One of the most beautiful, historical, and picturesque waterfalls in the Finger Lake region of New York, is the Seneca Mills Falls. It is situated between the Seneca and Keuka Lakes in the town of Milo, and it is one of the most iconic spots to visit on the Keuka Outlet Trail.

If you are driving here, you can find parking right at the trail head and junction at Ridge Road and Outlet Road. If you continue on Outlet Road going west, you will see another parking area if that lot is full. The falls are about a 30 minute drive from Watkins Glen if you take NY-14 S. There is not an admission fee to visit the area, which is awesome!

After you park, you will have a small hike to get to the waterfall (about 3/4 of a mile) but the trail is pretty easy to follow and navigate. It does start out grassy, but as you follow the path becomes paved as you get closer. This was pretty easy to follow, and not too arduous getting there.

On the day that we went, it was pretty mild and cool outside since it was during the month of October. I would highly recommend bringing a coat with you when you hike in New York during the autumn season, because it tends to get colder during the evenings. You will want to make sure that you check the weather before going on a hiking adventure, and I would always advise to bring water and snacks along too. It is always worth it to be prepared and safe!

There was not a huge crowd the day that we went, but we did notice a couple doing a photo shoot, so we did give them a little distance to finish that up before approaching. This would honestly be a magnificent spot for a photo shoot with the beautiful waterfall, and the historic remnants of the mill still standing!

To provide you with a little history of this area, the frontier settlement of the mill began in 1788, when evangelists who belonged to the Society of Universal Friends discovered a peaceful region to build their mill and businesses. Within several years, they had built their first mill at Seneca Mills Falls, and eventually had a series of other grist and saw mills in the area.

In this manner, the settlement kept growing and more mills populated the area utilizing the natural gorges and outlets of water. Eventually, in the late 1800s, the mill turned out electricity to light the streets of the beautiful village of Penn Yan.

As we hiked up to the falls, we could hear the rumblings and rushing of powerful water. I have to say, we were very impressed with this delightful waterfall. It is layered with three tiers of cascades, and has such an interesting backdrop. We loved how you can see the remains of this historical mill complex that once ran here!

There is a section of path that reaches up and over the falls. This enables you to see the nature view from above with a variety of mechanics that once were used in a more industrial time. The vantage point is amazing, and you will be able to get a more bird’s eye focus of the area.

This spot would also be a wonderful day trip area if you were to pack a lunch with you. When you continue on the path right above the waterfall, you will see a large pavilion, and in addition to this, you will find a decent amount of benches around too. Always remember to clean up before you leave, because it is crucial that we work together to keep these places spectacular for future generations to visit and learn about.

If you are looking to hike the full Keuka Outlet Trail, it is 6.8 miles in length (10.9 km). You will follow what is now a winding stream (it was once a canal and rail bed). Also you will find many interesting abandoned historical buildings (for safety reasons I recommend not getting close to them) and masonry walls. The full trail does vary a bit in path texture, and you may want to wear hiking boots if you are attempting to trek it all.

When you are traveling to the Finger Lakes in New York, you will absolutely want to check out the Seneca Mills Falls on the Keuka Outlet Trail. It is a fantastic spot to take in some amazing views, and also just enjoy a relaxing nature setting. Let me know in the comments if you have traveled here before, and what you thought of the area. I hope that you are having a wonderful day, and remember to click the like and subscribe button!

If you are planning a trip to the New York area, and are interested in hiking or viewing spectacular waterfalls, a book that I would highly recommend and also own myself is “Hiking Waterfalls New York.” This literature reviews a variety of hikes, from the famous Niagara Falls, to even more less known hikes, but spots that you will not want to miss! At the beginning of the book, I really like that the author categorized the trails from her favorites, best waterfalls for fall foliage, best gorge hikes, roadside waterfalls, best historical falls, and even waterfalls that may draw in more crowds versus less crowded waterfalls. There is also a very nice map that lays out where the locations of them are, and that can be an amazing tool when you are planning your trip. This is great so that you know how far of a distance you can expect to travel from where you are lodging, and you can really make the most out of your time and itinerary. With each hike and waterfall listed there is a full color photo, trail distance, difficulty, and even information about the actual surface that the trail is made out of in addition to so much more!

For more information regarding this book, check out the Amazon Affiliate link below.

https://amzn.to/3PBdbqW

-Additional Related Articles

https://www.keukaoutlettrail.org/

https://nyfalls.com/waterfalls/seneca-cascade-mills/

https://www.gofingerlakes.org/

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NortheastAllie

For generations, my family has lived in the Philadelphia area, and my writing reflects these influences. This blog explores perspectives on life, encouragement, travel, health, and local living.

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