| Location |
Oatka Creek near LeRoy
NY. Park on the bend of North Street just east
of Route 19 going north out of LeRoy. |
| Access |
Abandoned railway giving access to public fishing
stream.
Update July, 2000: Private
We have received informal information to the effect
that this waterfall is now owned by a gravel company.
We also heard that someone was killed here within
the past few months. Visitors are reportedly quite
unwelcome but we have not verified this information.
You will have to check the status of this waterfall
for yourself.
|
| Driving time |
40 minutes |
| Hiking |
We took a short walk down
the railway right-of-way to the bridge over Oatka
Creek.(20 minutes). On other visits, and for a more
dramatic first view, we followed a trail on the north
side of the railroad bed about 150 yards from the
road. We viewed the falls from several places on either
side of the stream. We used the railroad bridge
to cross the stream; we didn't try to cross in the
stream because the current near the falls is too dangerous.
There is a primitive path down to the base of the
falls on the west side (this added another 30 minutes
to our adventure). |
| Details |
We have visited this falls
during several seasons and it is different every time.
Out best visits have been just after a heavy rainstorm.
The vegetation at the base of the falls is fairly
dense but we descended in early spring and were not
be bothered by the tall weeds. We've picnicked
on the east side in a secluded ledge that overlooks
the falls. Notice how perfectly the arch of
the bridge frames the long barn in the distance.
We combined this with Morganville
Falls and a drive or bike ride along the Oatka
Trail to Mumford to get a feel for the Onondaga
Escarpment. |
| Update |
9/3/03, Peggy Dibble:
I know for a fact that Buttermilk Falls is on private
lands and that the owner routinely has trespassers
arrested. I can also confirm that a body was found
(I think it was two years ago now) on the falls itself
(low water). It was never determined how he died (accident
or otherwise). During a dry summer, the amount of
water going over the falls can all but disappear. |
