Are there fees or permits required for Fall Brook Falls?

No, there are no fees required to visit Fall Brook Falls.

Is swimming allowed at Fall Brook Falls?

No, swimming is not allowed at Fall Brook Falls.

Nearby gauge (Genesee River) · 234 ft³/s · Much lower than usual

Fall Brook Falls

Q: Are dogs allowed at Fall Brook Falls?

No, dogs are not allowed at Fall Brook Falls. No public access; pets were not allowed on the former guided hike.

New York

By Armen Suny · Last verified Oct 2026

LiDAR & 3D terrain

Fallbrook OTHE · PVT

Before you go

Fall Brook Falls is on posted private property and access is by permission only. The guided hike that once provided legal access appears to have ended in 2025.

Photo Credits (3)

lukas schlagenhauf CC BY-ND 2.0 · Flickr

PNG441 CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 · Flickr

About Fall Brook Falls

Fall Brook Falls, also called High Falls, is a 70 to 90-foot waterfall (reports vary) at the head of the Fall Brook gorge just south of the village of Geneseo in Livingston County. Long treated as a local hangout by students and residents, it is on private property that is posted, and access is by the owner's permission only. A guided hike that once offered legal access appears to have ended in 2025.

The Setting

Fall Brook Falls sits at 597 feet within Fallbrook, in the foothills of New York.

Trail & Hike Details

Frequently Asked Questions

🐶 Are Dogs Allowed at Fall Brook Falls?

❌ Dogs are not allowed
No public access; pets were not allowed on the former guided hike.

Are There Any Fees or Permits Required?

🆖 No fees required

🏊 Is There Swimming at Fall Brook Falls?

❌ Swimming is not allowed

When to Visit

spring summer fall

Seasonal Access

The best time to visit is Spring, Summer, and Fall. Winter access may be limited.

Safety Information

The gorge walls are unstable and prone to erosion.

Current Water Conditions

Updated about 1 hour ago Barely Flowing

These readings come from the USGS gauge on Genesee River, 0.8 miles away, not on Fall Brook Falls's own stream. Use them as a sign of whether the area is running wet or dry.

234 ft³/s

Current discharge — how much water is flowing

Much lower than usual for this time of year

Very Low Low Normal High Very High

242 432 1.9k 3.9k

Based on 75 years of record

2.30 ft

Water depth at gauge

7-Day Discharge Trend

What does this mean for your visit?

Flow is well below normal for this time of year, so the waterfall may be a trickle.

About This Gauge

GENESEE RIVER NEAR MOUNT MORRIS NY

USGS 04227500

0.8 miles from waterfall

Drainage: 1,424 sq mi

Altitude: 540 ft

7-Day Flow Outlook

Based on the USGS gauge GENESEE RIVER NEAR MOUNT MORRIS NY (1 km away).

High confidence

Barely Flowing right now

234 cfs

↓ Falling

Today

Barely Flowing

234 cfs

4/10

Tomorrow

Barely Flowing

275 cfs

3/10

Fri

Low

288 cfs

4/10

Sat

Low

294 cfs

4/10

Sun

Barely Flowing

263 cfs

4/10

Mon

Barely Flowing

313 cfs

4/10

Tue

Barely Flowing

351 cfs

5/10

Best window: Tue — barely flowing flow, partly sunny (trip score 5/10).

Best time of year: this gauge typically runs highest from late February to early May, peaking in April.

How we calculate this

This is a transparent outlook, not a precise forecast. We take the waterfall's current flow strength (how it ranks against its historical normal for today, from the nearest USGS stream gauge), carry that ranking forward along the gauge's seasonal curve, and nudge it for forecast rain. Confidence is highest for the next day or two and falls further out. Always check official conditions and your own judgment before visiting — high flows can be dangerous.

Know when to go.

Get a free email alert when waterfalls near Cuylerville hit peak flow. We only send when conditions are worth the trip — no weekly newsletters, no spam.

Is Fall Brook Falls Frozen?

Updated about 4 hours ago

Not frozen highs above freezing lately north-facing, shaded

Fall Brook Falls is not frozen right now; highs have been above freezing. Yesterday ran 61°F to 43°F.

Days below freezing: 0 of the last 14
Current cold streak: 0 days
Freezing days ahead: 0 of the next 7
Flow: 244 ft³/s

Winter safety. Frozen falls are the one waterfall trip with a documented injury pattern: falling ice, and ice-glazed rock and trail. Wear microspikes, keep well back from the base and from overhangs, and never walk out on ice over moving water.

Estimate from Open-Meteo daily temperatures at the falls, the LiDAR-measured facing direction, and the nearest stream gauge. It is a likelihood, not a report from the trail. See every frozen waterfall in New York.

Weather Forecast

The Terrain, Seen by LiDAR

Aircraft-mounted lasers measured this ground to within inches. Trees and buildings are digitally stripped away, leaving the bare shape of the land the water has carved.

1-meter lidar shows Fall Brook Falls dropping about 148 feet in a single sheer step. The brink sits at about 608 feet above sea level.

Steep ground runs through the entire stretch: about 136 feet of descent in the 500 feet above the pin and 126 feet in the 500 feet below it. Facing north, the falls stay mostly shaded, with soft, even light all day.

Aerial photo of the same ground around Fall Brook Falls near Cuylerville, New York, for comparison with the lidar view

LiDAR bare-earth terrain around Fall Brook Falls near Cuylerville, New York, showing about 148 feet of drop, a single sheer drop, facing north

Aerial LiDAR bare earth

Drag to compare. The dot marks the waterfall. The frame is about a mile across.

Ground elevation: 608 feet; Measured by 1-meter lidar
Drop at the falls: About 148 feet; Change in ground height within ~250 feet of the falls
Faces: North; Mostly shaded, so the light stays soft and even all day.