I’ve visited many waterfalls in New York, but few are as impressive or as easy to visit as Delphi Falls.
Delphi Falls is located in Madison County along the border with Onondaga County and only a 30-minute drive from downtown Syracuse. Even though Delphi Falls technically sits about a thousand feet outside of the Finger Lakes Region, this is a waterfall-rich area with spots like Pratts Falls, Chittenango Falls, and Tinkers Falls only a short drive away.
Delphi Falls is located in the aptly named Delphi Falls County Park, which was opened to the public in August 2018. The two waterfalls in the park can be found on the East Branch of Limestone Creek.
For the first five years that the park was open, only the lower of the two falls was accessible to visitors. However, as of the summer of 2023, a path to the top of the upper waterfall was completed.
Even with the new path, however, the lower waterfall, which I’ll refer to simply as Delphi Falls, is much easier to reach and the only one of the two that is handicap accessible.
Delphi Falls is estimated to be 65 feet tall, and while it’s far from the tallest waterfall in the region, it’s an incredibly impressive spot. The shape and color of the underlying rocks make this beautiful waterfall and one that looks great in photos.
Upper Delphi Falls sits several hundred feet upstream and is around 50 feet in height. Unfortunately, views of this beautiful waterfall are fairly limited even from the new trail as there are some large trees between the viewing area and the waterfall.
While the new trail is quite nice, I do wish they had either trimmed back the trees around the waterfall or created a viewing area closer to its base (or both!).
Because of this, the lower waterfall is definitely the most impressive of the two to see.
How to Get to Delphi Falls Park
In the first few years of operation at Delphi Falls County Park, there was a small parking area located just steps from Delphi Falls.
When the new trail opened in mid-2023, a new parking area also opened that has room for a significantly larger number of cars. This parking area maintains handicapped-accessible access to the lower waterfall, though it is a little bit further away from it.
This parking area can be found along Cardner Road in Delphi Falls, NY at the following coordinates: 42.867083, -75.902028.
[Click here for information on how to use the coordinates in this article to find your destination.]
Hiking to Delphi Falls
From the new parking, there are trails that lead to both the base of Delphi Falls or to views of Upper Delphi Falls. The trail leading to the lower waterfall follows a handicapped-accessible route that leads over the East Branch of Limestone Creek toward views of the lower waterfall.
Note that this lower area is close through at least the summer of 2024 as improvements are made to this area. Check the park’s website for updates.
The views of Lower Falls are simply stunning, and it’s one of the most beautiful waterfalls in this part of New York. Even if you can only visit this lower waterfall, I’d say it’s definitely worth visiting the park..
Views of both Delphi Falls and Upper Delphi Falls can also be had from the trail that heads uphill from the parking area. This trail isn’t overly difficult, but it is definitely a longer walk than I expected and there are a fair number of stairs along the path.
There are three main views from this trail that allow you to see Delphi Falls from above, a full view of Upper Delphi Falls, and the crest of Upper Delphi Falls.
Each of these spots is nice, though, as I said before, I do wish they had removed more trees to improve the quality of the views along this trail.
If you want to see Upper Delphi Falls, the best view can be had from the first designated viewing area, which is down a set of stairs from the main path. The views from here are quite nice despite some trees being in the way.
Continuing further along the main path will bring you to its end at a viewing area atop Upper Delphi Falls. This is a nice view of the stream and the gorge carved by the waterfall, but the views of the actual drop are limited from here.
Overall, this new path that was opened in the summer of 2023 is an excellent addition to the park. And while the stairs mean it’s not handicapped-accessible, the path is a relatively easy hike otherwise, so it can be completed by most.
It’s worth noting that, like most waterfalls, Delphi Falls County Park is best visited in the spring or after a heavy rain. While it doesn’t appear these waterfalls dry up in the late summer, the flow does get a lot lower and the waterfalls don’t look as pretty in my opinion.
Overall, while I’m excited to see all of the updates to the park completed in 2024, in the meantime, Delphi Falls is still an incredible spot to visit if you find yourself wanting to explore the natural beauty of this corner of Upstate New York.
Even better, the waterfall’s location near several other impressive waterfalls makes this a great road-tripping spot for those looking to enjoy some of the best waterfalls in New York.
Looking for more places to visit nearby? Check out the best breweries in Syracuse, the Labrador Hollow boardwalk, the Erie Canal Museum, and the best Finger Lakes waterfalls.
