Old Mill Falls and Flint
Creek AKA:
Flint Creek Falls, Main Street Falls, Flint
Mill Falls
Location:
On Main St. in the Village of
Phelps; Town of
Phelps;
Ontario County; New York
Maps:Google Map;
Multi
(topo);
Bird's eye GPS/Locations: Old Mill Falls : N 42.95831 / W
77.06032
Upstream falls : N 42.95777 / W 77.06552 Directions – From Syracuse and points east: Take I-90
to Exit 42 and head south on Rt-14 for about a half mile.
Turn right (west) onto Rt-96 and follow it through the
village of Phelps. Turn left (south) onto Flint St and park
on the side of the road. Old Mill Falls is just north of
where Main St crosses the creek. From Rochester and points west: Take I-90 to Exit 43
and head south on Rt-21.Immediately turn left (east) onto
Rt-96 and follow it to the village of Phelps. Turn right
(south) onto Flint St and park on the side of the road. Old
Mill Falls is just north of where Main St crosses the creek.
Or use
Google Directions.
Information
Number of falls: 2 Size/Types: Old Mill Falls is a crescent-shaped, 11 ft
high, manmade and natural falls. Water falls roughly 7 ft
straight down the cut stone blocks of the manmade top and
then cascades across the 4 ft of jagged limestone at the
base. Upstream there are several more limestone drops less
then 3 ft high. Best time to visit: Spring, fall, winter. Flow: Generally consistent. May be dry in summer.
Waterway: Flint Creek Time: 5 minutes to check out
Old Mill Falls. 30 minutes or more to see the small cascades
upstream.
Accessibility Seasons/Hours:
Year round, anytime. Old Mill Falls is illuminated nightly.
It is probably not a good idea to explore upstream in the
dark or in the icy conditions of winter. Parking: Parking for roughly a dozen cars along Flint
Rd (off of Main St near the creek).
Parking for the upstream cascades: Room for two cars in
a small lot just to the north of the William St Bridge (on
the right if coming from Main St). Admission: free Handicap accessibility: Yes, to see Old Mill Falls
from the bridge. Pets: Allowed on leash. Accommodations: Historic
markers, adjacent dining, small park with benches, trash
cans.
Description... Flint Creek has its beginnings
in the Italy Hill region southeast of Canandaigua Lake near
Middlesex and heads 25 miles north and into the Canandaigua
Outlet at the village of Phelps. With its wide basin,
moderate slope and consistent flow, the creek helped
pioneers settle this region by powering a variety of mills
and allowing for growing industry. Old Mill Falls is the
site of one of the first grist mills constructed in the
area, built in 1792 by Seth Deane.
Old Mill Falls is a manmade dam,
constructed of limestone bricks atop a smaller natural
falls. The crescent shape of the manmade stonework, along
with the straight drop of water that is abruptly broken by
the natural rock below, gives this waterfall a unique and
beautiful personality. The falls can be easily seen from the
Main St bridge, but for a more intimate view, a small
community park on the eastern bank allows for a glance
across the crest towards the Old Mill, which has been
drastically reconditioned into retail space (Waterside
Spirits and Wine Bar when we visited in 2009).
Disappointingly, the traffic from Main St, with countless
speeding vehicles, detracts from this little slice of peace.
If you are willing to explore a little,
Flint Creek offers several more cascades, including two on
the Ontario Pathways Trail (see
Double Drop Falls) and a
few drops to the south of this one (between William and
Eagle Streets). If you take the short drive or walk to
William Street and head upstream along the trail that starts
behind the cemetery (adjacent to the bridge), you can visit
the waterfalls along the way. They are small drops, no more
than 3 ft high, but the wide cascade just below the railroad
arch bridge is very picturesque, even if when we visited in
the spring of 2009 it was littered with trash, including a
twisted rusty shopping cart and smashed 36 inch TV.
Trails Difficulty: Easy (Old Mill Falls). Moderate (the
upstream cascades). Markings: None. Distance: Old Mill Falls is roadside; while the hike
to see the upstream falls is roughly 700 ft. Time: To see the upstream falls, plan for at least 30
minutes. Map:
Labeled Google map
To get to the upstream cascades, start from the small
parking area on the north end of the William Street bridge.
Follow the trail into the woods along the creek and you will
approach the first cascade after 300 ft. The railroad bridge
can be seen in the distance. Continue along the trail or
follow the creek bed to the railroad bridge. Although we did
not come across any Posted signs using this route,
the railroad bridge is posted (on the top). You can hike
upstream on the creek (under the bridge) to see a small drop
on the other side or turn around and go back.
History...
The town of Phelps began as the district of
Sullivan (after
General John Sullivan) and was changed to Phelps (after
town pioneer Oliver Phelps) when it was founded in 1796.
The village of Phelps began when one of the
first settlers of the town, Seth Dean and Oliver Phelps,
erected a grist mill on this site in 1792. The mill
transformed over the years, handling grain at first, then
operating as a sawmill and once a plaster mill. In 1812,
Luther and Francis Root and Erastus Butler constructed an
adjacent woolen mill in the village. The mills
and hodgepodge of industries that relied on them brought
great prosperity to the village, growing its population to
over 5 thousand. It was around this time that postal routes
and railroads arrived, further opening the village to remote
markets. The Pennsylvania Railroad's Northern Region of
lines passed through Phelps (at what is now the Ontario
Pathways trail) connecting Harrisburg, Pennsylvania with the
resorts at Sodus Point on Lake Ontario.
Interesting Stuff
When visiting, stop by the adjacent Old
Mill Hot Dog Stand for a quick bite to eat.
What's that smell? When
the wind is blowing gently from the west, that rotten egg
smell is from the village of Clifton Springs. Natural sulfur
springs in the village have been used for health spas since
the early 1800s for religious, holistic, and modern medical
treatment. Is there a waterfall in the village? Not anymore.
One of the spas was built over the sole waterfall.
What's that (slightly appetizing) smell?
It just may be sauerkraut. With its beginnings in
1967, the Phelps Sauerkraut Festival has been an annual
celebration of this pickled and fermented cabbage. Why?
During Phelp's industrial boom it was one of the largest
producers of sauerkraut in the world. No more 'kraut
factories operate in Phelps, but the memory lingers on with
this annual 4-day festival held the first weekend in August.
More info.
Contact Village of Phelps
8 Banta Street, Suite 150
Phelps, NY 14532
315-548-3861
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Photography Tips ▪ These
falls are wide and not very high, so they will not fill the
camera's frame very well. Either include more foreground and
put the falls in the top of the frame, or include a dramatic
sky if it's there. Panoramic shots may be an option as well.
▪ Try to include the side of the old mill in the photo.
▪ In low flow, these falls have a lot of character. Zoom in
and photograph all the little drops and details of the
falls.
▪ Head upstream for photos of the small drops and
interesting limestone rock formations in the creek bed.
▪ See the Articles section
for more waterfall photography tips.
