| County: |
Lewis |
| Town: |
Watson |
| USGS Map: |
Number Four |
| Waterway: |
Independence River |
| Latitude: |
N 43.79899o |
| Longitude: |
W 75.22949o
|
| Drop: |
~30' |
|
Gleasman Falls is the most remote waterfall in Lewis County that
we know of. To get to the trailhead parking, take the Number
Four Road east from Lowville. In Crystal Dale, take a right
on the Erie Canal Road. Just short of 3 miles, take a left
on the McPhilmy Road. A very short distance up this road,
your first intersection will be the dirt/gravel Beach Mill
Road. Take a left. In about 1.5 miles, there is a fork
with a sign indicating that you want to bear left. In a
little over 2 miles, the road will end at the Beach Mill Pond
trailhead.
Signs clearly mark the beginning of the trail. Follow the
yellow markers. This trip is not for the faint of
heart. We would call the majority of this trail moderate in
difficulty. It is clearly marked and well maintained.
For the most part it is fairly level. There are really only
a couple of challenges. The last quarter mile or so does
have some significant ups and downs. Even those aren't
bad. The real challenge is that you are looking at over 2.5
miles in one direction. Sneakers would be the desired
footwear on this one. You won't need water shoes and even
hiking boots aren't necessary. You will want to pack your
granola bars and water bottle. If done during the right
season, you will find an abundance of blueberry and blackberry
bushes and you can forage your way throughout this hike.
About 0.1 mile in, you will cross the Brunt Creek on a wooden
bridge. Just past this, there is a registration kiosk.
The last visitors before us were two days prior. Given the
length of this hike, you won't be overwhelmed with others during
your visit. At a little over a mile in, you will pass by a
beaver pond/swamp. At the end of this there is a small
footbridge over the swamp. Another 3/4 of a mile, give or
take, and you will cross a bridge over the Second Creek, a feeder
of the Independence River. From here you will hike up a hill
where you will pass a large boulder next to a sign indicating that
Gleasman Falls is another 0.1 mile. There are a couple of points
where you can get to the river's edge and see the falls ahead of
you. Continue walking and another trail, although not
clearly marked, can be taken to the river right at the top of this
multi-step waterfall.
The Independence River flows into the Black River just a few miles
downstream from this location in the town of Watson. The Black
empties into Lake Ontario in the Jefferson County community of
Dexter.
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