5 Beautiful Waterfalls to Visit Near Watkins Glen, New York

When I think of New York, my brain immediately goes to the Big Apple. But over Labor Day, I discovered there is so much more to this state to explore–especially natural beauty! The Finger Lakes area of New York is a treasure trove of gorgeous scenery–mountains, waterfalls, lakes, you name it. And one of the coziest spots to check out is Watkins Glen.

We originally visited Watkins Glen for its popular state park, known for its 1.5-mile Gorge Trail with nearly 20 waterfalls! As you can probably imagine, it can get quite crowded as people come from all around to see so much beauty in one small area.

But it turns out that the area around Watkins Glen State Park is pretty gorgeous, too. There are plenty of easily accessible waterfalls within a short drive of the town of Watkins Glen–and by short drive, I mean 10 minutes or less from the center of town!

So today, I want to share five fantastic waterfalls beyond Watkins Glen State Park that are beautiful, easy to access, and free (or almost free) to visit! The whole route takes less than 27 minutes of drive time, leaving plenty of day to explore, relax, and soak in the vibes.

Aunt Sarah’s Falls

Aunt Sarah Falls near Montour Falls — *The peaceful Aunt Sarah Falls*

Located on the outskirts of Montour Falls, NY (approximately 6 minutes from Watkins Glen), Aunt Sarah Falls is a peaceful cascade right along NY-14. There’s a small parking area right across the road, giving you super-easy access to walk right up to the base of this beautiful waterfall.

It has a small basin hemmed in by a cliff of moss-covered layered rocks, and it’s such a quaint scene. We visited on a “calmer” day, but apparently, it does get pretty epic after some rain, too!

Off to the side of the waterfall, you’ll find a few flowers and a wall of rocks where people have written messages or initials on smaller stones and then used the layered rock as shelves to display them! This is a relatively short and sweet stop, but that fun little tradition added an extra layer of interest for me!

Shequaga Falls Park

Right in the center of Montour Falls, you’ll find a towering waterfall with a small park at its base called Shequaga Falls. Parking is limited, but you can pull right up to the park’s edge and see the waterfall flowing underneath a small bridge into a large pool.

Tiered waterfall flowing underneath a bridge

There are several small benches and a garden where you can sit and admire the falls or walk right up to the edge of the reservoir and enjoy it up close. It’s such a sweet little park, and I loved how it was right in town.

This cascading fall is pretty impressive, too, with a drop of about 165 feet and a wide flow coming down three levels.

Eagle Cliff Falls

Plunge waterfall pouring into a small pond — *Eagle Cliff Falls is an absolute oasis!*

Probably my favorite waterfall on this route, you’ll find Eagle Cliff Falls in Havana Glen Park. It’s tucked away down a short dirt trail that takes you past several smaller cascading falls as you wind back into the woods.

small waterfalls flowing down a rocky river — *This trail has a number of beautiful falls along the way*

The main waterfall is a single, plunging fall that shoots out from the cliffs that form a little hidden oasis at the end of a trail. It shoots out far enough that you can actually walk behind the fall if you like, and the water flows into a shallow pond that’s perfect for a quick dip on a hot day!

This is the only waterfall that has an entrance fee, but it’s only $2 to access the whole park, which has a playground, picnic areas, and this gorgeous trail. Keep in mind that you’ll have to go up some steps and the trail is narrow, so you’ll want shoes with good tread!

Deckertown Falls

Small tiered waterfall flowing into a rock-lined river in the woods — *Deckertown Falls offers a peaceful and secluded view!*

Deckertown Falls is another tucked-away gem, although the hike is substantially shorter. Out of all 5, however, I would say this is the hardest to access due to the primitive dirt trail and rocky descent to view the falls.

*I loved the cool, layered rock formations in this area*

There are quite a few no-trespassing signs around the trail, so please respect them and stay on the designated pathway.

The initial fall is a beautiful tiered drop down into a peaceful creek. You can climb down the rocky embankment to view it from the front, but there isn’t a designated viewing platform, so watch your step.

*Be very careful as you climb down to the river bank to get the best view of the falls*

But this isn’t the only pretty view at Deckertown Falls! Following the trail beyond the initial waterfall and up the hill will lead you along the edge of a cliff that runs beside the river and eventually to another double waterfall! (You’ll also be able to glimpse some additional falls along the trail, depending on how thick the tree cover is.)

*The waterfall further down the trail is even more impressive!*

This seemed to run directly underneath a bypass, and there wasn’t a great way to get down to the water’s edge due to the slick rock and muddy banks. I thought these falls were a bit more impressive than the initial one, although not quite as picturesque.

*I loved this view, except for the poor, dead deer in the middle 🙁*

Hector Falls

The grand finale of this waterfall-chasing tour is Hector Falls. Located right by Seneca Lake on Route 414, this stunning waterfall only requires about 10 seconds of walking to take in its splendor!

The fall flows over the hills directly behind a two-lane bridge, with Seneca Lake visible in the distance on the other side. To view the falls, use the small pull-off area before the bridge, and be sure to stay in the wide curb area for safety.

*The cascades on this waterfall are so impressive!*

Since it’s just a pull-off, there’s nothing to do here besides view the falls, but they are absolutely spectacular! The water flows down multiple tiers of rock in various rivulets and cascades before flowing into a pond at the bottom. That pond flows under the bridge before immediately dropping down another smaller fall and continuing toward Seneca Lake.

*Seneca Lake, as seen from Hector Falls*

See More of These Gorgeous Falls on YouTube!

Closing Thoughts on These Accessible Waterfalls

We had such a wonderful morning driving around to these gorgeous waterfalls! It was the perfect way to wrap up our visit to Watkins Glen, NY, before making the 9-hour drive home. I also loved how easy it was to access each of these falls since 3 of them don’t even require a walk! The two that did were a nice way to break up time in the car and well worth the easy trails.

And the best part: no crowds! The day before, we’d visited Watkins Glen State Park, and I was very bummed at the number of people we had to share the trails with. But I think we saw a total of 5 people on this excursion, giving us much more peace and quiet to enjoy the scenery.

Thanks for dropping by to read this post. Before you go, I encourage you to check out my post on Watkins Glen State Park and its beautiful Gorge Trail, which features 19 waterfalls in just 1.5 miles.It’s an absolute must-see in the Finger Lakes area of New York! I also have adventures from all over the globe, so don’t hesitate to dive in!

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