Angel Falls

Angel Falls is the lesser known sibling to Carpenter Falls along Bear Swamp Creek, and is arguably the far more scenic and interesting of the two falls. The falls consist of seven distinct steps, ranging from 5 to 62 feet in height. The five uppermost tiers of the falls are located in a steeper, narrower section of the gorge and are neither readily visible from the trail nor accessible via established paths (that we could see, at least). The final two drops in the formation are visible from the base of the falls. The largest drop plunges 62 feet in a narrow curtain-style formation, veiling slightly over the bedrock in the lower half of its descent. The bottom tier is a broader cascade where the creek tumbles another 17 feet over a ledge that stretches more than 60 feet across. Because we were not able to measure the five upper tiers of the falls, we’re unable to say for sure how tall the entire set of falls are, but it seems likely that it drops at least 100-120 feet in all, if not more. Angel Falls is located within the Bahar Nature Preserve, managed by the Finger Lakes Land Trust. In the past the unofficial trails to the falls had been discouraged from being used due to concerns about excessive erosion, but this may no longer be the case (though the route to the base of the falls is quite heavily eroded and such concerns are definitely warranted). A maintained trail along the rim of the gorge provides glimpses down on the falls but no clear views, and upon our survey in May of 2018 no signs were encountered suggesting that descending to the base of the falls was prohibited – but should you encounter such signs, please heed them. Bear Swamp Creek drains from an area covering about 8 square miles, and as its name suggests much of that area is occupied with swamps and marshes. This ensures that outside of prolonged periods of drought, the stream typically retains at least a modest flow. When surveyed in late May of 2018 the creek was found to be flowing quite adequately and the falls presented themselves well. By August however, one should expect the flow to be reduced to perhaps just a trickle without heavy precipitation to replenish the basin.