High Falls Gorge Review

While it's not the most exceptional place to visit in the Lake Placid region, High Falls Gorge in Wilmington, just to the east of Lake Placid and near Whiteface Mountain is an interesting and fun place to stop and spend a few hours. Here the Ausable River drops in a series of waterfalls and enters a narrow gorge that you walk along and through via a network of trails.

High Falls Gorge is located on Route 86 in Wilmington Notch. It's about 20 minutes east of downtown Lake Placid and about 10 minutes west of the center of Wilmington. It's only a few miles from the Whiteface Mountain Ski Area. There's plenty of parking at the gorge. The parking area and the visitor center are located near the beginning of the gorge and after you purchase your tickets, you can start walking on the trails that go along, around and through the gorge.

High Falls Gorge is a private attraction in the Adirondack Park so you will have to pay for admission. If you don't want to pay for admission, there's not all that much to see. The visitor center is home to a small cafeteria along with a gift shop and that's about it.

Once you've paid though, you'll be able to go on the self-guided tour along the trails, which is about a half-mile in length and takes you across the Ausable River, down along the river's edge to the first of the waterfalls. From there the trail continues along the edge of the gorge with plenty of views down to its bottom. You'll go past a few different features including glacially scoured pot holes before you cross back over the Ausable on a bridge. After the bridge, you'll work your way up the opposite edge of the gorge where there are several different viewpoints. Then you'll head back up the trail to the visitors center.

The time that I was there, my partner and I spent about an hour and a half walking the trails, taking in the views and taking plenty of photographs. I thought it was an interesting and fun experience. I thought the entire tour was well done. You get a small handout that describes the various locations along trail and they do a good job at introducing the various geologic concepts and natural history items to the average visitor. The visitors center really isn't all that exciting. The gift shop has a few interesting books on the Adirondacks and the geology of the gorge and after walking around, it is nice to grab a quick snack (though it's overpriced) at the small cafeteria.

I wouldn't go to the Adirondacks just to see High Falls Gorge, but if you are in the area, it's well worth a visit. Go on a nice day and spend a few hours walking along the Ausable River and enjoying the natural beauty of the area.