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| Havana Glen & Eagle Cliff Falls |
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| Location
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Village of
Montour Falls,
Town of Montour,
Schuyler County Maps - Google Map, Google Earth, Multi GPS/Locations - Park entrance (N 42.33709 / W 76.83316), Trail head (N 42.33578 / W 76.82941) Directions - Take Rt. 14 to the south end of Montour Falls and turn onto Havana Glen Rd. Turn where you see the Havana Glen Park sign on the right. Adjacent to the trailer park is Havana Glen Park. Follow the loop around the park to the parking lot on the far end. Or use Google Directions. |
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Information Number of falls: 1 large fall and numerous smaller ones. Size/Types: Eagle Cliff Falls is 41' high and nearly 20' wide plunge in a nearly enclosed colossal amphitheater. Numerous small cascades can be encountered along the way. One series of staircase falls that parallels the trail. Best time to visit: Spring, Summer, Fall. The park is closed after mid-October, so visit early in the fall. Flow: Seemingly constant all year. Waterway: McClure Creek Time: 15 minutes for the Havana Glen trail. 30 minutes for the rest of the park’s trails. We feel one can easily spend several hours photographing this glen. |
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| Accessibility Seasons/Hours: Park open in season only – approximately from May 12 – October 15th. Dawn to dusk Parking: Parking for roughly 25 cars is available in the lot near the trail head. Additional parking is also available on the grass along the park loop. Admission: $1/car in season. Handicap accessibility: The park is. The view of the first set of falls is. Glen trail is not. Pets: Allowed on leash. Accommodations: Restrooms, campgrounds, showers, open pavilion, picnic tables, playgrounds, trails, playing fields. |
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| Description... Havana Glen Park, which includes Eagle Cliff Falls, is a well-developed town park at the south end of the village of Montour Falls. It provides for excellent recreational opportunities as it has ball fields, playgrounds, camping facilities, and a beautiful (but short) hike through Havana Glen. The found this to be an excellent location to spend the day, but one may want to avoid hot summer weekends as the place can get very busy. The park contains various species of rare native New York State plants, and has been classified as an important area for birding, as over 100 species have been documented here. McClure creek, the source of Eagle Cliff Falls, has been designated a trout stream, and is thus protected to allow for migratory fish from Seneca Lake to safely spawn. Eagle Cliff Falls is interesting in that it pours down from a deep gouge cut by the stream halfway into the gorge. Currently it sits in a hanging valley at least 60' below the towering cliffs on each side. The narrow notch cut by the creek above the falls propels the water at a formidable speed, keeping this falls strong year-round. The crest spans 15 feet across, and more than half the water that passes it rebounds off a smaller ledge a few feet below. The water then plunges out into the creek bed 40' below. Surrounding the falls area is a seemingly enclosed cathedral of vertical rock, complete with towering spires, moss covered limestone and Eagle Cliff, an spread-wing eagle profile naturally carved into the rock face. The amphitheatre is so large, it gives the impression of the waterfall being very narrow, but step directly in front of the falls and you'll see that it is actually quite wide. |
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| Trails
Difficulty: Moderate. Markings: None. The Glen Trail is very short (1/4 of a mile) and only climbs 5 modest flights of stairs. It starts from the parking area, proceeds up the left side of the creek, past numerous small falls and ends at the entrance to the Eagle Cliff amphitheater. Once there, you can creek walk closer to the falls. Interestingly, the park features a series of trails that parallel the Iroquois creation story, leading you from a turtle mound, through the glen, and back to a large walnut tree. Along the way, keep a close eye out for rare native New York State plants, such as the Maidenhair Spleenwort. |
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History... Havana Glen and the surrounding area was shaped by the advance and retreat of numerous glaciers during the last ice age. At one time, Seneca Lake was at a higher level than it is today, and the whole of Havana Glen Park was under the lake. The area has a rich human history. The Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) flourished in the area, utilizing the glen's medicinal and edible plants, such as Goldenrod and Mayapple. 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. |
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Do not miss... 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 Havana Glen Park Town of Montour Havana Glen Road P.O. Box 57 Montour Falls, NY 14865 |
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Click the thumbnails below to order prints. |
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| Photography Tips ▪ The lower reaches of the glen are hard to photograph since most of the time the trail does not allow direct access to, or views of, the glen below. There is one excellent photographing opportunity right at the parking lot and trailhead where you can capture numerous small cascades lined up along side the trail. ▪ Photographing Eagle Cliff Falls requires a wide-angle lens due to the sheer size of the amphitheatre. Try including parts of the natural rock formations surrounding the falls itself to capture a sense of the size. ▪ Walk across the creek and to the right of the falls, which will give you an excellent vantage point to capture both the unique bouncing cascade and the outline of the eagle in the far side of the cliff. ▪ There is a lot of spray close to the falls, so check your lenses frequently. ▪ There are millions of ways to shoot these falls. Try new angles and be sure to include the sheer cliffs in your shots. Try including people to give a sense of scale. ▪ ▪ See the Articles section for more waterfall photography tips. |
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Area Attractions
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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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Join in on the message board for Havana Glen: |
