Are there fees or permits required for Lower Falls?

No, there are no fees required to visit Lower Falls.

Is swimming allowed at Lower Falls?

No, swimming is not allowed at Lower Falls.

Nearby gauge (Raquette River) · 634 ft³/s · About average

Lower Falls

Q: Are dogs allowed at Lower Falls?

Yes, dogs are allowed at Lower Falls. Dogs are allowed; outside the Eastern Zone of the High Peaks Wilderness, DEC requires leashes at trailheads and campsites.

New York • 6 ft

By Armen Suny · Last verified Oct 2026

LiDAR & 3D terrain

Also For 18 other waterfalls also named Lower Falls, see below

Follensby Pond PCON · NGO

Photo Credits (5)

Bill Badzo CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 · Flickr

@CarShowShooter CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 · Flickr

Difficulty

Moderate

Trail Length

9.0 miles

Trail Type

Out And Back

Elevation Gain

1,050 ft

About Lower Falls

Lower Falls is a 6-foot slide in an S-bend of the Raquette River at the lower end of Raquette Falls, east of Tupper Lake in the Town of Harrietstown, Franklin County. It is in the Forest Preserve and is reached by the Raquette Falls trail from Coreys Road or by canoe on the Raquette River. It is more a run of rapids than a sheer drop.

The Setting

Lower Falls sits at 1,562 feet within Follensby Pond, in the hills of New York. The falls drop 6 feet.

Height: 6 feet

Trail & Hike Details

9.0 mi distance 1,050 ft climbed

The Approach

The moderate 9.0-mile out-and-back trail gains 1,050 feet of elevation on the way to the falls.

Trail Description

From the Coreys Road trailhead, a well-marked, wide trail (also open to horses) runs a little over 4 miles to the DEC ranger outpost at Raquette Falls, with a couple of short, steep descents. From the outpost, follow a forest road and then a narrow foot trail to the right, about 0.25 mile, to the river. The round trip is about 9 miles.

What to Expect

The falls drop a gentle 6 feet. Dogs are welcome.

Accessibility

The trail involves steep, uneven terrain with significant elevation change and is not accessible to mobility devices.

Frequently Asked Questions

🐶 Are Dogs Allowed at Lower Falls?

✅ Dogs are allowed
Dogs are allowed; outside the Eastern Zone of the High Peaks Wilderness, DEC requires leashes at trailheads and campsites.

Are There Any Fees or Permits Required?

🆖 No fees required

🏊 Is There Swimming at Lower Falls?

❌ Swimming is not allowed

When to Visit

spring summer fall winter

Late spring through fall. Early summer brings wet trail sections and mosquitoes.

Seasonal Access

The best time to visit is Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.

Safety Information

Use care on the narrow foot trail by the river, which has steep drops to the water, and watch children closely.

Current Water Conditions

Updated about 1 hour ago Roaring

These readings come from the USGS gauge on Raquette River, 13.7 miles away, not on Lower Falls's own stream. Use them as a sign of whether the area is running wet or dry.

634 ft³/s

Current discharge — how much water is flowing

About average for this time of year

Very Low Low Normal High Very High

280 602 1.8k 2.2k

Based on 118 years of record

4.51 ft

Water depth at gauge

7-Day Discharge Trend

What does this mean for your visit?

Flow is about average for this time of year.

About This Gauge

This gauge is on a nearby waterway and may not reflect exact conditions at the falls.

RAQUETTE RIVER AT PIERCEFIELD NY

USGS 04266500

13.7 miles from waterfall

Drainage: 721 sq mi

Altitude: 1,502 ft

7-Day Flow Outlook

Based on the USGS gauge RAQUETTE RIVER AT PIERCEFIELD NY (22 km away).

Moderate confidence

Roaring right now

634 cfs

↑ Rising

Today

Roaring

659 cfs

6/10

Tomorrow

Roaring

696 cfs

6/10

Sat

Roaring

704 cfs

6/10

Sun

Roaring

691 cfs

6/10

Mon

Roaring

679 cfs

6/10

Tue

Roaring

693 cfs

9/10

Wed

Roaring

651 cfs

9/10

Best window: Tue — roaring flow, mostly sunny (trip score 9/10).

Best time of year: this gauge typically runs highest from late March to early June, 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 Saranac Lake hit peak flow. We only send when conditions are worth the trip — no weekly newsletters, no spam.

Is Lower Falls Frozen?

Updated about 6 hours ago

Not frozen highs above freezing lately strong flow slows freezing

Lower Falls is not frozen right now; highs have been above freezing. Yesterday ran 43°F to 36°F.

Days below freezing: 0 of the last 14
Current cold streak: 0 days
Freezing days ahead: 0 of the next 7
Flow: 596 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.

Through the falls the surface drops roughly 100 feet over a short, steep run of tiers. Only part of that is the waterfall, which is listed at 6 feet; the rest is the canyon carrying on downstream. Elevation at the pin is about 1,583 feet.

The whole reach is steep: about 80 feet of descent in the 500 feet above the falls and another 63 feet in the 500 feet below. The falls face southeast and catch soft morning light.

Aerial photo of the same ground around Lower Falls near Saranac Lake, New York, for comparison with the lidar view

LiDAR bare-earth terrain around Lower Falls near Saranac Lake, New York, showing about 100 feet of drop, a steep tiered drop, facing southeast

Aerial LiDAR bare earth

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

Ground elevation: 1,583 feet; Measured by 1-meter lidar
Drop at the falls: About 100 feet; Change in ground height within ~250 feet of the falls
Faces: Southeast; Catches soft morning light.

Ground profile through the falls

A slice through the lidar ground surface, from above the falls to downstream (heading southeast).

Elevation data: USGS 3D Elevation Program. Aerial imagery: USGS The National Map. Public domain.

Location & Access

Getting There

From NY 3 between Tupper Lake and Saranac Lake, turn south on Coreys Road and drive about 2.6 miles to the trailhead parking lot on the right, just after the Stony Creek crossing.

Get Directions on Google Maps

Parking

Unpaved trailhead lot on Coreys Road; camping is not allowed in the lot.

Elevation

1,562 feet above sea level

Coordinates

44.146800° N, -74.322300° W

Land Management

Follensby Pond PCON

Managed by NGO

Visitor Tips & Gear

Wear waterproof boots and bring insect repellent in early summer. Sign in at the trail register.

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With 9.0 miles and 1,050 ft of elevation gain, sturdy boots and trekking poles will help on this moderate trail. Icy conditions are common in winter — traction cleats are a smart addition.