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High Falls Gorge, Lake Placid
High Falls Gorge — photo · Barbara O · Google
§ Attractions · Lake Placid

High Falls Gorge.

Parks, Gardens & Preserves·Wilmington, NY·44.35°N 73.88°W

Glass-floor walkways over the Ausable River gorge.

Rated4.6 / 534 reviews · Google
Telephone(518) 946-2278
Found inWilmington, NY
Charted at44.35°N 73.88°Won the Atlas
Call Directions Visit the site
Parks, Gardens & Preserves · Lake PlacidEntry revised Aug 6, 2026
§ No. I · Field Notes

About High Falls Gorge.

Route 86 in Wilmington, between Lake Placid and the Whiteface Mountain base. The gorge is a steep-sided cut on the Ausable River with four named waterfalls inside a 22-acre footprint. The maintained walkways and glass-floor bridges are the design move that makes it work as a paid attraction rather than a free roadside pullout. The self-guided loop is short and family-friendly. Many sections are partly wheelchair accessible. The glass floors over the falls are the photo people remember, particularly with kids who haven't seen running whitewater that close before. Most casual visitors do the loop in 45 minutes to an hour. The River View Cafe handles lunch and snacks (burgers, wraps, salads, gluten-free and vegan options) plus specialty drinks, wine, and local beer. The gift shop runs souvenirs, books, rocks, and gemstones, which makes it a workable rainy-day stop in addition to a clear-day one. Groups and special events welcome. Only ADA service animals permitted. Pair with a Whiteface drive or a Lake Placid afternoon.
§ No. II · The Particulars

Hours, facts & the front desk.

§ No. III · Getting Here

Where it sits.

Lake Placid Region
The Address

4761 NY-86
Wilmington, NY 12997

44.3475°N · 73.8769°W

Directions
Drive In From
New York City314 mi · 5h 45m
Albany147 mi · 2h 45m
Boston247 mi · 4h 30m
Montreal101 mi · 1h 45m
Syracuse181 mi · 3h 15m
Buffalo337 mi · 6h 15m

Approximate by-car estimates from the metros most visitors come from.

§ No. IV · The Plates

High Falls Gorge, observed.

7 plates on file
High Falls Gorge — plate IPlate I — the leaderPhotograph · Bartosz Winogrodzki · Google
High Falls Gorge — plate IIPlate IIPhotograph · Courtesy High Falls Gorge / highfallsgorge.com
High Falls Gorge — plate IIIPlate IIIPhotograph · Courtesy High Falls Gorge / highfallsgorge.com
High Falls Gorge — plate IVPlate IVPhotograph · Kara Cadwell · Google
High Falls Gorge — plate VPlate VPhotograph · Camilo Garcia · Google
High Falls Gorge — plate VIPlate VIPhotograph · Courtesy High Falls Gorge / highfallsgorge.com
§ The Pairings

Pair with.

Round out the day. Coffee on the way, where to eat, what else to see.

§ No. I

Coffee on the way.

Within ~25 miles
Adirondack Mountain Coffee Cafe5.1 mi
§ No. III

More to see.

Within ~25 miles
Upper Jay Art Center and Recovery Lounge5.1 mi
§ Editor’s Picks
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