Chasing Waterfalls: High Falls Gorge

For all the posts in the Chasing Waterfalls Series, go here.

Prologue: Inspired by the 2021 Hallmark romantic movie Chasing Waterfalls started my own blog, featuring the local waterfalls in the State of Connecticut where I live, and also may be any waterfalls that I might come across in my trips around America and the World. The film was released in July, as part of their “Spring Fling” lineup. The lead actress, Cindy Busby, plays the part of Amy Atwater, a photo journalist who goes to a remote town to find a mythical waterfall. Her co-star Christopher Russell, plays the part of Mark North, the guide at the lodge where she stays in while visiting the town.

Now I am chasing these majestic and gorgeous waterfalls. Next up is High Falls Gorge in the town of Wilmington in New York.

In one of my summer trips earlier this year, I had the opportunity to visit two waterfalls around the area where we went. The first one is High Falls Gorge in the town of Wilmington, New York. It is a 22-ace privately owned nature park where the AuSable River cascades into four splendid waterfalls, the whole of which forms the High Falls Gorge.

The west branch of AuSable River begins on the side of Mt. Marcy, the highest mountain in New York State, flows north before flowing into the Atlantic Ocean.

The owners provided a safe, wheelchair accessible, trail made of wooden steps and stairs built into the mountain all along the side of the falls. This gives an opportunity for everyone to see the falls in various heights and levels, all the four waterfalls cascading over rocks into deep crevices carved a billion years ago.

We not only enjoyed the mist of the falls all through the trail, but also learned a lot about the flora, fauna, surrounding nature; and even the waterfalls. This bluish gray Anorthosite rock is over 1.5 billion years old; and is considered one of the oldest in the world. It is the same type of base rock that astronauts brought back from their trip from moon.

We saw many potholes along the sides of the mountain; and closer to the base of the waterfall. These potholes are formed over great periods of time when an eddy or whirlpool cut and grind through the rock to form potholes.

It was surprising to see that the base of the falls left with a tan foam before the AuSable River continued its journey. The sign board near that mentioned that these foams were formed of natural vegetation when Rain collects this and joins it into the River water. Interesting!

Someone left this birdfeed for the birds.

One of the attractions was the glass bottom ledge that one could stand and see the river flowing beneath with the falls behind. At first I was really afraid to go, and just took pics of our feet. Towards the end I ventured on to the ledge and stood like a scaredy cat but braved a pose 😛

And finally here we are both of us with the falls behind us.

On the way back of the hike to the parking lot we saw these two huge cart wheels and a drum strategically placed by the fence that called us to take a snap with it.

An adjacent park area where once could sit and relax; eat if any refreshments were brought along; we saw this swing hangars and connectors set facing the AuSable River.

In the shadow of Whiteface Mountain, this 150 feet high, tallest waterfall in the Columbia County of New York State provides breathtaking views and scenic with photographic vantage points.