Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on ThursdayCanada could start allowing fully vaccinated Americans into Canada as of mid-Augustfor non-essential travel and should be in a position to welcome fully vaccinated travelers from all countries by early September.
That means all those who have been frustrated in their attempts to experience Niagara Falls from the Canadian sidecan finally get their Instagram photos.
But if you don't want to wait until then, or deal with the anticipated crowds once the border reopens, check out some other spectacular spills in New York state. We can't say they won't also be crowded — most state parks saw huge increases in visitors during the pandemic — but all are openand welcoming visitors. Check websites before you go for any parking restrictions or closings.
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Letchworth State Park
Called the “Grand Canyon of the East,” it’s worth the four-hour drive. See the Genesee River as it flows through the gorge over three major waterfalls (as high as 600 feet in places). With more than 14,000 acres, the park offers miles of trails for hikers. Camping is also available, or stay at the restored Glen Iris Inn that was the country estate of the park’s namesake. Its restaurant is open to the public even if you are not staying there.
Details: $10 vehicle use fee. 1 Letchworth State Park, Castile, parks.ny. gov/parks/79
Watkins Glen State Park
Another marvel carved by nature over thousands of years, there are two miles of trails up and around the "glen" in which a stream descends 400 feet past 200-foot cliffs, generating 19 waterfalls, some large, others mostly mist-like,along its course. The gorge path, carved through rock in many places,winds over and under waterfalls and through the spray of Cavern Cascade. Rim trails overlook the gorge. Camping is available in tent and trailer sites. It can get wet and slippery in places, so be sure to wear study footwear.
Details:1009 N Franklin St., Watkins Glen, New York. Admission fee of $10per vehicle is collected from sunrise to sunset from mid-May to mid-October. The trails may close due to weather, so call the park office at 607-535-4511 if in doubt. parks.ny.gov/parks/142/
Bash Bish Falls
This is the highest single-drop waterfall in the state (80 feet) flowing into a natural pool of water lined by huge boulders. Bash Bish is not far from Kent Falls, so if you are somewhat ambitious, you could do both in one day. The falls can be accessed from parking lots in both Massachusetts and Copake, New York but the falls are maintained by Massachusetts as a state park, which notes that entering the water at the falls is prohibited as of May 1, 2021. FYI: The hike on the Massachusetts side is more difficult.
Details:Open from sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset, year-round. Taconic State Park is located at 253 Route 344 in Copake Falls, New York, mass.gov/locations/bash-bish-falls-state-park
Kaaterskill Falls
This has been apopular subject for artists of the Hudson River School (Thomas Cole, Frederic Church) since the 1800s. With its two tiers combined, it is the highest cascading waterfall in the state at 230 feet (yes, Niagara is a mere 176 feet). This entire area, the Kaaterskill Wild Forest, remains beautiful despite the tourism, and you will see other cascades as you travel up Route 23A (skiers know this as the way to Hunter Mountain).
Make a stop by the Mountain Top Historical Society for info, brochures and maps; start here if you want a bit of a hike on the Kaaterskill Rail Trail (1.5 miles), which in its heyday brought people to the grand hotels of the era, now all sadly gone. The KRT will take you to the falls viewing platform, and there’s another parking lot a couple miles away on Laurel House Road, with a shorter, accessible path to the platform.
New York state manages the site and has worked over the last decade to make this location safe. Trails are well marked, but wear good hiking shoes.
The falls plunge in two spectacular cascades and can be as magnificent as they were in the 1800s, particularly after a rainfall. The first tier drops into a pool where you can practically stand under the falls, and then tumbles over boulders and rocks into the lower falls. You can hike to both these locations using the Lower Falls Trail, although it is steep and has steps.
Details:Laurel-House Road Parking Area is located off of North Lake Road in Palenville, New York. For info, go towww.dec.ny.gov
Awosting Falls
Located in the Minnewaska State Park Preserve in Ulster County, these falls, which plunge some 60 feet from a stream, are just one of numerous falls in in the park, situated on the Shawangunk Mountain ridge. To get there, there’s a one-mile loop trail (it gets crowded on weekends) located near Wawarsing.
This is a very popular hiking destination and the park advises you check website before going as intermittent closings of parking lots may occur.
Details:The preserve is open daily at 9 a.m. and closing times vary during the year. Parking is $10 per car. The park entrance is located at 5281 Route 44-55, Kerhonkson,845-255-0752,parks.ny.gov/parks/127
Ausable Chasm
Another contender to be named "Grand Canyon of the East," there is a lot to do in this Adirondack park, from hiking, floating, climbing or just admiring the view of the Keeseville Rainbow Falls and its historic bridges.
Details: Fees range from $9-$199 for packages. Check the website for more details atausablechasm.comes.2144 U.S. 9, Ausable Chasm
New Croton Dam
Part of the 97-acre Croton Gorge Park, yes, this is man-made waterfall, but it's too impressive to be ignored and very easy to enjoy. It's more than 200 feet high andthe masonry dam was completed in 1907, replacing an older one built in the 1800s (hence “new”). The architecture and falls of the spillway are spectacular, particularly as framed by the bridge above with its romantic arch supports.
Closed to vehicular traffic, but open to cyclists and pedestrians, the bridge offers another option to see the water cascading from the New Croton Reservoir into the Croton River. This park is a good spot for picnics with grills, restrooms and plenty of parking.
Details:Open daily 8 a.m. to dusk. Route 129, Croton-on-Hudson. $5 parking fee with County Parks Pass; $10 without. parks.westchestergov.com.
Freelance writer Debra Keiser contributed to this story. Contact her at metro@lohud.com
