Hike to the Lower Falls and Cave

From the Maplewood Park parking lot off of Driving Park, head towards the restroom building to the east (opposite the rose garden). Go down the stairs and at the base of the stairs, hop the railing to follow the dirt trail to the left towards the gorge.

At one point the trail hugs an open dirt cliff. Use extreme caution here. Shortly after, you will reach an area where the trail breaks up. There are larger rocks leading down into the gorge. Descend here. Once at the banks of the Genesee, head right (upstream) under the Driving Park Bridge and towards the falls.

The park is built upon the foundations of the McCrackenville mill settlement dating back to the 1820s. The falls are still used today as part of an electric power plant, which is to the left of the falls, on the opposite side of the Genesee River. A viewing area at the base of the falls will provide an excellent opportunity to see the falls close up (sometimes you can stand right beside them, depending on water levels), as well as the Driving Park Bridge behind you and a man-made cave to the right of the falls.

In times of rain and saturated ground, especially in Spring months, this trail is not accessible and water levels of the Genesee River are too high to reach the falls or cave. In the winter, this trail is especially slippery, making ice spike cleats a necessity, but worth the incredible icy waterfall view at the end.