a.k.a. V.J.

This past weekend, I got it in my head that I wanted to visit a waterfall — not the shallow, industrialized falls that we have here in Fulton, but something out in nature with some height. Fortunately, there are a lot of options within a reasonable distance from home. (When it comes to waterfalls, this part of New York is basically Rivendell.) After poking around online, we decided to go see Wolcott Falls for the first time.

Wolcott is about 30 miles away in Wayne County. It’s pretty much the point where Central New York ends and Western New York begins. Wayne County is apple country, with orchards visible all along the roadsides. The rustic scenery made for a pleasant drive on a sunny June day.

The falls at Wolcott are on a small creek that runs northward through the town and eventually empties into Lake Ontario. The creek is surprisingly muddy, probably because it runs through farm country. At the site of the falls, there is a small park with an observation deck and a trail leading down along the creek to the base of the falls.

As upstate New York waterfalls go, the Wolcott Falls are pretty modest. They aren’t a destination like Letchworth or Buttermilk Falls. They are nice nonetheless and have the added bonus of being in one of those pleasant out-of-the-way places that aren’t crowded because they aren’t well-known. It was a fun weekend jaunt.