Dionondahowa Falls

[Jeduthan]

This past Friday and Saturday I took a bike ride across Saratoga and Washington counties, stopping at a number of places. Eventually I camped overnight at Champlain Canal Lock No. 5 (with permission of the lock tender). One of the stops I made was Dionondahowa Falls, in Washington County just off Rte. 29 between Schuylerville and Greenwich.

To get to the falls, find you way to either Schuylerville or Greenwich. Traveling on Rte. 29 look for the turn off 29 onto Windy Hill Road. Drive about 6/10ths of a mile and look for a small two car parking area on the right. As you pull in, you'll see a 'Posted' sign nailed to the tree in front of the parking spaces. Look to the left side of the lot, and you'll find a trail that runs right alongside the posted property to the falls.

The area is day use only, foot access only, and carry in/carry out. The company that runs the hydro plant next to the falls provides access to the property. The trail itself isn't all that well marked, particularly when covered with fallen leaves, but common sense will tell you where the trail is. At one point the trail divides. The lower trail was gated off and locked when I visited. I climbed the short stairway, boosting my bike and trailer up them as well. (In keeping with the rules for foot traffic only, I walked my bike in and back out.)

At the end of the trail there's an observation platform for the falls and a second platform for viewing the Battenkill as it flows away from the falls and down to the Hudson. Unfortunately some trees near the platforms partially obstruct the views, so you may have to pick your spot for the best picture. Keep your head about you though, as I'd guess it's about a 150 foot drop down to the stream bed. It looked like some folks had made trails to the bottom, but the trails looked very steep with very poor footing. Besides that, I thought the more people that used the property contrary to the intentions of the owners, the more likely access would be cut off.

Even with the obstructing trees, the views were grand and well worth the visit. I'd guess the falls were about 75 feet or so, falling in two drops. A picture of a typical section of the path:

[Jeduthan]

Further down the path, the stairway where the path divides. Going up the stairs and continuing upward leads to the observation platform directly across from the falls.

[Jeduthan]

And, of course, the falls themselves! In the upper right corner the pine limbs obscure more than half of the width of the upper falls, but little water flows over on that side. The pine tree in the lower left obscures the base of the lower falls. I framed it as best I could for the single shot. So you can imagine how much better the falls will look if you should decide to make a visit.

[Jeduthan]

The view of the Battenkill as it flows toward the Hudson.

[Matt]

I missed this post. Excellent info and pics! Thanks!