Montville Falls, Cayuga County - New York Waterfalls

Montville Falls

Location - Located in the small hamlet of Montville, barely east of Moravia. Cayuga County
Maps - Google Map, Google Earth, Multi
GPS/Locations - N 42.71517 / W 76.40852
Directions - Take Route 41A South until you see a sign for Mandana. At the Mandana Inn, take a right onto Lacy Rd (RT-359). Continue on RT-359 until you see a sign for RT-38A. Follow RT-38A for another 11 miles at which point you will enter and see a sign for Montville. Continue past Indian Mound and St. Patrick’s Cemetaries on the right hand side. Right after descending the hill, you will see an old mill on the right-hand side of the road before the bridge. Park there, and walk up the stream a bit to the trailhead. Or use Google Directions.

Information
Number of falls: 1
Size/Types: There is one large waterfall that takes about a 60’ plunge in numerous veins down solid rock face. It also splits off near the crest forming a ‘Twin Falls’ on the right-hand side of it that comes down through the forest before joining again at the bottom. Then it continues down numerous cascades about 14’ before leveling out into the gorge. The rock on Montville Falls is decidedly different than most of the other falls in the Finger Lakes area. It’s a harder rock (limestone), much more sturdy that gives the waterfall a distinct look.
Best time to visit: Late Spring and Summer. Since this waterfall requires a lot of creek-walking, times of higher water might not be suitable for reaching the falls since there are no defined trails along the creek. Dry times may lead to a trickle rather than waterfall. Visit after rain, but not after heavy rain.
Flow: Low, but variable. Flow is regulated by an upstream power plant.
Waterway: Dresserville Creek
Time: 40 minutes to an hour.

Accessibility
Seasons/Hours: Year round.
Parking: Adequate, located in front of the old mill next to the bridge.
Admission: Free.
Handicap accessibility: no
Pets: unknown
Accommodations: none.

Description...
Montville falls has a character quite unlike the rest of the Finger Lakes watershed waterfalls. It is a wild waterfall with no defined paths or accommodations. It also does not share the same characteristic 'eroded shale' build as other waterfalls in the area, instead being composed of a harder limestone rock that the water has to tumble around rather than cut through. This characteristic rock gives it a look of those waterfalls.

The great thing about this falls is the difference the level of water makes. Varying between numerous small ribbons winding around the rock in low flow to an even downpour when the water is high, the differences make this falls worth multiple visits.

Trails
Difficulty: Difficult.
There aren’t much in the way of defined trails. The best way to reach Montville Falls is to park at the mill and hike up the side of the stream until you see a trail leading down to Mill Creek. Follow along the stream, and in the stream bed when the gorge walls become too steep upstream. About ¼ mile of the way in, the creek will branch off, with Decker Creek on the left, and Dresserville Creek on the right. To reach Montville Falls, continue to the right another ½ mile until you reach the base of Montville Falls.

The rock in Dresserville Creek is a harder variety than the usual shale – so it is not as slippery in the stream bed as you might think. Still – use caution and check your footing as there are large pools and cracks in the bed.

Note: There is another waterfall located on Decker Creek on the left hand side, also about a ¼ from the fork. This one is called Decker Creek falls and has 2 falls, about 9’ and 7’ right in succession.

There is also access to a small rim path from the backs of both Indian Mound and St. Patrick’s Cemeteries, which gives you nice views of the gorges and falls from above. To really experience the true wonder of Montville Falls, however, it is recommended to approach from below. Be sure to respect the closing times of the cemeteries, however, and tread lightly on the land.
Markings: none

History...
A bit of interesting history is that near where Montville Falls is located, along Mill Creek, a man named Jethro Woods invented the first cast iron plow in 1819, increasing the productivity of farmers. Unfortunately for Woods, he had to fight patent infringements his whole life and died a poor man. Montville was once a large manufacturing center, using the power of Mill creek to build numerous factories along its’ banks. It rivaled the village of Moravia for dominance until the mills began to close along the creek.

Do not miss...
Fillmore Glen State Park is only a mile south. Similar to Watkins Glen, only with fewer falls, this peaceful gorge is a must see for this area.

Carpenter Falls in close proximity to the Bahar Nature Preserve and Bear Swamp State Forest.– great place for hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and four-wheeling.

Bahar Nature Preserve. A few miles north lies one of the Finger Lakes Land Trust's most prized treasures. This 25-acre woodland contains the Bear Swamp Creek Ravine and a 65-foot natural beach.

Photography Tips
▪ There is a lot going on with Montville Falls. A wide angle lens is a must if you want to capture everything that is happening with the waterfall. Since it is in a gorge, the light is softer near the bottom, but the sheer breadth and height of Montville falls means a polarizer and graduated neutral density filter is a must in order to tone down the amount of light that hits your lens.
▪ Try different angles. Since there are so many cascades and plunges, walk along the base of the falls and shoot from different areas. You can also walk to the right and find an easy way up the cascades so you can stand at the bottom of the main drop of Montville Falls and shoot there, also including the ‘Twin Falls’ that comes down through the forest.
▪ Also try shooting in the gorge on the way back. There are numerous small cascades and sheer walls that make for excellent shots. Be sure to carry your camera in a waterproof pack, as the amount of creek walking done to reach this falls chances are you will get wet!
▪
▪ See the Articles section for more waterfall photography tips.