Portal Cascade

The waterfalls of Havana Glen are accessed from Havana Glen Park, just south of the town of Montour Falls. From the junction of Routes 14 and 224 in Montour Falls, follow Route 14 south for just under one mile, then turn left (east) on to Havana Glen Road and continue for another sixth of a mile to the park entrance. Bear left on the park road and park at the furthest lot. Portal Cascade can be seen from the viewpoint overlooking the creek just feet from the parking lot.Portal Cascade is the lowest of the multitude of waterfalls located along McClure Creek as it courses down scenic Havana Glen. Historically Portal Cascade has been the name applied to a 10 foot tall, and up to 20 foot wide fall located about 280 linear feet upstream from the beginning of the Havana Glen trail. A second set of falls is situated just over 100 linear feet downstream from Portal Cascade, dropping another 10 feet in two steps, and both sets of falls are visible in tandem from the viewpoint adjacent to the parking area. Given that all of the old stereo photos and postcards of Portal Cascade we’ve managed to find specifically call out the upper of the two falls, we’ll refer to the lower one casually as Lower Portal Cascade (it isn’t a significant enough fall on its own to qualify for a dedicated entry in the database). McClure Creek drains from a basin covering about 13 square miles in area. The flow in the creek is typically healthy through the early summer months, but by August unless heavy rain has fallen in the area, the flow can be expected to be considerably reduced. This is likely more detrimental to the appearance of Portal Cascade than it is to nearby Eagle Cliff Falls however.During the late 19th and early 20th century, Havana Glen was developed as an attraction to compete with nearby Watkins Glen, and featured cantilevered walkways, bridges, and catwalks that climbed the gorge in precarious fashion. A footbridge known as the Sylvan Bridge once spanned McClure Creek immediately above Portal Cascade, but where it led to is not clear. The old bridges and walkways have long since been destroyed and abandoned.