Carpenter Falls - Waterfall Photos, Maps, Information

Carpenter Falls / Angel Falls
AKA: Carpenters Falls, Carpenter's Falls, Bear Swamp Cascades

Location -20 minutes south of the village of Skaneateles, directly north of the village of New Hope. Located in the Bahar Nature Preserve and Bear Swamp State Forest. Cayuga County
Maps - Google Map, Bird's eye view, Multi-map (topo)
GPS/Locations - Carpenter Falls: N 42.81174 / W 76.34305, Downstream falls: N 42.81593 / W 76.33932, Angel Falls: N 42.81775 / W 76.33831
Directions - Take Rt. 20 towards Skaneateles until you reach Rt. 41A (west lake road). Travel south down West Lake Road for 11 miles until you see Apple Tree Point Road on your left. Go down Apple Tree Point Road for 0.5 miles and you’ll see a small parking area on your left. There is a small kiosk with information about the park and pointers leading to the different falls.
Or use Google Directions.

Information
Number of falls: 4, of which 2 are directly accessible.
Size/Types: Carpenter falls is a 90’ Ribbon plunge fall, Angel Falls is a 62’ overhanging drop and cascade (similar to Tinkers Falls). The two other falls are around 11-30’, various cascades and chutes that are not directly accessible from the trails.
Best time to visit: Spring, early summer, and fall for the best water flow. The upper 90’ ribbon is easily accessible in winter and completely frozen over at this time.
Flow: moderate, but variable, depending on rainfall.
Waterway: Bear Swamp Creek
Time: 1 hour

Accessibility
Carpenters Falls is now owned by the Finger Lakes Land Trust which is also working to preserve more of the adjacent Skaneateles highlands. Not all the land adjacent to bear swamp creek is accessible. Keep an eye out for posted signs and respect private property by not trespassing. Also you must keep in mind that this is not public property, but property conserved and shared with the public. Please respect it.
Seasons/Hours: Year round. All day, all night.
Parking: A small pullover on the left side of Appletree Point Road. Parking for a few cars.
Admission: Free
Handicap accessibility: no
Pets: Allowed on leash.
Accommodations: none.

Description...
Nestled in the "Skaneateles Highlands," Carpenters Falls is fed by Bear Swamp Creek – a clear and clean water source in the protected and closely monitored Skaneateles Lake watershed. Forests cover the sides of the steep gorge, with abundant oaks, maples, hemlocks, and beech trees. The well forested gorge gives the visitor a cool and calming experience on hot summer days. A difficult hike will reward you with the chance to take a plunge into the cool waters below Angel Falls while solitude surrounds you. The Audubon Society has also listed the Carpenter’s Falls area as an important birding area – with rare goshawks and cerulean warblers’ nests.

The main attraction towers 90' above the creek bed as water is channeled through a notch in 10' thick limestone caprock, narrowing the creek before it free-falls another 80 feet, finally tumbling over a smaller cascade and into the gorge bed below.

Trails
Difficulty: Easy or difficult.
The upper 90 ft falls is only 1/8 of a mile from the trailhead along a narrow but flat trail. The lower 62 ft falls is about 0.5 miles from the trailhead, leading steeply down the gorge with a rope assisted drop near the very end. At the lower falls, experienced hikers can scramble up the stream bed to get to a nice area where you can swim right under the falls in a 6 ft deep pool.
Markings: none

History...
Carpenter’s Falls was once the site of industry and commerce. In fact – the trail itself was once known as the ‘old jug path’ where lake side residents would travel to get to a distillery that was located on site. Remnants of the booming nature of the area are still present and functioning in nearby New Hope, where you can still find a working grist mill that makes Pancake Mix, which is available for purchase at a country store.

Do not miss...
Swimming the lower falls if you are up to a steep and somewhat dangerous trail down the gorge and climbing over loose and slippery rocks to get to the base of Angel Falls. Because this section is made up of loose shale, wet rocks and downed debris, it is recommended that you do not traverse this area alone and please do not bring small children. Please be courteous and do not bring pets along this way as they may interfere with other hikers’ progress and safety.

New Hope Mills in the spring through fall, which is located about a mile south of the falls on 41A.

Photography Tips
▪ The upper falls is relatively easy to get framed from the top of the ravine trail. Since it is out in the open, mid-afternoon sunlight can wash out shots. ▪ Angel Falls (the lower falls) are more covered in with forest, and since you’ll be taking the shots from inside the gorge, a softer light is possible here nearly all day. ▪ You can get shots from behind the lower falls as well.
▪ Keep your gear safe and dry. The difficult hike may get you dirty and wet. Be sure to protect your gear in case of a fall.
▪ See the Articles section for more waterfall photography tips.

Weather

Contact
Finger Lakes Land Trust
202 East Court Street
Ithaca, NY 14850
607-275-9487
info@fllt.org, www.fllt.org

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