Montour Falls, although seemingly flat, sits just south of Seneca Lake within a section of the Portage Escarpment that has been gouged out glaciers 18,000 years ago. Encapsulated by cliffs over 300 ft high, this area is a "waterfall mecca," with hundreds of small runoffs and several more significant waterways trickling down the escarpment.

Easily the largest falls in Montour is Shequaga Falls; a frothy cascade that pours down the cliffside on the western edge of town. It appears to start from the arch bridge above (although it actually begins just before the bridge) and fans out, tumbling  at various degrees over gray limestone and reaching the shallow plunge pool below. There the creek turns 90 degrees to the north and continues on its way towards Catherine Creek and eventually into Seneca Lake. 

Between the At the Falls Bed & Breakfast and a residence is a small park, open to the public, stretching from the road to a chain link fence overlooking the creek below the falls. A popular stop for passers-by, the park offers a few quick minutes of tranquility and wonder without much effort.

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.

Around 1820, Louis Philippe, who would later become the last king of France, toured the Finger Lakes region and made a sketch of the falls. This sketch is on display at the Louvre Museum in France.

A second falls. After periods of rain, a quick hike downstream will get you a glimpse of a small ribbon falls paralleling Shequaga Falls.

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.