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Chittenango Falls

Chittenango, New York

4.7/5
based on 3 reviews

Details

Distance

0.53 miles

Elevation Gain

102 ft

Route Type

Loop

Description

Added by Tucker Pfaff

Chittenango Falls in Chittenango Falls State Park is reached by a loop hike. Swimming and a picnic area are available nearby.

Chittenango is a great place to hang out and take pictures for a couple of hours. It is a very short hike and the trail takes you from the top of the falls on one side, down to the bottom, across the river, and then up to the top on the other side. The whole trail only takes about 45 min and is about 1/2 mile.

Because I love to take photos I usually end up staying places for a little longer than everyone else, so I was at the park for about 1.5 hrs. If you are looking to do some longer exposures (as in 1/2 second, not too long), this spot works but is not ideal because of the large volume of water coming over the falls. I personally don't like when my water long expos look like just white walls of water, which happens when you have a lot of water coming over the falls. Most of the shots I posted above were at 1/10 of a second and they are already on the verge of being over exposed. However, I do have a friend who got some star trails at this spot with the falls in his shot and it came out great, so I guess it really depends on your preferences.

The trail is steep both ways and was fairly loose so watch your step. Overall, this is great spot for some quick shooting or a short hike with the family.

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Features

Chillin
Photography
Hiking
Bathrooms
Dog Friendly
Easy Parking
Family Friendly
Food Nearby
Forest
Groups
Picnic Area
River
Scenic
Waterfall
Wildflowers
Swimming Hole

Chittenango Falls Reviews

At first glance, Chittenango Falls State Park looks like a typical day-use area. There’s a grassy picnic area with tables and grills, a row of port-a-potties, and some nice woodland trails. The highlight though, is Chittenango Falls, a 167-foot waterfall that cascades over a wide swath of sculpted bedrock. The base of the falls is home to a rare snail that isn’t found anywhere else on earth. We didn’t actually see said snail, but it’s cool knowing it exists.

Beautiful waterfall! Parking right next to waterfall, very secluded. Steps that lead down to waterfall are very steep. Due to endangered snail enclosure you are not able to get up close and personal to the waterfall so swimming is not allowed. But it is still beautiful to take pictures at. Great overlook from the top.

Love Chittenango Falls! We stop here often, great park, trails and waterfall. Definitely a great waterfall to photograph!

Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

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