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Aunt Sarah's Falls |
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Location
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Village of
Montour Falls,
Town of Montour,
Schuyler County
Maps -
Google Map,
Topo
GPS/Locations - N 42.35185 W 76.85597
Directions - Take Rt. 14 south towards Montour Falls and
the waterfall will be visible on the right (west) just
before hitting the the village. Pull off the parking area to
the left (just before the falls).
Or use
Google Directions. |
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Information
Number of falls: 1
Size/Types: 90 ft in height, it first freefalls
about a third of the way, then it fans out on a steep slop
of shale for another third, it then freefalls again into a
shallow plunge pool where it immediately crosses under Rt
14.
Best time to visit: Spring and after heavy rain.
Flow: low.
Waterway: not named.
Time: a few minutes. |
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Accessibility
Seasons/Hours:
Year-round.
Dawn to dusk
Parking: There is a small, dedicated parking area across
the street, just north of the falls.
Admission: free
Handicap accessibility: Yes
Pets: Allowed on leash.
Accommodations: none. |
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Description...
It's easy to miss Aunt Sarah's
Falls, despite it's Massive size. Rt 14 is the main road on
the west side of Seneca Lake, and when you are driving
down the road at 55 mph or more, you can blink and miss it.
The key is to look for the parking area to the east first,
then quickly turn your head to the west. The
falls is the unofficial boundary for the Town of Montour
(there's actually a small granite stone near the falls
marking the town boarder)- when you reach the village
within, you've gone too far.With cars zooming down Rt 14, it's tough
to enjoy this beautifully formed falls without road noise
(or the fear of getting hit for that matter), but it's a
quick and easy stop, and certainly one of the easier
waterfalls to photograph. View the fall from the parking
area, or cross the street to the small grassy area near the
base of the falls.
One of the more uniquely shaped
waterfalls, Aunt Sarah's Falls starts out with a thin ribbon
freefall. It then hits a slanted portion of the shallow
gorge and fans it out, it then finishes with a wide
freefall. The flow is often minuscule, but the large amount
of activity gives this falls a great deal of noise.
Upstream, far out of sight, is at least another 100 ft of
cascades. But the land is not accessible.
The Village of Montour Falls lies within a gouge carved
out of the Portage Escarpment by glacial and water erosion.
Aunt Sarah's Falls, as well as SheQuaGa Falls, both tumble
down it. |
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Trails
Difficulty: easy.
Markings:
View from the parking area, or at the base of
the falls. |
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History...
Although, the true origin of the fall's
name is not known, local legend states that it is named for
the Seneca wife of a pioneer who jumped over the falls to
her death.
Montour Falls, like Watkins Glen is
nestled within the basin of Seneca Lake. Thousands of years
ago, when the lake levels were much higher, this whole
region would have been under water.
Catherine Montour or Queen Catherine, was a matriarch of
the Seneca tribe of the Iroquois during the late 1700’s.
Known to be the daughter of a native
Huron and a French official, she was well versed in both
cultures. Since she could speak English in addition to
native languages, she was influential in dealing with early
white settlers in the area. Montour Falls was previously
known as 'Catherine's Town,' but was destroyed during
the
Sullivan Expedition during the Revolutionary War.
Rebuilt by non-native settles, the town was then called
Havana, and renamed Montour Falls in 1890. The village of
Catherine and nearby Catherine Creek are also named after
Queen Catherine.
Montour Falls was
an important trade stop and travel hub in its early years.
It played an important roll on the Seneca Lake Inlet when
the
Chemung Canal was built in 1827. The Chemung Canal
connected Seneca Lake with the Chemung River.
Around 1820,
Louis Philippe, who would later become the last king of
France, toured the Finger Lakes region and made a sketch of
the falls. This sketch is on display at the
Louvre Museum in France. |
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Do not miss...
The numerous
waterfalls in this
region.
Catharine Valley Trail,
when completed, will extend 12 miles from
Watkins Glen State
Park to Mark Twain State Park in Horseheads, NY, passing
through Montour Falls along the way. The trail follows the
old Northern Central Railroad and the Chemung Canal towpaths
with multiple historic sties along the way. Friends of the Catherine Valley Trail website. |
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Contact
Village of Montour Falls
408 W. Main St.
Montour Falls, NY 14865
(607) 535-7367
www.villageofmontourfalls.com
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Weather
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Photography Tips
▪ This is
a large waterfall with only a small area to shoot from.
Bring a wide angle lens or shoot from across the street.
▪ Busy Rt 14 is part of the character of these falls. Try to
incorporate it into your shot.
▪ Since the falls is so large and out in the open, shooting
it in bright sunlight is near impossible. Early day will
cast uneven shadows and the late sun will leave it in the
shade. It's best to wait for an overcast sky for this one.
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▪ See the Articles section
for more waterfall photography tips. |
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Area Attractions
Nearby Waterfalls
SheQuaGa Falls - Montour Falls, NY
(1
mi S.)
Deckertown Falls- Montour Falls, NY
Havana Glen - Montour Falls, NY
(2
mi. SE.)
Excelsior Glen- Watkins Glen, NY
Twin Falls - Dix, NY
(8
mi. W.)
Watkins Glen State Park
- Watkins Glen, NY
(2
mi. N.)
Hector Falls - Watkins Glen, NY
Lodging
The
Falls Motel -
Montour Falls, NY
Admiral Peabody's Lakeside Lodging - Watkins Glen, NY
Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel -
Watkins Glen, NY
Colonial Inn & Motel -
Watkins Glen, NY
Glen Motor Inn -
Watkins Glen, NY
Longhouse Lodge Motel and Manor - Watkins Glen, NY
The Inn at Glenora Wine Cellars - Dundee, NY
Bed & Breakfast
Wisteria
Way - Montour Falls, NY
"At The Falls" B&B - Montour Falls, NY
'bout
Time Bed & Breakfast - Montour Falls, NY
Echoes of The Glen B&B - Watkins Glen, NY
Cascata Winery at the Professors' Inn - Watkins Glen, NY
Benjamin
Hunt Inn - Watkins Glen, NY
Tudor
Rose Bed & Breakfast - Watkins Glen, NY
Glen Manor - Watkins Glen, NY
Idlwilde Inn - Watkins Glen, NY
Magnolia Place - Watkins Glen, NY
Sunrise Landing - Watkins Glen, NY
The Marmalade Cat - Watkins Glen, NY
The
Manor Bed & Breakfast - Watkins Glen, NY
1892
Seneca Inn Bed & Breakfast - Watkins Glen, NY
Madison Guest House - Watkins Glen, NY
Seneca Springs Resort - Hector, NY
Wineries
Glenora
Wine Cellars - Dundee, NY
Castel
Grisch Estate Winery - Watkins Glen, NY
Cascata Winery at the Professors' Inn - Watkins Glen, NY
Lakewood Vineyards, Inc. - Watkins Glen, NY
Atwater Estate Vineyards - Hector, NY
Chateau
LaFayette Reneau - Hector, NY
Bloomer Creek Vineyard - Hector, NY
Red Newt
Cellars - Hector, NY
Arcadian Estate Winery - Rock Stream, NY
Restaurants
Chef's Diner -
Montour Falls, NY
The Wildflower Cafe - Watkins Glen, NY
Montage Restaurant - Watkins Glen, NY
Seneca Harbor Station - Watkins Glen, NY
Seneca
Lodge - Watkins Glen, NY
Ice Cream
The Great Escape Ice Cream Parlor - Watkins Glen, NY
Arts and Crafts
Linda McIntyre Art Gallery - Watkins Glen, NY
O'Susannah's Quilts & Gifts - Watkins Glen, NY
Shopping
Guild Bros. Antiques & Gifts - Montour Falls, NY
Famous Brands Outlet - Watkins Glen, NY
Storylines bookstore & café - Watkins Glen, NY
Entertainment/Things to do
Watkins
Glen International - Watkins Glen, NY
Farm Sanctuary - Watkins Glen, NY
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Links
Captain John Montour
Story of pioneer life in Montour Falls
Friends of the Catherine Valley Trail website |
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