Location
-
Village of
Montour Falls,
Town of
Dix,
Schuyler County
Maps -
Google Map,
Google Earth,
Multi GPS/Locations - 42.36880 / W 76.958697 Directions - Take Rt. 14 from Watkins Glen north to
Bath Street. Make a left onto Bath and follow it as it
becomes County Line Rd. After about 2 and a half miles, turn
left onto Van Zant Hollow Rd. You will cross a creek and
then merge onto Templar Rd. Pull off to the side of
the road where you see the Finger Lakes Trail signs. The
falls will be on your right.
Or use
Google Directions.
Information
Number of falls: 2 falls, one on top of the other. Size/Types: The upper falls is a 15 foot high
cascade, and the second is slightly smaller (roughly 11-13
feet). Best time to visit: Year-round. Flow: Variable, but usually flowing.
Waterway: Glen Creek (this is upstream from
Watkins Glen) Time: 2 minutes to get to the crest of the upper
falls. 2 more minutes to get to the crest on the other side
of the upper falls. 15 minutes to climb safely down.
Accessibility Seasons/Hours:
Year-round
Parking: Roadside parking only. Admission: Free Handicap accessibility: No. Pets: Not recommended. Accommodations: None. Although the village of Watkins
Glen is not far away.
Description... Although not a spectacular sight, Twin
Falls is only minutes away from Watkins Glen and offers a
peaceful break from tourist-packed park downstream.
The Finger Lakes
Trail crosses this easily
accessible, relatively flat, and calm section of Glen Creek
called Ebenezer's Crossing. Although you can reach the crest
of the upper cascade of Twin Falls without crossing the
creek, we feel that the view only gets better as you
proceed. The Finger Lakes Trail bypasses the falls here, and
many stop to enjoy the sound of the waterfall before they
continue on their journey.
From the top you can barely see the lower falls, but can
easily spot the varying drops and bounces the water takes
as it pours down the larger, upper falls. To see the lower
falls, you'll have to cross the creek to the Northern end and climb down. There
you'll see both falls head-on, and the noise from the road
above will melt away behind the sound of rushing water and
the wind in the trees.
Trails Difficulty: Easy to moderate. Markings:
Finger Lakes Trail markings.
From the roadside, look for the FLT
signs to indicate the trail junction. You'll want to enter
the trail on the right (coming from Van Zant Hollow Rd). The
well-kept FLT Trail will lead you past the southern edge of
the falls to a point where you will have to cross the creek
to proceed. There's no bridge and if the water level is
high, you'll have to face getting a bit wet. Be
careful: this limestone rock can get slippery.
Once across the creek continue on your right
back to the falls. You'll be at the crest again. If you want
to proceed, you'll have to climb down where a smaller
gully meets up with Glen Creek. Be careful: it's often
muddy and the rocks and trees could easily dislodge from
the cliff edge.
History... The town of Dix was first settled around
1798.
We do not have any specific information about this
particular site.
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.
Photography Tips ▪ The
falls has many little drops of varying shapes and sizes. Try
shooting close-ups.
▪
▪ See the Articles section
for more waterfall photography tips.