We had left New York City and were on our slow return home. Travelling north roughly along the Hudson River toward our hotel room, we would make our final stop of the day at Croton Gorge Park.
The sun was starting to set, and the little warmth it had provided during this winter day was fading with it. It was cold and promising to get much colder. We pulled into the park passing a toll booth that was unoccupied. I was relieved, and I did not want to pay an entry fee for a place where we were only going to stay for a few minutes.
For us, places like Croton Gorge Park are places to get up and stretch. Quickly look at what is around, and then go to the next place. We had no intention of staying for more than 10 minutes. When we arrived, we were surprised to see several families there, one having a picnic on what was becoming a frigid evening. I could justify paid admission for them, but we were only passing through. Thankfully, it was unmanned, and we entered.
I did not know what to expect at this location. I knew there was water and that it was falling. I was surprised that it had a really nice setting, and what the water was falling over was unique for us. We have been to numerous waterfalls. Some are entirely natural with no man-made barriers, and some have been turned into dams. This fall was dammed, but the engineers did so much to keep its natural beauty. The dam itself was brick and not earthwork or large pourings of concrete. The part I liked the most was that it would have been easier and cheaper to extend the dam across the valley, but instead, the wall was rounded, and the natural part of the waterfalls was allowed to remain.
I appreciated this feat of engineering. On the one hand, there is a need for dams to provide water and power. On the other hand, there is a need for the beauty of nature to be enjoyed. This would be the first place I had seen that combined both so harmoniously.
Our intended 10-minute break stretched to 30 minutes. Maybe if there was an entry fee, we would have earned its payment. We both watched the water cascade, some of it freezing. Then something amazing happened! I saw someone walking on top of the dam.
Wow!
I want to do that!
How do I do that?
In a near panic, I frantically started looking around for access. Seeing nothing obvious, I turned to my trusty Google Maps and saw what was a parking lot and access just around the corner. I almost ran to the car and was about to forget that I had brought my wife with me. Boy, I would have been in trouble if I had left her there. I drove with some haste, dodging the potholes and found the parking lot just two minutes from where we were.
The air was bitterly cold now. Whatever water on the ground was now frozen, making walking in our shoes challenging. We saw that I had found the right spot and now are on top of the dam. It was even more impressive than what we saw below. I stared at the smooth, mirror-like lake wishing we had been here only a few months earlier to see the fall colours. The character of the waterfalls was preserved and even enhanced with the engineering that we were witnessing.
Ten minutes turned into something much longer and more immersive than I had originally planned. I placed this location on my repeat visit list to remind me always to come and see it if we are in the area again.
- Like all the others I have been to, this location can be found on Featured Map.
- Is there admission? The booth did start to look like it was on the abandoned side.
- If there is admission, there is free access from the trail system that cuts through and on top of the dam.
- This location is excellent to see in all seasons.
