New York's Adirondack Mountains - Waterfalls, Paradox Lake, the Natural Stone Bridge & Caves, and High Gorge Falls

In July 2026 we visited the Adirondack Mountains in New York with our daughter and her family. We packed as much as we could into our week-long stay, but left knowing we would need to return because there was still so much to see and do. If you're interested in our previous two posts about our adventures in the Adirondacks, click on the links below:

• New York's Adirondack Mountains - Spacious Skies Campground & Crown Point
• New York's Adirondack Mountains - The Wild Center, Adirondack Rail Trail & Ausable Chasm

In this post we'll describe our adventures exploring waterfalls, kayaking on Paradox Lake and visiting two more popular Adirondack attractions: the Natural Stone Bridge & Caves, and High Gorge Falls.

July 20, 2026

Split Rock Falls

Split Rock Falls is a popular and picturesque roadside waterfall on the Bouquet River just south of Elizabethtown along US route 9. It can't be seen from the parking area or road, but a short walk of 100 feet will take you to the falls.

Split  Rock Falls

Split Rock Falls is a multi-tiered cascade over a jagged rock that splits the first drop into two waterfalls. After dropping into a pool the two falls join into one before dropping into a second pool. You can approach the bottom of the falls with a rocky climb down from the trail, but this should be done with caution as the rock can be very slippery due to mist from the waterfall.

A path also leads down to a large pool that's a popular swimming hole during the summer. You can also continue on the path to the lower falls, which is a very dangerous location. Because the view of the lower falls is limited from the path, we chose to just enjoy the view of the upper falls. 

It's best to visit the falls as early in the morning as possible during the summer months to avoid parking issues and the large crowds of people who come to swim and jump in to the waterfall's pools.

Blue Ridge Falls

Blue Ridge Falls

Blue Ridge Falls is located in North Hudson on The Branch, a tributary of the Schroon River. It features a 20 foot multi-tiered cascade that is easily viewed right from the roadside with a short, easy walk from the unmarked parking area. The falls are directly across the road from the Blue Ridge Falls RV and Glamping Resort.

July 21 2026

Upper Cascade Lake & Cascade Mountain

On our way to another waterfall, we made a quick stop at the half-mile-long Upper Cascade Lake near Keene along route 73. High above the lake we could see one of the Adirondack's high peaks - Cascade Mountain.

Upper Cascade Lake	Cascade Mountain

Roaring Brook Falls

At 290 feet tall, Roaring Brook Falls is one of the tallest waterfalls in New York. It's located in the Keene Valley along route 73 where there's a trail that can take you to both the top of the falls and the base of the falls. Dark clouds were gathering overhead, so we only took the trail to the base. Once at the falls we had to cross Roaring Brook to get a better view of the falls. It took a bit of rock scrambling but we did get our view.

Base of Roaring Brook Falls

The falls cascade off the side of Giant Mountain, another one of the Adirondack's high peaks. We wished we had more time to explore the top of the falls as well. There is a roadside viewing area for the top of the falls, but we somehow missed it during our visit.

July 23 2026

Paradox Lake

Paradox Lake

Paradox Lake is an 896-acre lake located in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains, near Lake George, Lake Champlain and Schroon Lake. It's a great place for those of us who look for a quiet and less crowded place to be on the water.

The lake is almost 5 miles long, and one mile wide, and has a maximum depth of 55 feet. According the the Paradox Lake Association's website, the lake got its name from a unique occurrence which happens every spring. Melting snow in the eastern Adirondack Mountains flows into the Schroon River. Paradox Lake's outlet also flows into the Schroon River, but because of the sudden increase in water, the outflow is forced back, causing it to flow in reverse. Locals claim the word paradox means "water running backward" in the native american language.

We chose to explore the lake late in the day when the sun was beginning to set. We were thrilled to be able to see and hear loons calling as the sun went down. 

July 24, 2026

OK Slip Falls

OK Slip Falls is considered one of the highest and most beautiful waterfalls in the Adirondacks. To access the falls we parked in a lot along route 28 in the Adirondack Forest Preserve. The trail to the falls is also part of the Hudson Gorge Wilderness Area. The well-marked trail follows along several boardwalks and had some gentle rises and drops along the route.

There are two overlooks of the falls. The first one gave us a limited view of the falls due to trees obstructing the view. So we continued further down the trail a short distance to where we had better views of the falls dropping about 200 feet into a pool below.

There was a very steep trail that went down to the base of the falls and we could hear a couple of people in the water down there. But we chose to stop at this point.

The round-trip hike out and back from the falls was about 6.4 miles, but for the most part it was an easy hike. You just have to watch the steep cliffs at the overlooks.

To watch a video of our adventures visiting the waterfalls and kayaking on Paradox Lake with the loons, click here.

Natural Stone Bridge & Caves

Natural Stone Bridge with the cave below it.

Natural Stone Bridge and Caves in Pottersville New York is home to a massive stone bridge over the largest marble cave entrance in the eastern United States. A family-friendly Adirondack attraction, the price of admission includes a self-guided walking tour as well as activities such as the Cave Man climbing wall, a Dinosaur Digging Area, an 18 hole disk golf course and two challenge trails. Some other activities are available for an additional fee.

The self-guided 3/4-mile-long above ground trail has over 500 stairs of rock, roots and timber as well as some bridges and boardwalks. The trail is NOT wheelchair accessible and it's not advisable for anyone with a health problem that prevents them from climing up or down uneven steps. For those unable to make the hike, there's a free video in the gift shop describing the history & geology of the caves.

In addition to the massive stone bridge arch and the cave beneath it, the trail takes you to many unique rock features, such as potholes, grottos, and the mill site waterfalls. You can also go down into lighted surface caves with water running through them.

Potholes Under the natural bridge	One of two cave systems in the park Trail through the park

Mill Site Waterfall

July 25, 2026

High Falls Gorge

High Falls Gorge near Wilmington, New York, is a 22-acre, privately owned nature park at the base of Whiteface Mountain, a short drive from Lake Placid. The gorge includes views of the Ausable River as it makes its way through a deep crevice carved in the rock by ice, water and wind.

After paying admission at the large combination gift shop and cafe, visitors cross over the Ausable River on a steel bridge with beautiful views of the raging river and the nearby mountains.

Ausable River

The park's flat paths, handrails, fencing and seating areas are safe for children and older visitors. There are three main trails through the park, one of which takes you to some overlooks without having to use any stairways.

Before chosing our route, we passed by one of the oldest rocks in the world, an Anorthosite boulder, over 1.5 billion years old. Anorthosite is the base rock for the Adirondacks.

Anorthosite boulder - 1.5 billion years old

We took the waterfall path, following it above the river as it roared through a stunning gorge, cascading over four waterfalls into the deep crevice shaped over thousands of years. We descended lower into the gorge and followed the path across steel bridges, then along walkways with glass floors for views of the raging water below. Educational signs along the way provided details about this breathtaking natural wonder.

Top of the Main Falls Waterfall  Path	Main Falls Rainbow & Climax Falls

Mini Falls & Master Pothole

We enjoyed our visits to the Natural Stone Bridge and Caves, and High Falls Gorge. Both are worth checking out if you're in the area. If you'd like to view our video of these two attractions, please click here.

This brings to an end our adventures in the Adirondack Mountains... for now! We will definitely be returning to this beautiful area so we can explore more of its many features.

* All photos and videos are the property of the blog owners unless otherwise noted. *

New York's Adirondack Mountains - The Wild Center, Adirondack Rail Trail, and Ausable Chasm

In July 2026 we visited the Adirondack Mountains in New York with our daughter and her family. We packed as much as we could into our week-long stay, but left knowing we would need to return because there was still so much to see and do. Our last blog post described the campground we stayed in and our adventures in Crown Point and Lake Placid, New York. This post describes our adventures in the following days as we visited a natural history museum, rode our bikes on a rail trail, and visited a popular Adirondack attraction.

July 22, 2026 -The Wild Center

The Wild Center, located in Tupper Lake New York, is the natural history museum of the Adirondacks. The Center is committed to helping the Adirondacks become a model for the idea that with the help of science, we can find ways for human civlization to coexist with thriving nature.

Features of the Wild Center include the indoor natural history museum where visitors can explore 54,000-square-feet of exhibit halls, observe live animals, watch a live show or one of many films on display.

Ducks	Otter

Outside, visitors can explore the center's 115 acres on several trails leading through the forest. The Wild Walk takes visitors on a birds-eye view above the forest floor on an 850-foot treetop walkway of bridges towers, a giant spider web and a full-sized bald eagle's nest.

Wild Walk - Giant spiderweb	Wild Walk - Rope bridge

Artificial eagle's nest

Children will enjoy the Pines Play Area, a natural playground, and the Raquette River Roll, an interactive all natural ball run trail.

Raquette River Ball Roll	Raquette River Ball Roll

Stickworks is a larger than life sculpture created by artist Patrick Dougherty that is reminiscent of children using sticks to build forts.

Stickworks

The Forest Music trail allows visitors to immerse their senses in an experience that combines nature, technology and art.

Forest Music Trail

Luckily for us, during our visit Danish artist Thomas Dambo's traveling troll exhibit was on display throughout the grounds. Each troll in the temporary exhibit comes with a message and a plan to save humans. Dambo's goal is to create at least one troll for each of our country's 50 states. Now we have something else to look for during our travels!

Ronia Redeye - the speaker troll Loftus Lotus - the listening troll Ibbi Pip - builds colorful birdhouses	Rosa Sunfinger - the botanical troll Basse Buller - the painting troll Kamma Can - creates necklaces from trash

The trolls were on display until October 31, 2026, but on September 12, Dambo returned to create a 7th troll, which would remain on the grounds of the Wild Center permanently. We're already planning a return visit to the Wild Center to see the new troll.

We had a great time at The Wild Center learning about nature and taking care of our world. If you'd like to see our YouTube video of our visit to the Wild Center and Dambo's Trolls, click here.

July 22, 2026 - The Adirondack Rail Trail

The recently completed Adirondack Rail Trail is a 34-mile-long multi-purpose trail between Lake Placid and Tupper Lake, New York. The trail follows the path of the historic New York Central Railroad that carried passengers, timber & minerals between 1892 and 1972. The state of New York acquired the corridor in 1974. Construction of the trail was spearheaded by the Adirondack Rail Trail Association. Construction started in 2022 and was completed in October 2025. Management of the trail is handled by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

The trail features breathtaking views as it crosses over beautiful sections of the Adirondack Forest Preserve that include remote lakes, ponds and bogs. Trail users can sometimes see moose, black ear, beaver, coyote, otters, deer and hundreds of species of birds.

Rollins Pond Little Rainbow Pond Trail through Saranac Lake	Rollins Pond Lake Colby   Ray Brook

The trail is about 5 feet wide with a surface of finely crushed gravel, but there is a two-mile-long stretch of asphalt through the village of Saranac Lake. Typical slope along the trail is 2%, however there is a 5 percent grade heading uphill the last couple of miles into Lake Placid if you travel east from Tupper Lake, as we did. Our legs were really feeling it those last couple of miles and we understood why most of the other riders we passed were heading in the opposite direction!

Trail amenities include 7 trailheads with toilet facilities as well as numerous places for food, camping and lodging. There are also options for bike rentals and shuttle services. And if you have time and energy, you can take a scenic train ride from Tupper Lake to Old Forge or rent rail bikes to ride the rails.

Floodwood Outpost	Lake Clear Lodge & Retreat

Charles Inn & Junction Campground

We rode the entire trail on an overcast and sometimes rainy day in July 2026, starting in Tupper Lake and finishing uphill in Lake Placid. The scenery along the trail was beautiful. After loading up our bikes we drove into the village for a much deserved dinner. When we checked our stats for the ride we were amazed that we had climbed more than 1000 feet in elevation during our ride! No wonder our legs were so tired!

Our meal at the Pickled Pig in Lake Placid	Trail Stats

In spite of the bad weather, we really enjoyed the trail. We hope to ride it again one day, but in the opposite direction and hopefully with better weather! If you would like to watch our YouTube video of our ride on the trail, click here.

July 23, 2026 - Ausable Chasm

	Map of the Chasm

Ausable Chasm, in Keeseville, New York, is one of the United States' oldest tourist attractions as well as a top attraction in the Adirondack Mountains. The attraction is privately owned, and you must pay a fee to enter the grounds. There are several tour options available, including a self-guided walking tour, tube and raft rides on the AuSable River, and an adventure trail that takes visitors across cable bridges above the water.

We chose the self-guided walking tour along the rim of the chasm and then went down several staircases to the trail and boardwalks above the river. Along the way we viewed Rainbow Falls, Horseshoe Falls, the "Elephant Head Rock" and other geological features of the park. We also watched while other people rode tubes and rafts down the swift moving river through the narrow walls of the chasm. If we ever get another chance to visit the chasm, we'll take the option of riding through it on the river.

Below is a short video of the photos we took while exploring the chasm.

If you would like to view a 6-minute video of our exploration of Ausable Chasm, click here. And if you'd like to read more about our adventures in the Adirondacks, check back for our next blog entry about the waterfalls we visited, kayaking on Paradox Lake, and our visits to the Natural Stone Bridge & Caves and High Gorge Falls.

* All photos and videos are the property of the blog owners unless otherwise noted. *