great mountain to level up on. In the past year I've graduated to some of their blues and finally made it to their highest lift (at 4,386 feet!) to soak in the amazing views of the surrounding Adirondacks. I've hiked many a mountain in summer this height but it was rewarding to catch a ride to the top and make my way down on skis. I appreciated the trail matrix available this year to gain a better understanding of which blues are easier and which start to verge on black so that I don't find myself in an overly uncomfortable situation before I'm mentally ready to do so. While all skiing is generally expensive, I feel you get a pretty good bang for your buck. Great facilities with a mid-mountain lodge. Fun events to watch if you catch them on a day you're already on-mountain. I caught both giant slalom and slalom this last trip. I'm clearly no expert but, I'm a fan of this location and am grateful to have the opportunity to ski here a couple times a year when in the area. I will have to hike it sometime to appreciate all that the non-winter season has to offer.

    I have been trying to ski Whiteface for a while, usually one thing or another prevented me…read more Luckily this time I got a full day of skiing. Getting to Whiteface from my hotel in Lake George was easy; parking ended up being easy since I choose to park at the Bear Den Lodge area so I ended up almost to the lodge. I picked up my lift ticket RFID ticket from the electronic dispenser with no problem; by buying online in advance I got a discount price. The lodge was nice and even had racks available for free bag storage. I do appreciate that getting to the lodge and from the lodge to the lifts without having to climb steps. Overall the logistics were great for getting onto the mountain at the Bear Den area. The biggest downside I encountered was that the lifts were delayed almost 1 hour so that the groomers could redo the mountain since there was an ice storm overnight. I do have to call out the lift operator who kept us informed and entertained during the wait; it was much appreciated. Once the lifts were running there is one lift that gets you from the Bear Den area which is the beginner's area to mid-mountain and access to the rest of the mountain. Once I got skiing, Whiteface lived up to its Iceface nickname both early in the morning and then later in the afternoon. I was glad that they had regroomed the slopes so the skiing was good for most of the day. 3mmit and Lookout Mountain. I got to ski all 3 areas and really enjoyed myself. Little Whiteface was a bit limited since they had closed a whole face and one lift for race training. The Summit of course puts you up high and provides the choice to ski quite a few different trails and you can go to mid-mountain or the full 3000+ vertical to the base area. Lookout Mountain was opened later than the other areas and then was closed again for a while for regrooming; I was a bit disappointed by this since I found the Willmington Trail to be some of the best skiing on the mountain. A great long intermediate trail with fun twists and turns and variations in the slope, I would have taken a couple more runs on this trail if I had the chance. I really enjoyed skiing Whiteface, it is the largest vertical for any Eastern ski area. The lift system works well and navigating the mountain is not too hard. Having hosted the winter Olympics there is plenty of challenge and variety. Prices are reasonable, especially if you buy your tickets online and in advance. Because Lake Placid is a bit remote the lift lines were short. As long as the weather cooperates Whiteface is a great place to ski or ride.

    Photos
    Whiteface Mountain
    Whiteface Mountain
    Whiteface Mountain

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    Ausable Chasm

    Ausable Chasm

    4.0(143 reviews)
    24.2 mi

    Ausable Chasm, NY - billing itself as "the Grand Canyon of the Adirondacks" is a shamelessly…read moreambitious boast for an attraction that I'd more accurately describe as Watkins Glen with the consumer interface of Bushkill Falls, but there's no denying Ausable Chasm is a fun, scenic, and daring adventure for all ages! We came during the off season at the end of April, before the more high thrills activities like rafting & tubing, riverwalk, Via Ferrata adventure trail, rappelling, rock climbing, etc. were open for the season (usually around late-May to June through autumn). That was no problem as we are visiting with our toddler who isn't old enough to do most of these activities anyway, and, as we discovered, it was actually perfect and to our advantage, since as first-time visitors we only wanted/had time to explore the chasm itself. And as there were very few other visitors on a weekday, it was as if we had this private park all to ourselves! No need to jostle for views/photos, can enjoy lunch & snacks at the best picnic tables by vista points, and it's also more pleasant than hiking in hot summer, though many of the trails are shaded. The basic "trails only" admission is about $20 for adults & teens, $12 for kids 5-12, and free for under 5. All the other activities have additional fees, which can add up so you might explore packages, or even stay overnight at their campground & cabins. We are a family of hikers so wanted to do the whole perimeter and see the entire gorge (about 2 miles). But if you only wish to see the exciting parts and leave time for other activities, then you can turn back halfway and do the shorter loop (1 mile if you do the Inner Sanctum Trail which I 100% recommend as this is the "signature" trail along the canyon's edge. But note it has many stairs up & down). We took the Inner Sanctum (yellow) trail, crossed over to Big Dry Chasm and hiked to the Whirlpool Basin Overlook at other end, then looped back around on the orange trail via Little Dry Chasm. The trails are well maintained, with most of the outer edge trails on comfortable soft padded ground. They're mostly well marked except the end part is not really shown clearly on the park map so I used AllTrails. The orange trail (Dry Chasm Trail) is marked as more difficult, but it's basically just a regular wooded hiking trail that's not paved, with rooty and rocky sections. The park is very walkable for most able-bodied people. Even our 3yo was able to hike the whole thing by himself, with a bit of help over the orange trails. We loved our visit and are excited to come back when our child is older to do more activities! Will update my review when we've had a chance to experience all the action-packed adventures the park has to offer. TIP #1: No trail maps are given out so take a photo ar a screenshot. But there are maps placed along the trails marked with where you are. TIP #2: Porta-potties only on either end of the trails, so I recommend taking your nature break before setting out. TIP #3: There's a cafe by the Welcome Center but it's only open seasonally. Bring water. No garbage bins along the trails (cos bears!) so trash is carry-in carry-out.

    This place is the best. Great for families. Do the explorer package with river walk...ropes…read morebridges are awesome. Boat is mild, it's not white water rafting. Very safe. Go here and enjoy!

    Photos
    Ausable Chasm - Welcome center

    Welcome center

    Ausable Chasm
    Ausable Chasm

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    Wilmington Notch Campground

    Wilmington Notch Campground

    2.2(9 reviews)
    0.9 mi

    Website DOES NOT TELL YOU: THEY DO NOT HAVE POWER and that you can only run your generator limited…read morehours of 9am-11am and 4pm-7pm so if you need heat/air you are screwed!! See pictures of brochure attached. This is total BS and should be listed ON THE WEBSITE. They were just flippant about it like oh well we are a park so "quiet hours". Then SAY THAT SO I CAN MAKE AND INFORMED CHOICE IN ACCOMMODATIONS!!

    We stayed here because it was close to Lake Placid. (~10 minute drive) Unfortunately, Wilmington…read moreNotch is not on par with other NYSDEC campgrounds. We stayed at site 29 and we initially were unable to locate it. The reason for this was because it was the only site that did not have a sign. After setting up our site, we got the sense that we paid to get a small patch of ground but nothing more... One thing I personally did enjoy was the sound of the Ausable river in the background but unfortunately that was about it Unfortunately there were numerous things that we felt disappointed about... - Site boundaries were also not clearly distinguished. - There is virtually ZERO privacy between sites. No bushes or trees. - Facilities were not in good shape - No dish washing station - No handsoap in the bathrooms (I know its camping but if you have bathrooms, there should be soap) - For some reason, there were tons of flies everywhere (could be that we were close to the river) - Little to no shade cover if you are staying in the inner loop - Day use area was tiny - Difficult to to spot when driving along Route 86 Overall, not a pleasant stay for us. We usually enjoy camping in NYS campgrounds because there is a certain quality to them. Unfortuantely, Wilmongton Notch did not display any of this.

    Photos
    Wilmington Notch Campground
    Wilmington Notch Campground

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    Lake Placid Whiteface Mtn KOA

    Lake Placid Whiteface Mtn KOA

    3.7(33 reviews)
    2.9 mi

    Overall impression of this place was very positive. I was visiting over a holiday weekend, and it…read morewasn't overly crowded. Was pulling a 42ft 5th wheel (that'll come into play later). Lots of good to say about this place, and 1 not so good thing, so let's go. The good: -It's in a pine forest, so there are many beautiful, mature trees everywhere. -It's a big, sprawling complex with lots and lots of sites. Being in the Adirondacks, there's a big demand for tent sites, so there are more than you'd normally see at a KOA, but there are definitely more than enough RV sites as well. -The sites themselves (both RV and tent) are spacious and well shaded with big trees. Just about every tent site I saw was hammock-ready. Some of the austere tent sites are way down the hill next to the Au Sable river. They're a bit of a hike, but worth it if you're into that. -The facilities here are nice and well maintained. From the numerous bath houses to the recreation facilities, everything is kept in working order. The camp store is pretty nice, and has just about anything you'd expect to find in one. -The staff is super friendly and courteous, however, they actually enforce rules here. I've been to many campgrounds where they didn't, so this is a good thing. From speeding on campground roads to unattended barking dogs, they hand out notices. Not in a mean or obnoxious way, just maintaining order in the campground. That's not to say that the place is a madhouse. It's actually very laid back. I didn't notice any obnoxious late-night partiers. A very family friendly atmosphere. The not-so-good: Remember all those big, beautiful trees? There are large ones on the corners of almost every row, and if you have a larger rig, splitting those uprights can be a daunting task. We arrived after hours and had to negotiate this obstacle course in the dark. If you lead every turn exactly right, it's (mostly) doable, but difficult. At one point, we watched a triple-axle toy hauler do this same dance, only to get to their site and find that it was not physically possible to get into it because of how closely spaced the trees were. They had to go around the block to a different site. The strategic removal of one tree at the end of each of the tighter rows, and a select few in some of the sites, would likely alleviate the problem. Overall, quite pleased width this campground. Would visit again.

    Terrible campground. If you consider camping as sitting in a field then it's for you. Was told we…read morewould have waterfront property and that was a total lie. I will never be back

    Photos
    Lake Placid Whiteface Mtn KOA - Stay in style in a Deluxe Cabin.

    Stay in style in a Deluxe Cabin.

    Lake Placid Whiteface Mtn KOA - Breakfast time

    Breakfast time

    Lake Placid Whiteface Mtn KOA - Campers enjoying Lake Placid/Whiteface Mtn. KOA Holiday

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    Campers enjoying Lake Placid/Whiteface Mtn. KOA Holiday

    Quality Inn On Lake Placid

    Quality Inn On Lake Placid

    2.0(31 reviews)
    6.9 mi
    $$

    RUN! Do NOT stay here!!! This place is worthy of zero stars but Yelp won't allow it. Ad a human who…read morecares about the safety of others, i felt compelled to post. Here it is in a nutshell.... We traveled with young kids 5 hrs, the original hotel was altered due to a snow storm.... we had to find a place for one night. This place was avail. Upon pulling up to the location, we were immediately concerned with the lack of care and neglect on the exterior of the building. When I went to check in, the lady at the front desk told me that my room will not be available until probably around five or a soon after because they were short on staff. She said that they just can't have staff that stays on and everybody seems to not show up to work. Our room had Crayon wallpaper! I am not even sure what the heck that is... Scary, dirty, moldy, bad... the breakfast area they tried with individually wrapped due to covid, but the black mold Climbing the wall was insane. On a plus...the pool area distracted the nightmare around us! Abort abort abort! You should rather sleep in your car and sleep in this place. This place should be reported to the health dept and shut down ASAP. Do not visit. I am serious.

    This hotel needs renovation and a face lift. The wall paper in our room was crumbling and paint was…read morepeeling on the walls. Everything seemed old and needed updating. There was a corner in the breakfast area that seemed to be leaking from the ceiling and there seemed to be a hole. The pool area seemed like it once was a grand area but now is dirty and old. The hot tub temperature was pretty warm though so that was great after a long cold day outside skiing and snow shoeing. You need a car to get from the registration building to your room, otherwise it is a very long steep walk uphill. There are stairs that were blocked off and seemed dangerous, definitely not functional. Luckily we were in the same building as the pool.

    Photos
    Quality Inn On Lake Placid
    Quality Inn On Lake Placid
    Quality Inn On Lake Placid

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    High Falls Gorge - cafes - Updated May 2026

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