Trenton Falls

Trenton Falls is the major waterfall along West Canada Creek which at times in the past was considered to be among the great waterfalls of the United States. The falls were a tourist attraction which achieved significant notoriety in the late 1800s and was frequently favorably compared to Niagara Falls. In 1901 the Trenton Falls Hydroelectric Project was completed and began operation, drawing off a portion of West Canada Creek. Subsequent upgrades have siphoned nearly the entire volume of the creek away from the falls such that it only flows during periods of excessive rainfall or snow melt. Until recently the falls had been closed to public access, but the town of Trenton Falls has recently invested in a trail system along the rim of the gorge, and the operators of the hydro project now open the falls to public access on a limited basis (the pattern seems to be at least four weekends each year).
When first made popular, Trenton Falls was a name which applied to a long series of falls along West Canada Creek, each one individually named; Bridal Veil Falls, Rocky Heart, Potash Kettle, Mill Dam Falls, Upper High Falls, Lower High Falls, Sherman Falls, Cascade of the Alhambra and Village Falls. As it currently exists, Bridal Veil Falls, Rocky Heart and Potash Kettle are all submerged beneath the backwaters of the Trenton Falls Dam, Cascade of the Alhambra is submerged beneath the backwaters of the lowest dam within the gorge, and Village Falls was more or less destroyed by the construction of said dam. This leaves Mill Dam Falls, Upper and Lower High Falls, and Sherman Falls as the remaining exposed drops within the gorge. Conforming to our guidelines for cataloging waterfalls, Mill Dam, Upper and Lower High Falls are all grouped close enough together to be considered one set of falls, while Sherman Falls is located far enough downstream that it should be considered its own separate entry (see link below). The collective drop of the three aforementioned falls is about 120 feet.