Red Mill Falls
Posted: Sun Mar 21, 2010 5:26 pm
Can any waterfall be truly ugly? Maybe, if so, Red Mill would be the top of my list. Of course, it has some strikes against it, being it's in the middle of a city, has all sorts of dams and other industrial what-not around. It probably also doesn't help that I was there on a brutally hot summer day when the water was very low and a bit muddy.
For those who don't know, Red Mill Falls are located in the middle of the city of Rensselaer, NY. If you get in the right spot, you can actually almost forget where you are, and maybe enjoy the falls. Russell Dunn describes them on page 98 of the Hudson Valley Guide. He says to park on the road above and view from the top, and that there may be access from the bottom, within reason, over private land. I parked on the side street where normal parking is allowed, and walked to the top and then down along the falls. Some local kids were fooling around at the bottom when I got there, and no one seemed to care as I wandered around. I don't know who exactly owns the falls themselves and I haven't been back there in years to see if the situation has changed. I don't recall any posted signs, so it may just be a matter of finding a place to park.
There are several parts to the falls as they cascade down some very tilted sedimentary rock layers.
From the top, you can see across the Hudson River to the skyline of Albany.
There are probably many more views I could have taken pictures of, but it was so hot that day all I could think of was getting back in the air-conditioned car.
For those who don't know, Red Mill Falls are located in the middle of the city of Rensselaer, NY. If you get in the right spot, you can actually almost forget where you are, and maybe enjoy the falls. Russell Dunn describes them on page 98 of the Hudson Valley Guide. He says to park on the road above and view from the top, and that there may be access from the bottom, within reason, over private land. I parked on the side street where normal parking is allowed, and walked to the top and then down along the falls. Some local kids were fooling around at the bottom when I got there, and no one seemed to care as I wandered around. I don't know who exactly owns the falls themselves and I haven't been back there in years to see if the situation has changed. I don't recall any posted signs, so it may just be a matter of finding a place to park.
There are several parts to the falls as they cascade down some very tilted sedimentary rock layers.
From the top, you can see across the Hudson River to the skyline of Albany.
There are probably many more views I could have taken pictures of, but it was so hot that day all I could think of was getting back in the air-conditioned car.