Eternal Flame Falls

One for the list

Is it plungeworthy?

—feet tall

A short, pretty falls.

Scale12/60

Documentation10/20

Character8/20

The details

Coordinates: 42.70161, -78.75057

Get directions →

About Eternal Flame Falls

Eternal Flame Falls is a waterfall in New York.

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

Plungeworthy rates Eternal Flame Falls 3/10 — one for the list. The score weighs its scale, how confidently it's mapped, and its character.

What you'll find

A 30-foot falls hiding a natural-gas flame in its grotto — relight it if it's out, and it burns behind the water like a pilot light for the underworld. There is nothing else like it in the state, and possibly the country.

Getting there

Trailhead: Eternal Flame Trail, Chestnut Ridge Park, Orchard Park
Parking: Roadside on Route 277 (until 7pm) and park lots
Road: Paved
Hike: 1.2 mi round trip (moderate — 135 box steps, then creek-bed rock-hopping)
Heads up: Stairs and railings rebuilt in 2023. Bring a lighter — seriously.

When to go

After rain for the falls, in dry spells for the flame — they compete. Winter turns the grotto into an ice cave with a heartbeat.

Rules & fees

Fee / pass: None — county park
Dogs: Leashed
Hours: 7am–9pm
Warnings: The shale is slick and the creek bed is the trail for the last stretch.

Researched from Erie County Parks — Eternal Flame Trail · Wikipedia — Eternal Flame Falls. Conditions change — verify before you drive. Been to Eternal Flame 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.