New York's Unsung Finger Lakes Village Just Outside Watkins Glen State Park Is A Haven Of Waterfalls And Trails

Though your trip to the Finger Lakes may have been prompted by popular Watkins Glen State Park's waterfalls, they might not be the reason you choose to stick around the Seneca Lake area. There are more waterfalls and quieter hiking trails in nearby Montour Falls. This often overlooked village could be the peaceful retreat you were really hoping to find in Upstate New York.

Montour Falls, the southern access point to New York's Finger Lakes region, is located south of Seneca Lake, Watkins Glen, and Watkins Glen State Park, the most-visited state park in the U.S., per Google Maps data for 2025 (via Travel + Leisure). The small village was originally called Queanettquaga by the Seneca people and then renamed as Catharine's Town after Queen Catharine Montour. However, they all had to flee when the village was demolished during the Clinton-Sullivan Campaign of 1779. The village was eventually renamed Montour Falls, which is now home to less than 1,800 people.

The closest airport, Elmira Corning Regional Airport (ELM), is only 16 miles south of Montour Falls. Since the small airport only receives nonstop flights from a handful of cities, you may also want to check out Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport (ROC). Not only will you have more flight options at the larger airport, but it'll give you a chance to explore Rochester, which has reinvented its walkable downtown as an exciting "Neighborhood of Play." From Rochester, it's then an easy drive across I-90 and down Route 14, a scenic road that hugs Seneca Lake's western shore, to reach Montour Falls.

Montour Falls is called the "Valley of Tumbling Waters" due to the surrounding 1,000-foot hills that spill waterfalls into the center of the village. You'll see the first one as soon as you arrive in the Montour Falls Historic District, part of the National Register of Historic Places. That's where you'll find She-Qua-Ga Falls, a 156-foot waterfall that flows from Shequaga Creek, under the Mill Street Bridge, and into a large pool of water in Shequaga Falls Park. Though the park has the short Shequaga Falls trail, plus benches and picnic tables to enjoy the view, it's impossible to miss these falls as you walk through town.

She-Qua-Ga Falls isn't the only waterfall in Montour Falls, though. Aunt Sarah's Falls is considered a unique waterfall because of its shape. The 90-foot waterfall starts as a thin stream on top before spreading out into a wider cascade. You can see this waterfall from the road or get closer on Aunt Sarah's Falls trail.

You also shouldn't miss Deckertown Falls and Eagle Cliff Falls. Catlin Mill Creek is a slender gorge lined with waterfalls. The short Deckertown Falls trail will take you to its largest, Deckertown Falls, a 50-foot, three-tiered waterfall. Then, to reach Eagle Cliff Falls, you'll visit Havana Glen Park & Campground (parking fee $3). Its Eagle Cliff Falls trail climbs steep steps that open to the 41-foot waterfall that's practically surrounded by moss-covered rocks.

Though you can plan to visit each of Montour Falls' waterfalls separately, you could also see three of these waterfalls on the Montour Falls Historic Loop Trail. The MFHLT, which is part of the 1,000-mile Finger Lakes Trail System, is a 5.5-mile loop that connects She-Qua-Ga Falls, Eagle Cliff Falls, and Deckertown Falls. Along the way, you'll see the former Train Depot, a gravestone memorializing Queen Catharine Montour, and two cemeteries. The trail also crosses Catharine Creek, which is famous for the wild rainbow trout that migrate there each year.

The MFHLT also connects with the longer Catharine Valley Trail. The CVT was originally a footpath along the Chemung Canal, which linked the towns of Elmira and Watkins Glen, before a railroad covered it. The revitalized rail trail now stretches 13.8 miles from the Huck Finn Road Trailhead in Horseheads in the south up to the Watkins Glen Pier in Watkins Glen. One Tripadvisor user calls the trail, "a runner's delight." But don't worry, bikers, walkers, and, in the winter, cross-country skiers, are welcome to use it, as well.

If you follow the CVT all the way to the Watkins Glen Pier, you'll have reached the southern tip of Seneca Lake, the deepest lake in the Finger Lakes, which is lined with several wineries, outdoor adventure, and endless beauty. It's easy to visit Watkins Glen State Park from here. Or you can return to Montour Falls, which by now you may be considering your little waterfall oasis.