Located along the picturesque shores of Tupper Lake in the heart of the Adirondack Park, you’ll find the beautiful Bog River Falls.
Bog River Falls is a small waterfall that can be found where the Bog River empties into Tupper Lake, creating one of the most dramatic roadside scenes in the Adirondacks. It is located in the southeastern corner of St. Lawrence County, just a few feet from its border with both Hamilton County and Franklin County.
And, while it sits just off of the main road, if you know where to look for this waterfall, it’s quite easy to visit.
Parking for Bog River Falls
The parking area for Bog River Falls is located along Route 421, just west of NY-30, the main road through this part of New York.
To reach this parking and the waterfall, travel along Route 421 for three-quarters of a mile from NY-30. Just after crossing the bridge over the Bog River, you’ll see a large parking area on the left side of the road.
This parking area can be found at the following coordinates: 44.128609, -74.545359.
Visiting Bog River Falls
From the parking area, you should be able to see the upper portion of Bog River Falls through the trees, but a short walk over to the shoreline will provide the best views.
Bog River is an 18-mile waterway that originates in Hamilton County. It is largely flat thanks to two hydroelectric dams along its course. The final portion of the river from the last dam to Tupper Lake has been designated a Scenic River.
This waterfall spans the entire width of the Bog River, and, unless water levels are particularly high, the upper portion features two separate slide waterfalls with a small tree-covered island between them.
This portion of the waterfall isn’t overly large, only around 6-8 feet in height, but the width of the waterfall makes it impressive, as does the sheer beauty of the area. In fact, I’d say that this is one of my favorite roadside spots to see fall foliage in the Adirondacks.
In addition to checking out the upper portion of Bog River Falls, you can also check out the lower portion that falls starting below the stone bridge over the river and directly into Tupper Lake.
All told, this portion of the waterfall is around 15 feet in height and creates an incredibly dramatic scene overlooking the waterfall and the lake.
Short trails head from the road down to the lake level if you want to see the waterfall from this vantage point or go fishing at the base of the waterfall.
For those that don’t want to hike down to the waterfall’s base (or who can’t for whatever reason), there is really nice view of both halves of the waterfall from the bridge over the river.
I especially love this view because you can see the waterfall cascading into the lake while overlooking this majestic spot.
If you do go out onto the bridge or cross the road to reach the bottom portion of Bog River Falls, make sure to use caution to avoid traveling cars. And, of course, if you get close to the edge of the river or the lake, watch for slippery rocks.
Overall, Bog River Falls is an incredibly beautiful spot to visit while checking out the western Adirondacks. While it’s far from the largest waterfall in the area, and it likely doesn’t warrant going far out of your way to see it. However, if you are traveling Ny-30 between the communities of Long Lake and Tupper Lake, this is definitely a worthwhile little detour.
Looking for more places to visit nearby? Check out the Wild Center, the Adirondack Experience, and Lampson Falls.
