Onanda Park and Barnes Creek Falls

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Description

AKA: Barnes Gully Falls; Barnes Creek Gully; Onanda Falls.
Onanda Park is an 80 acre town park that encompasses the small Barnes Gully, upland forests, and 7 acres of lakefront campgrounds along a beautiful Canandaigua Lake beach. The park, divided in two sections by West Lake Road, is the site of a former YWCA camp; still containing the buildings from that era. The town of Canandaigua, in cooperation with the State of New York, purchased the land and remodeled the camp into a family campground and meeting place. The lakeside section, along with its lodges, picnic facilities, ball courts and playgrounds, provides lake access to boaters, fisherman and swimmers, making it a wonderful place for summer recreation.

The upland section of the park contains a hillside grass field with several cabins and a large lodge, each with gorgeous views of Canandaigua Lake. The uplands nature trail winds in-and-out of the wooded hillside along Barnes Gully, offering a few glimpses of the gorge and its waterfalls, along the 1.5 miles or so of gradual-sloping terrain.

A family-friendly creek-walk up the shaded Barnes Creek Gully, gets you close to the first cascade of three in the park, a 35ft cascade in a small opening in the glen. The more adventurous can climb this falls and head upstream for two more, one reaching 50 ft tall.

History

Long before white settlers, this region was inhabited by the Seneca tribe of the Iroquois Nation and some of them used the land that now contains the park, as a seasonal hunting ground. Onanda is the Seneca word for tall pine, and this hilly terrain on the west side of Canandaigua Lake was covered in a vast pine forest up until the mid 1800s.

When the YWCA bought the land  in 1919 (originally 27.5 acres along the lake) a farmhouse and cottage were the only structures present. Within two years the organization had built a grand recreation hall and dormitory (Babcock Hall) near the shore, and over the next decade or so made improvements, erecting more dorms and facilities, and improving infrastructure each year.

The camp's use varied throughout the years, catering at first to adult and junior campers. During the Great Depression it shifted to house out-of-work young women; and then up until its close, it catered to high school-aged and younger girls as a summer camp.

In the 1950s, the camp went through major modifications that expanded the grounds and upgraded the facilities. In 1954 the organization purchased an additional 47 acres of upland property to house a large activities hall, rifle range, and cabins. The grand lakeside Babcock Hall, originally built like a lakeside resort typical of its era, was divided up into smaller, more specialized buildings. The modern camp began operations in 1959, and saw other major enhancements throughout the years, including Gorham lodge and dining facility as well as the main office and nature center in 1971.

With lakefront property taxes increasing, and YWCA support dwindling, the organization could no longer afford to operate the camp. In 1989, with help from the State of NY and funds from the Environmental Quality Bond Act, the Town of Canandaigua purchased the former camp and began operating it as a town park. With help from the Conservation Department of the Finger Lakes Community College the upland trail system was constructed and is maintained to this day.

c. 1920
 

Original Babcock Hall

View a map of the YWCA campground (c. 1960s).

Hiking / Trails / Exploration

Difficulty: Easy to moderate.

Distance: A 0.8 mile wooded hike, or a 0.6 mile creek-walk (one way).

Markings: The uplands trail is clearly marked with signs and wooden posts. The creek-walk is not.

Description: The Uplands Trail is a wooded nature trail that winds uphill, offering a chance to see Barnes Creek and its waterfalls from above. The trail is accessible from the uplands parking area, near King Hall, or the back of the uplands open field.

Although it has several twists, turns and loops, the trail is pretty straightforward: wherever you are, maintain a left, and follow the rim of the gorge. This will get you to the two falls overlooks. The problem with this trail is that the view of the falls is greatly obscured by trees. In summer you will only be able to see a fraction of each of the falls. When the leaves are down, the view improves, but it's not perfect.

To get the full few of the falls, a creek-walk is necessary. The best place to start out is to head, from the uplands parking area, south across the open field (containing cabins). Along the tree-line  towards the road, you will find a path that leads to a set of wooden stairs that take you down to the road level and a wooden gazebo containing some park information. The creek runs by here. Follow it upstream.

Getting wet here is a possibility, but we have hiked it several times in moderate flow and were able to take advantage of small creek-side trails and careful stone-hopping to avoid wet feet. There should be a considerable amount of flow downstream, otherwise the falls will be dry or a trickle.

A third of a mile in you will approach a small opening in the gorge and the first waterfall, a 35 foot cascade in two parts.  Most visitors turn around here, but this falls is climbable if you are careful. Above this falls, the glen flattens out a bit, but downed trees provide a few obstacles. The second falls, a small cascade over jagged limestone, is just over a tenth of a mile from the first. The final cascade, reaching nearly 50 ft tall,  is just above that.

To get back, turn around and climb back down the waterfalls. If it's not there already, laying rope on your way up will be very helpful for the descent; especially for that first waterfall.

Maps: See the interactive map below; Trail Map and Nature Guide (PDF)

Photography tips

Rope — if you will be climbing the falls, bring rope. It makes it a lot easier.

The creek — don't just concentrate on the waterfalls, there are plenty of small drops, twists in the creek, interesting stones and trees along the way.

Crowds — On a hot summer day there are always going to be people enjoying glen. Get here early or during the week when the park is less crowded.

Waterproof — the stones in the creek are very slippery. Be careful, use footwear with a good grip, and take advantage of your tripod or monopod as a walking stick. It's best to pack your camera away as you move across the water.

See the Articles section for more waterfall photography tips.

Who to Contact

Town of Canandaigua
Parks and Recreation
5440 Route 5 & 20 West
Canandaigua, NY 14424
Phone: (585) 393-1233
E-mail: dbrewer6@rochester.rr.com

For Reservations
Phone: (585) 394-3300 or (585) 394-3767
E-mail: ttillotson@townofcanandaigua.org

Interesting Stuff

Sledding — the grassy uplands, makes for an exciting sledding hill.