Stony Brook Falls

Take Interstate 390 to the town of Dansville and exit onto southbound Route 36 at the southern end of town. Continue 1.5 miles south on Route 36 from the I-390 underpass to the entrance to Stony Brook State Park on the left. Follow the park road all the way to the large parking area at its end in another half mile. The Gorge Trail begins at the far end of the parking area, and meanders at a leisurely pace up the glen adjacent to Stony Brook. This waterfall is encountered after a half mile of easy walking.Stony Brook State Park located just outside of Dansville, New York is home to four significant waterfalls, several minor cascades, and one of the nicest glen trails in the Finger Lakes area. None of the waterfalls seem to have ever been formally named, and colloquial names seem to have never stuck for the largest of the falls, for whatever reason (they certainly aren’t lacking for stature). Progressing up the gorge from the parking area, the first major falls encountered is also the largest, dropping a total of 45 feet in two distinct steps – first in the form of a 13-foot tall cascade, and then followed immediately by a broad 32-foot tall horsetail type fall which veils outward ever so slightly as it slips into the small pool at its base. Before reaching this waterfall, two smaller sets of cascades are passed along the trail, between two footbridges which cross Stony Brook – one halfway between the two bridges, and the other just below the second bridge. Neither are large enough to meet the requirements to be included independently in this database, but both are scenic and present opportunities for photography. Stony Brook drains from an area covering approximately 21 square miles, and seems to retain at least a modest flow of water all year long. During the winter and spring months, the volume of the creek will swell to such levels that walking in the creek would be foolishly dangerous, but during the summer months the flow is low enough that pleasant creek walking up the glen is a safe undertaking. The glen trail appears to be open seasonally, so accessing the falls in exceptionally high water may not be feasible in the first place.