Chittenango Falls

Worth the drive

Is it plungeworthy?

109feet tall

A tiered plunge on Chittenango Creek.

Scale49/60

Documentation20/20

Character14/20

The details

Type: Tiered Plunge
Watercourse: Chittenango Creek
Coordinates: 42.97871, -75.8416

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About Chittenango Falls

Chittenango Falls is a 109-foot tiered plunge in New York, on Chittenango Creek.

It's fullest after rain, and flow can drop off during dry spells — plan around recent weather.

Plungeworthy rates Chittenango Falls 8.3/10 — worth the drive. The score weighs its scale, how confidently it's mapped, and its character.

What you'll find

167 feet over 400-million-year-old limestone steps — and the only waterfall on this list guarding an endangered species. The Chittenango ovate amber snail lives at the base of this falls and nowhere else on Earth.

Getting there

Trailhead: Chittenango Falls State Park, NY-13 north of Cazenovia
Parking: $5/vehicle in season
Road: Paved
Hike: 0.5 mi round trip, 147 ft of climb (moderate)
Heads up: Gorge trail to the base bridge; closed in winter for ice.

When to go

Spring melt and after rain; when the gorge closes for winter, the rim view stays open.

Rules & fees

Fee / pass: $5/vehicle in season
Dogs: Leashed
Hours: Sunrise to sunset
Warnings: No swimming or wading — snail habitat, strictly enforced. Stay inside the barriers.

Researched from NY State Parks — Chittenango Falls · Wikipedia — Chittenango Falls State Park. Conditions change — verify before you drive. Been to Chittenango Falls recently? Post a conditions report below.

Where it is

Before you go

The pin marks the feature, not a trailhead or a legal route in. Some sit on private land or need a real hike, and conditions change with season and rain. Check local access, don't trespass, and never enter water — hot or cold — where it isn't safe.